Teaching Your Child Responsibility
Having children pitch in around the house not only eases the burden for parents, it also helps with child development.
Managing a household can feel overwhelming at times. Having children help with chores not only eases your workload, but it can make them feel wanted and teach important life skills such as work ethic, responsibility, and self-reliance. Children are capable of handling much more than some people think. Even toddlers can help with the smallest, simplest of chores, and by the time children are teenagers, they are capable of handling most of what their parents can. The key is to start children off with small household tasks at a young age, and slowly teach them more complicated chores as they get older. Your child won’t know how to do all of these chores right away, so a little guidance is necessary. Be patient and do not focus on perfection.
Some examples of age-appropriate chores are:
Toddlers (2-3) Toddlers find the idea of helping others as one of the most exciting things they could do. The primary way they learn about their world is through watching others do something and then copying their actions. Having your toddler follow you around while completing household chores is a great way to get them involved.
Clean up toys
Fill pet’s food dish
Dust or wipe baseboards with dry sock on their hand
Preschoolers (4-5) Preschoolers still feel the same desire to help their parents, because they are still learning through copying their elders. Their hand-eye coordination will have increased, as will have their ability to follow more complex instructions. Preschoolers may be able to remember and follow instructions up to two or three steps at a time.
Make their bed
Pull weeds
Water flowers
Sort laundry by color
Primary Schoolers (6-9) Once a child reaches primary school age, they can take on a lot more responsibility without supervision. Parents should understand that this age group will sometimes start “rebelling” against the idea of chores, as they learn more independence. With patience, however, they will understand they are still expected to help around the home.
Sweep or vacuum the floors
Rake the yard
Load the dishwasher
Put away groceries
Middle Schoolers (10-13) Preteens or middle schoolers can do many tasks on their own and can be held responsible for them without constant reminders. At this age, many families decide to create a chore chart or task list for their children.
Prepare easy meals
Do their own laundry
Babysit younger siblings
High Schoolers (14+)
By the time your child reaches high school, they can do nearly any household task you can. This is the perfect age to start making sure your child is fully prepared for the eventuality of living on their own since those years are coming up soon.
Source: https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/chores/the-ultimate-list-of-age-appropriate-chores/#gs.4gajvd
https://pathways.org/chores-right-child/