Giving your children some responsibilities around the home is a great way to help them to become more independent. It also frees up time to spend together as a family, rather than spending all your free time on chores. Here are some examples of age appropriate chores to get the whole family chipping in.
Very young children
For children who are very young (around 2-3 years old) it might not seem like there are many things that you can ask them to do which they will be able to handle, but you’d be surprised. Some examples of easy chores that they will enjoy include picking up their toys and putting them away in their toy box, helping to dust non-fragile items or putting their dirty clothes in a wash basket. Just make sure they are supervised very closely to make sure no accidents happen.
Young children
With slightly older children (4-5 and 6-7) there are a wider range of activities that you can delegate. As well as some of the ideas listed in the previous section you may be able to ask them to help with some light cleaning by dusting, mopping and brushing floors. You might be able to get them to sort and hang up clothes from the washing machine and set and clear the table for meal time. Quite mature children might also be able to begin taking care of some of their morning routine such as pouring their breakfast cereal, brushing their teeth and combing their hair. However, it’s still important, at this age, to keep an eye on them during the process.
Pre-teenagers
For children who are aged a little bit older (around 8-12) but not yet teenagers, you can ask them to undertake all the chores previously listed as well as some additional more grown-up responsibilities. This might include taking the dog for a walk down the road, emptying the bin, washing the dishes, hoovering carpets and keeping their bedroom reasonably tidy.
Teenagers
While they might put up a fight about it, teenagers can handle a good amount of chores. On top of all the tasks mentioned earlier you can also encourage them to mow the lawn, do some light cooking, buy groceries and make their own bed.
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