Parents often ask us about our philosophy on children’s chores, but we’ve found that what many of them are really looking for is some idea of what sorts of chores their child might be expected to do at what ages. So to that end, I’ve created this little free printable chart (available in English, as well as Spanish, French, and Italian). Of course, every child is different, but most kids are capable of doing far more than parents require of them. “If you want children to keep their feet on the ground, put some responsibility on their shoulders.”
– Abigail Van Buren
[click on image to download free printable]
Teaching your child to do any chore may initially take more time than just doing the chore yourself. Some kids will need more supervision than others, over a longer period of time, before they can complete the chore up to standard. But try to be an encourager rather than a drill sergeant while you are training your children to do their work and to do it well.
Also remember that working side-by-side — or at least in the same corner of the house or yard — is good for camaraderie and morale, as is putting on some lively music to work by. (One of our favorite working songs is Yakity-Yak. The kids do their chores in double-time whenever I plug that song in!)
Of course, “all work and no play” is no way to raise a child, so be sure to balance the chores with plenty of opportunities for enrichment. You’ll find a long list of ideas (plus another free printable) here: Encouraging Creativity in Young Children
Jennifer
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I spent two months in Africa this past summer. The children at our school were aged from 3 to 12. It is not only common, but expected, that the children participate in the family. Most of the kids I worked with were 6 and 7. I witnessed them collecting water and carrying it, in large buckets on their heads, home for their family. They also collect eggs, do errands, etc. One even killed and prepared a chicken for the family pot with his older brother’s guidance. And, they play with their friends with a baby sibling strapped onto their back. All with NO complaint, it is just their normal. While I wouldn’t suggest many of these things in our culture, simply because of the ‘stranger danger’ that they don’t have to worry about in a small village, I do think that we do our children a disservice by not recognizing what they are capable of.
Each is different, as Jennifer points out. I had a four year old who kept her room immaculate and loved to vacuum with the full-size upright. Another would rinse all the dishes to prepare them for the dishwasher. My boys were shocked when they saw their cousin shove everything under her bed when told to clean up her room. They knew how to put their things away.
I learned to use the washing machine when I was 12, from a neighbor. I came home and asked my mom if I could do our laundry. She was surprised, but willing! She had never thought to ask us to do laundry. From that time on I did all the family laundry, including ironing my dad’s shirts. I loved it and it helped me get a job as a mother’s helper the next summer.
This is a good idea. I don’t agree with all of this, but a lot of this is perfect. I don’t want my ten year old mowing the lawn, and I don’t want my six year old making meals, but that’s just my opinion.
Thanks, Jamie. Obviously, there is plenty of room for adjustments with regard to personal preferences and the individual children involved.
Jamie, My 10 year old LOVES mowing the grass. As long as kids are taught properly and are supervised None of the above chores are too much. Also my six year old enjoys making lunch for her siblings when it is her turn. She usually makes sandwiches, fruit and pretzels. It gives her a great since of being a part of the family. She is the youngest of five and loves being a big kid.
Thank you for this chart. I am an Early Childhood/Elementary Special Education teacher. I am constantly encouraging parents to help teach their children responsibility. What happens at home carries over into the classroom. Of course I love to encourage them to work TOGETHER. I get a lot of parents asking what type of things their child be doing. I’m going to save this and give parents a copy in my beginning school year newsletter! And of course, I’ll always keep a copy handy, so I’ll be ready next time someone asks!
Thanks again,
I read the list for the 4/5 to my 4 yr old. She was so happy that she already does some of this & is wanting to do it all! Woohoo! I used vinegar water on a paper towel for her to help clean the bathroom.
Give your little four-year-old a hug from me and tell her I’m proud of the good job she’s doing. Using vinegar to clean is a great way to incorporate little ones without worrying about harmful chemicals and fumes. Keep up the good work, Mama!
Love this! saw it on Facebook! My son is 20 months old & I catch him mimicking me cleaning all the time. Nice to have a guideline. I had lots of chores when I was little I can remember mowing the yard at 8 yrs. old.
I think the list is very age appropriate! Our kids have done chores since they were old enough to understand what they were. For those saying that the chores are too old for a child – maybe you should remember back to the chores you did as a child. We survived it, and became well adjusted, competent adults from it. Your children will, also.
You must really want your 10 yr old to deep clean that kitchen since you have it on the list twice!
You’re right, Shannon. With all the people crowded daily around our table, our kitchen is usually in double need of a deep cleaning… and the ten-year-old who is in charge of that chore right now is highly distractible (just like his mama), so he usually needs a double reminder! Ha!
Thanks for pointing out the redundancy. That was actually an oversight. Although the picture in the post still reads that way, I fixed the printable after you brought it to my attention and have now uploaded a corrected file, so it won’t show up there if you print it out. I appreciate your help. Blessings!
Your letting a 4 year old use disinfectant?
They just wipe down the doorknobs with Clorox Handi-Wipes. I’ve never had a four-year-old try to eat one of those things yet. Preschoolers are some of the most enthusiastic helpers you can find. They want so much to be “a big kid” and contribute in a meaningful way. Letting them help with regular chores and praising their progress builds their confidence and competence like nothing else I know. 🙂
My 3yr who will be 4 next month. Love to help. She will empty the dishwasher without being asked. She does not touch the sharp stuff she says that is mama’s job. She has 2 older sisters I wish that did this lol!
Agree wholeheartedly, the younger they are involved, the more confident and competent they become! Great list and some of my kids are capable of doing things at an even younger age. However, it is true, kids are so different, and some need a little more assistance until they can complete their “responsibility” we call it up to par. Great post!
Letting a 2-3 year old set the table sounded a little much to me. At that age dexterity isn’t that great and playing in broken glass might be more fun that putting the plates on the table if they can reach it.
We use blue enamelware camp dishes for everyday, and our three-year-old is able to handle those without any problem. Even if she drops the whole stack, they’ll make a big racket, but no breakage. Plasticware is another great option for families with very young children.
my daughter started setting the table for our family when she was about 2 1/2, I would just give her one plate at a time, 3 forks etc as she would walk back and forth to the table. It would keep her busy and helpful while I was cooking dinner!
My son just turned 4 and he has been helping set the table for about a year now on occasion. To what he is capable of. If we are using paper plates, he sets them out for everyone. If we are using the heavy real plates, I set them out and he passes out the silverware, napkins, etc. He carries whatever i ask him to from the fridge to the table (condiments, salad bowl, etc). It’s all on what the child is capable of and you don’t know until you assess your own child.
As a preschool teacher, of 3-4 year olds, helping set the table at meals was a regular, and much coveted, class job. It not only teaches them community and responsibility, but is also good to teaching one-to-one correspondence (every person needs one plate, one cup, one fork, etc). As in the other replied, we used plastic, not glass.
My daughter is 18 months currently and loves to help around the house. She helps pick up her toys and put them in the bin. She also started putting her dishes in the sink when she was done all on her own. I sometimes find an occasional crayon in there as well but I’m not going to complain about that. She also likes to help put clothes into the laundry basket after it’s been sorted, help put it in the washer (front load) as well switching items from washer to dryer and pushing the buttons to turn them on. This is a great list I have saved for future use. I hope I can encourage her to continue to be this helpful as she grows up.
That is so great, Sindi. We have photos of one of our sons carrying firewood at that age. We’d set aside the smaller pieces for him, and he’d carry one at a time while his older siblings were carrying big stacks of wood, but the smile on his proud little face was priceless.
Giving kids responsibilities is an excellent way to build self-confidence in them. A parents’ job becomes easier when they train their children to help. Yes, it takes time, but it is worth it in the long run. This list of chores are really life-skills. The sooner children learn them, the better. It’s a take on the old saying: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.”
I think this caters to much to the women in the kitchen mindset. I agree kids need to do chores but this is defiantly catered towards boys do manual labor and women cook, clean, and sew.
I honestly don’t know what you are talking about, Mimi. You are misreading that chart if you think it contains any division of labor in regards to sex. With the exception of the fact that the clip art shows a mother and daughter sewing instead of a father and son, I see no mention whatever of which sex should do what chore. Indeed, I’ve never even thought in those terms. We purposefully teach our kids to do all kinds of work as a way of instilling basic life skills. For example, here are a few of the chores our family has done in just the last three days, followed by which sex did them:
As you can see, our guys are able and willing to do a lot of chores traditionally considered “women’s work,” and vice versa. Stop trying to read something between the lines that simply isn’t there.
Yeah, I can’t complete all of age 12. Cooking is NOT something I’m good at. lolol
Ages 8 – 9…change light bulbs?? No, not so much.
Actually, my six-year-old can (and does) change every lightbulb in the house, except for the canned lights in the ceiling and the fluorescent tubes in the garage. He especially loves climbing on top of our table to change the bulbs in the kitchen and dining room light fixtures. I seldom even have to ask — he runs to get a new bulb as soon as he notices an old one burned out. Of course, we are still using incandescent bulbs in all of those lamps and fixtures, and those aren’t as finicky (or as expensive) as halogen bulbs. I might reconsider this age recommendation otherwise.
My girls can do that and was able to do that at 5, but they also are in 4H and care for goats, rabbits and horses as well as dogs and cats. So with riding, rodeos and 4H they can do many things most kids their age can not.
Jes this is the problem with the changing the lightbulb comment. what is wrong with an 8-9 year old changing the light bulb? it’s not dangerous if taught how to do it properly. But the real problem with your comment is that, WE have become so afraid of letting our little ones develop real self-reliance. And yes it has everything to do with your one simple comment. children become very responsible and reliable when they are taught to clean up after themselves, to do chores, and to take on risky tasks. this is how they become independent and fearless. they are more productive as well. try to shelter them from everything and they end up hanging themselves from being bullied. strong productive children are the future, not the scary lazy ones… js
Nicely put
I love this and will refer to it and recommend it when I post my chore chart and the command center on my blog. Thank you!!
Love this! For some reason in this area, I become brain dead and need help remembering the small ways the kids can help out! Thanks for posting this!