Do you assign daily/weekly chores to your kids? What are some of the things your kids can do?
I don’t know about you, but I love to hear what kids are doing in other homes. It gives me ideas to learn from other families, and I love to hear about chore systems I’ve never tried before.
Hearing from other families is also good for another reason: it helps to know what kids are capable of at every age. If I have a child I’m not sure is ready for a job, knowing kids in other families do it encourages me to train my kids to do it, too.
Did you know that chores go hand-in-hand with homeschooling, too? When spending lots of time at home, chores can be incorporated into the regular school day. Homeschooling is the perfect time to teach kids to manage a home and yard, anyway. What kid wouldn’t benefit by knowing these things as he/she gets older?
Over the years, I have been able to perfect chore system that works for us in every season of life. I know what my kids are capable of, and I have an idea of the maturity it takes to get things done right.
Here is a list of just some of the things I know my kids can do. I hope this list will inspire you to find the perfect chore system for your family:
Sample Chores By Age*
TEENS (13 and up) may…
- Do yard work, such as mowing grass, cutting branches and hauling debris
- Supervise younger siblings, including feeding, bathing, dressing, reading to, and more
- Prepare meals for themselves and the entire family, including clean-up (When should kids learn to cook?)
- Perform heavy cleaning jobs, like window washing, scrubbing walls and floors, and cleaning hard-to-reach areas
- Be asked to maintain areas of the home entirely on their own
- Older teens may even be asked to drive children to and from activities
OLDER ELEMENTARY (8-12) students may…
- Wash and fold laundry (read how)
- Clean and maintain bathrooms
- Prepare lists and help with grocery shopping
- Vacuum and mop high usage areas
- Weed gardens, trim plantings, harvest herbs and vegetables
- Wash, feed and groom animals; clean pet areas
YOUNGER students (5-7) may…
- Bring laundry into laundry room
- Clean sinks and counter-tops
- Dust shelves
- Vacuum under beds
- Put dishes away
- Brush pets
- Pick up around the house (learn how)
VERY YOUNG children (4 and under) are able to…
- Carry toys to bins
- Re-shelve books (learn how)
- Wipe door knobs and light switches with damp rags
- Place plastic dishware into in sink or dishwasher
- Clean low cabinet doors
- Wipe down chairs
[*Ages are approximate — only parents know when children are ready and trained to tackle certain jobs.]
Most parents seem to assign chores either daily or weekly (I do both). Some have more than one chore period per day, too.
Take a look at the difference between daily and weekly chores, below:
Take a look at this list of less frequent maintenance items that can be added to chore rotations, too:
Creating chore systems for a family takes a while to get just right. Don’t be afraid to do them in pencil first, and use them for a couple of weeks before committing them to ink. Once experience and training has set in, the rewards of chore charting really begin to show. Congratulate your kids for a job well done, and be happy you’re providing them a skill they’ll use for many years to come!
Did you like this? If so, you’ll also like these:
Awarding credit for life skills
A basic life curriculum for my boys
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