Age appropriate chores for kids
By la_chique
@la_chique (1498)
May 7, 2011 7:37am CST
Have you ever wondered or worried about how capable your kids are of doing chores? I found this information today which i think is really useful. Do you agree with it? Do you think kids should do chores at all?
[b]
A Child Age 2 – 3 Can:[/b]
Help make the bed
Pick up toys and books
Take laundry to laundry room
Help feed pets
Help wipe up messes
Dust with an old sock on their hands
Notes about this age:
Excited to help
Needs complete supervision
Needs help laying the groundwork
[b]
A Child Age 4 – 5 Can:[/b]
Clear and set the table
Dust
Help prepare food (example: add ingredients, stir)
Carry in groceries and put some away
Notes about this age:
No constant supervision needed
Feels independent
Children Ages 6 – 8 Can:
Be responsible for a pet
Vacuum and mop
Take out trash and replace bag
Fold and put away laundry
Notes about this age:
Feels very independent
Not as excited to help you
[b]
Children Ages 9 – 12 Can:[/b]
Help wash the car
Wash dishes
Help prepare simple meals
Clean the bathroom
Rake leaves and shovel snow
Operate the washer or dryer
Notes about this age:
Crave continuity
Need well defined consequences
Need to feel they have input
[b]
Children Ages 13 – 17 Can:[/b]
Replace light bulbs and vacuum bags
Laundry
Wash windows
Clean out refrigerator and other appliances
Prepare meals
Prepare grocery list
Driving teens can do the grocery shopping
Notes about this age:
Need consideration for their time
Manage their expectations
Appreciate affirmation
Need to hear they’re capable
8 responses
@katieh (151)
•
7 May 11
I'm not sure about the younger end of this.
A 6 year old responsible for a pet and not needing constant supervision? I don't think that's fair on the pet. I don't think any child younger than 13 or 14 should be responsible for another living creature, not where the consequences of neglect will be suffering. If they don't tidy their room they have a messy room. If they don't feed an animal it will starve.
I wouldn't want a 6 year old emptying bins, either. Sure they can manage if the bin has nothing sharp in it, but remembering that is down to adult supervision again.
I'd persoanlly put the "constant supervision" age up to 9-12, and the "responsible for a pet" right up to 13+.
@la_chique (1498)
•
9 May 11
I had a rabbit when I was 7 and I'd have supervision when cleaning its hutch, but my parents would let me feed it myself and play with it myself. I think my dad used to go and check after I'd fed it to make sure it had enough to eat and drink, but many kids at that age want to feel like they can do it themselves. I wouldnt want to let a small kid look after anything bigger than a rabbit or a guinea pig though. Cats and especially dogs need too much care for a child to be responsible for. I'd have no qualms though in letting a small child be completely responsible of a goldfish so I guess that point really depends on the pet.
@katieh (151)
•
9 May 11
Oh , I absolutely agree - there's no reason a child this age can't care for a pet. I just think they are too young to be responsible for it. What you describe, with an adult checking up, is ideal. My own kids had that - we had mice.
Thing is with a goldfish, assuming it's got a decent size tank with plants in, it'll be fine for a fair while if the kid forgets to feed it, so there isn't so much supervision required. I'd hope that a parent would keep an eye to the extent of making sure the water wasn't green and nasty, though.
@puddleduckie (6)
• Australia
16 May 11
Aww what a cute list. I'm gonna use this for my kids. Good idea :)
@SangsTurks (1444)
• India
8 May 11
Wow, now that's a nice list of things to do for children. My son, who is 4 years old now enjoys picking up his toys after playing and helpign a bit here and there but i doubt he would even think of doing anything else. I just let him do whatever he wants to help me in, i don't ask him to help me but he does anyways!
@SimpleBB (1329)
• Philippines
8 May 11
I have nothing against teaching kids to do chores, but not at a very early age. Maybe it is ideal to teach them starting at the age of 4 but depends on what chores to do. Even with supervision, at that age, they might get us wrong that we wanted them to work and depriving them their right to enjoy their youth. Perhaps, teaching them in a way like playing just like how to take care of their toys for them to have it last and play with them especially when it is their favorite. Kids can absord good and right values at this stage and that is the right, in my opinion, for them to expose them to good values. What they can absord during this development stage might be absorb and will be inculcated until they grow up. But not in a way that may suffocate them. And yes, supervision is really needed in this stage if we wanted them to be independent in the future. But I believe that there are kids who could easily fall into doing chores for they consider it as part of they play time. Happy mylotting.
@ladyphoenix (145)
• Philippines
7 May 11
hi there..i am not a parent (yet), but i already have in mind what is best for my future kids. i think at an early age, let us give them that privilege to discover their own potentials. this does not exclude doing house chores. books (psychology in particular) and expert agrees with what you have written, and ask if i agree? i absolutely do.
i am the eldest of two as well as the eldest grandchild on my maternal side. naturally i grew up spoiled. someone else does the chores for me. but seeing i cannot be responsible even on my actions, my grandmom taught the house chores. that first chore was to fix the bed and the room at age 6. next was cooking at age 8. laundry (my own clothes only) and cleaning the house (sweeping and scrubbing the floor) followed at age 10. and the rest is history. the spoiled brat in me was eventually changed. thanks to grandmom and to my mom. happy mothers day to both of them. (though my grandmom is only here with me in spirit)
@Idmega2000 (127)
• United States
14 May 11
The list seems good, but i think the 2- 3 years would not want to pick toy but rather play with, children at age 2 cant do all those work listed above for them, but the rest; i think its good
@bretay61 (722)
• United States
7 May 11
My granddaughters are 6 and 9. The 6 year old loves to help out in the house,especially washing dishes.She loves to wash dishes.She will do anything you ask her to do. She's wherever her me(nanny) and mama is.The 9 year old had rather help outside.She will do anything you need her to do outside.I get less argument from her on doing outside stuff than inside.She doesn't stay in the house much,wherever her daddy and papa is outside,that's where she's at.Kids are so different.They are both so independent and don't want any help doing the things you have asked them to do.
@gelayagui98 (1336)
• Australia
7 May 11
Yes I definitely agree with you. I taught my kids do household chores every weekend during school days and since start of school vacation, they have their own responsibility. But I have no list on it. My eldest who is 12 years old do the washes the dishes and mopping the floor. My second child do sweeping outside and wipes table and chairs, my youngest who is four years old do the same as his siblings do although he just a disturbance from the two brothers.
