Help Your Child Learn Responsibility: 25 Age-Appropriate Chores

Do you remember helping out around the house when you were a child? In one survey, 82% of parents said they completed chores regularly when they were young, but only 28% reported that their children do them.

When your children help with household tasks, it teaches them more than just how to clean the house. Having regular chores helps children learn responsibility, accountability, and many other essential life lessons. While it might seem faster or easier to get the job done yourself, asking your child to complete a few age-appropriate chores can be highly beneficial. 

You might be wondering, “What chores should my kids do?” This guide will help you understand the importance of chores for kids and identify appropriate duties for your child’s age group. 

The Importance of Chores for Kids

As a parent, you might feel like it’s your responsibility to maintain your home. While it does help to have an extra set of hands to keep the house clean, it also teaches your child valuable life skills. Giving your children chores can have a significant impact on their future success. Chores can help your child develop essential life skills such as: 

• Responsibility: Teach your children to be responsible for their actions by assigning them specific tasks to complete. They control whether or not the chores are completed and must take accountability for the outcome. 
• Independence: Children who do chores will learn to use their skills and ideas to get the job done. This teaches children to be more independent and confident in their abilities. 
• Teamwork: Helping the family with chores teaches children that tasks are much easier when everyone works together. Learning the benefits of collaboration can help your child get along with other people at school and in the workforce. 
• Diligence: Challenging chores that require a significant amount of time to complete can help children appreciate the value of patience and hard work. Children who learn this lesson are more likely to become diligent students and workers in the future. 
• Productivity: Learning how to finish their tasks quickly teaches children to manage their time. To have a productive day, they must learn how to fit chores, schoolwork, and playtime into their schedule. 

Age-Appropriate Chores for Toddlers

Children as young as 14 months old can start helping with chores. While they have limited capabilities, young children enjoy helping out in small ways. Assigning tasks early on will help children get used to helping around the house as they get older. They learn from a young age that it’s important to support their family and take care of their things. Choose tasks that are simple enough for your little one to complete. 

Some age-appropriate chores for toddlers include: 

• Cleaning up their toys
• Filling a pet’s food bowl
• Putting their clothes in the hamper
• Watering the plants
• Setting the table

Age-Appropriate Chores for Preschoolers

When children reach 3 years old, they can help out a lot more. They become more independent with a natural curiosity that can make chores seem fun and exciting. Children are soaking in knowledge at this stage of life and can learn a lot from helping out around the house. Creating a chore chart and rewarding your child for their hard work can make chores seem like a game. While some activities might require some help and supervision, your preschooler can complete the following tasks:

• Making their bed
• Pulling weeds from the garden
• Dusting the floorboards
• Carrying in the groceries
• Wiping off the table 

Age-Appropriate Chores for Elementary Students

When your child reaches the age of 5, they might become more resistant to doing their chores. What seemed new and exciting as a preschooler now feels like work keeping them from playing with their toys. The goal of assigning chores is to teach your child valuable life skills, so it shouldn’t feel like a punishment. The key is to make housework seem lighthearted and fun. 

You can put on some music and clean alongside them, so they feel like part of a team. Children are still learning to be independent at this stage. A chore chart or reward system can help motivate your child to complete their tasks. At this age, your child can complete basic chores almost as well as you could. When they reach second, third, and fourth grade, you can trust them with even more complicated tasks. 

Here are some age-appropriate chores for kids in elementary school: 

• Sweeping the floors
• Raking the yard
• Emptying the dishwasher 
• Putting away the laundry
• Helping you cook

Age-Appropriate Chores for Middle Schoolers

Starting middle school is a big transition for your child. It marks a substantial developmental milestone where kids grow out of childhood and into early adolescence. At this stage, your preteen is fully capable of helping with most chores. 

As their schedules start to fill up with sports and other activities, doing chores together can be a great bonding experience for the family. When everyone works together, your middle schooler will learn how to be part of a team. If they enjoy a particular chore like cooking or mopping, you can let them take over those tasks. 

Letting your child do things for the family teaches them responsibility, which can help students resist peer pressure at school. Reinforcing a job well done with praise can also help build their confidence. Children in middle school can do a great job with the following chores: 

• Washing the dishes 
• Taking out the trash
• Packing their lunch 
• Doing the laundry 
• Cleaning their bedroom 

Age-Appropriate Chores for High Schoolers

It may seem like your child has grown from a small kindergartener into a full-grown teenager in the blink of an eye. If your child is entering high school, it’s crucial to give them chores to prepare them for the real world. Chores teach children valuable skills that will help them throughout the rest of their lives. It can also prepare them for eventually living on their own. 

High schoolers can complete almost any chore with proper instruction. Once they get their driver’s license, they can even run errands or pick up groceries for the family. While they might show some resistance, it’s good to give your teenager responsibility. They will enjoy the feeling of being needed by their family. High schoolers can manage the following chores: 

• Cleaning the bathroom 
• Mowing the lawn 
• Tidying the living room 
• Washing the family car
• Walking the dog 

Learning Responsibility at School

At Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), students learn independence and responsibility. As your student navigates their online courses, they’ll develop a routine that works for their learning method and begin to understand the importance of taking charge to complete tasks. Our flexibility enables you to create a schedule that works for your child and your family. You can construct a routine that encourages family chores while allowing productive study and coursework.

Growing up is all about responsibility, and CCA can help your student learn that. Request more information online to learn more about CCA.