Teaching your kids to do chores at a young age is the key to developing a good habits in your children. Last year I shared age appropriate chores for kids based on my own family’s experience.
Summer is a great time to get kids into the habit of doing chores. With more free time in the morning and evening good habits can take hold before the school year begins again.
This year I have a printable available for those who want to use it as a resource in their home.
Download the Age Appropriate Chores for Kids printable here.
This is a really good guide. Also take into accout if you have developmentally delayed children. You just moved the chores backyards. Great guide thanks for sharing
Thank you. I was just thinking I need to get my 3 and 5 year olds into some chores. How many would you give to a child? Do you have a good chore chart printable?
Thanks for sharing! I have a 3 year old and have been looking for ways for her to help out… good to have a guide
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this!! My 3 year old already helps me with several things on this list. It’s nice to add a few more that I didn’t think of. Of course at his age we make it a game and he thinks its fun! In fact he loves to feed our dog (with supervision). Thanks again!
This looks like a really good list! Thanks so much!
I’m all for teaching kids about chores, but some of the toddler and preschool chores seem like a stretch to me, unless they are merely helping. A 4 year old washing dishes? I find it hilarious that that is the only one on that list that says “with supervision.”
Yeah, how many dishes are you prepared to lose for the sake of getting them involved and learning life skills? Nice idea. More trouble than its worth though.
I used to be more concerned with material items then the lessons my kids learned from me also. But then I realized that was me being a selfish parent. I seemed more concerned how their accidents would inconvience me rather then the lessons they needed to learn.
We just put away the breakables & got stainless steel & plastics! It was so freeing to let so some of my perfectionism go for the sake of my kids. I encourage you to try that also. Besides, you are making great memories with them when you interact with them.
Good luck!
Thumbs up! Great way to look at it (:
Read a little , romney… she said plastic cups, silverware, and tupperware FYI thats practically indestructible.
When taught early that dishes are to be respected and not thrown, children will be careful. Yes, you may end up losing one or two, but in my house my husband breaks more dishes than the children ever have. Montessori & Waldorf schools teach this–all dishes used for snacks, meals and kitchen play are glass–no dumbing it down.
I’ve been looking for one – this is great, thank you:-)
Yes, a 4 yr old can wash dishes. My dad put me on a chair at the sink and had me washing dishes @ 2 years old! He also did not tolerate dirty dishes. When my younger brother turned 2, he got to start rinsing while I washed, by that time I was 4.
I did not start that young with my kids, but now I wish I had! maybe they would be used to doing it and not whine so much!
i am concerned about 2 of the items. Only children who are older should clean windows, especially if it some height above the ground such as an apartment! Wiping toilets also best for the next age group , they tend to have a better understanding of bacteria and hygiene, which is vital for this activity, irrespective of maturity for their age. my now adult children needed to do chores.they did all these listed. We had a saying in our home, that not just one person made a mess, so not only one person needed to help look after the home. The whole family chipped in for chores, so it was everyone’s responsibility. It is important for children to learn to be self efficient adults, able to do basic housework.I disagree with Romney, my kids learnt to wash dishes by doing safe items initially (plasticware,cutlery besides knives).It is gradual increases to what they can do. If you do it for them, they won’t learn
My almost 2 y/o can already do over half of the 2-3 yr things
It’s so fun watching them ENJOY helping you!! (and watching them learn to be more help than their dad, LOL)
Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m all about teaching my kids responsibility so they can be successful adults. I love that you have “big kid” jobs for little kids too. The little ones are the one anxious to take part and WANT to help! I’m trying to take advantage of that now… these are also “life skills” the ones they don’t teach in school. Great post – pinned it! thank you!
I’m sorry but I just think this list is absurd. I’m all for kids doing chores but you also need to let kids be kids and not to adult things like clean a toilet. I had a strict dad growing up and always had chores to do but never did I have to clean a toilet. I have been looking for a chore chart and was very excited when I saw a friend post this, then I read it and am absolutely against it!
Then only do the ones you agree with… there are a lot of good things on this list. And they don’t need to be done everyday. My kids (3 and 5) do alot of these already – clean their places off after dinner everyday(put away plates, cups, throw away their napkins) and other things like make their beds once a week. They can still be kids, but they are also learning to be responsible for themselves and learning to be part of a family and part of a society. My kids still have lots of fun and play often and yet they know that Mommy is not a maid and our house is easier to get cleaned because they are learning to clean up after themselves. it seems like you are against the whole list because of the toilet thing- she is giving you ideas- not saying you have to follow it exactly.
Good luck getting a toddler to do anything to a decent standard! Trying to pressgang a small child into service makes twice as much work if you ask me – firstly as you have to supervise them and secondly when you sneak back and do the job again properly. The things I’ve found in the laundry basket already…and thats without encouraging him to put stuff in there.
If you think it isn’t worth it to take the time to supervise a child and then “do it right” if it isn’t good enough, I think you are a lazy parent. How can a kid learn if you don’t care to teach them? My kids do stuff like this all the time, and I don’t care if it isn’t perfect.I’d rather them learn to start to contribute and clean up. And the big deal from people about cleaning toilets? Why is it such a big deal like its the worst job ever? It takes all of five minutes, its not like you have to spend an hour with your arm inside the stupid toilet. My 2 yr old has been clearing the table and helped unload and load the dishwasher- and he’s never broken anything. Guess you’d be shocked to know that he uses glass mugs,cups, and plates too! And can you guess how many he’s broken? Absolutely zero. He’s been using glass entirely at dinner ever since he was out of babyhood enough to know not to throw his plate to the ground. The only reason he ever uses plastic “kid” dishes at snacks and stuff is because he likes the Buzz Lightyear and Cars dishes his grandmother got him for Christmas. Learn to trust your kids a touch more, supervise them, and you will be amazed at what they can do.
No, toddlers won’t do things to your standards, but letting them help at the stage when they are eager to do so makes training them later so much easier. I had my toddlers folding washcloths and towels starting around 2. Of course, they were ridiculous by adult standards, but I was more concerned with my children’s development and character than how my linen closet looked.
And now they all do their own laundry.
I like this list. My kids may not be able to do all the things listed (and I may not have time everyday to suffer through it
but it’s a great list to aim toward. I forget how capable kids can be if given the chance.
Thank you for posting your ideas for age appropriate chores! It’s so nice to have another resource to consult so I don’t have to start from scratch. I think that’s key here. It is a resource. Some people may want to use it as is. Others may want to use only some of the ideas. Every home is different, and every child is different. That’s why I loved teaching. I was able to experience so many different styles that the kids would bring into one classroom. I now have a 7 month old, a 4-year-old, and a 7-year-old. They each have chores to do, and this list just gave me some more ideas. I think that if we simply say “Thank you” to someone for sharing their ideas, and be the parent that our own kids need us to be, there is no need to criticize.
I used to teach pre-k3 & heard from parents so many times “My child can’t do that.” Um, yes they can & will if you give them the chance.
& who cares if something isn’t done perfectly? I am anal about the way I fold the towels & put them into the cabinet. If my kids do it & it’s not the way I do it, who cares? The towels are still folded & put away.
It’s always amazing to me when people are against children learning how to help out. Do we really need to raise a generation of kids who can’t take care of themselves? Children should learn how to do all of these things before they leave home. I always had chores growing up and never felt like I missed out on anything. I’d come home from school, do my homework and a couple of chores and I still had plenty of time to play with my friends or whatever. Kids don’t need to spend all day cleaning to do a couple of chores each day. My kids probably don’t average any more than 20 minutes a day on chores and picking up after themselves. I am not worried about them ending up on some therapist’s couch complaining about how that deprived them of their childhood. I’d be more worried if I raised kids who were completely helpless and expected other people to clean up after them. Years ago, when I went to college I was amazed at how many kids could not do so many basic things like cook an egg or clean a toilet. I am grateful that my mom gave me chores and taught me to be self-sufficient as opposed to raising a spoiled, over-grown child.
I LOVE this list!
My 8 children have all had chores like these from an early age and they are very capable, helpful, and secure in their abilities.
I can always tell kids who have THOSE parents who think they can’t expect their little precious to lift a finger. Their kids are the ones that are 8 or 9 years old and whining, “MOM! I’m thirrrrrrsty!” while my 2 year old is getting her own cup out of the cup drawer (which I purposely put low down) and, using a stool, filling it up from the fridge water dispenser.
Amen! Jackjack has been helping set the table since he was old enough to count how many plates we needed.
It always amazes me when kids can’t do basic stuff for themselves.
I think chores are great for children. It’s a great way to teach them a work ethic and they beg to help when they’re little, lol!
By age seven mine were cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, dusting, sorting laundry, folding laundry, dishes. They could do pretty much anything and loved to help. I have to say that I had my seven year old use a baby wipe to clean the bathroom with (even three year olds can do that with a wipe).
I started teaching them how to pick up their toys when they were just babies/toddlers and old enough to take a toy out of the toy box. I figured if they were old enough to take it out, they were old enough to put it back. So at “clean up” time I would take their hand and gently pick up their toys with it, while singing a clean up song.
My boys are college age now (one in college and one has graduated). They both have jobs work or worked their way through college and have a good work ethic. I still have them do stuff around the house, lol!
I love this! I always make my kids do their chores. My 3year old loves helping with his chores n more! My teens have way more responsibility! We need to have our kids learn to take care or where they live. Or else I do not want to see what their own place will look like as adults! I bet the people who disagree either don’t have kids or are OCD! Just my opinion
That is awesome! Thankyou so much – this will give me a really good guide.
Man my 3 and 5 year old do some of the 12-14 year old stuff. Really, you can get your kids involved wherever you can to help out.
A word of caution. I have read various books about getting kids to do chores. One recommended NOT having young children near an open dishwasher. This was based on a friends experience of having a child fall into the dishwasher, and a prong pierced the eye, going into the brain and killed the child.
I would also recommend that you not ask a child to do a chore that they cannot do standing from a stable place. If they have to climb up on something to do the task, they are too unstable. However, if you can set things up at a lower level where they can work, by all means. I rearranged my kitchen so that the plates and bowls were at a lower level to make taking them out and putting them back feasible.
We have our kids start early doing chores. They even have a tiny vacuum of their own. They like to help and the older ones understand that they are part of a family and families work and play together. We get so many compliments about how smart and well-behaved they are. I agree with Smockity Frocks, you can always tell. I even have a friend who wishes her mom had her do more chores because she had to learn how to do a lot of things as an adult and look like an idiot while learning.
Love it!! Thanks a bunch!!