Chores. The universal word for instantaneous groans, no matter what age your kids are. Despite how my kids feel about chores, I feel like I have finally overcome the most overwhelming phase of motherhood.
It wasn’t long ago that I was reading about why motherhood is so exhausting. It’s not because we chase after kids all day or run on very little sleep, but rather the mental load that is required. Some of that mental load includes remembering to pay bills on time, grocery shop, budget, schedule appointments, and meal plan. Oh, and don’t forget to throw a little self care in there, too.
I know I’m not the only one that wakes up with a to-do list, goes to bed with a to-do list, and then suddenly jolts awake in the middle of the night to ask Alexa to remind me to do things like, “thaw out chicken for dinner.”
Finally, after a good friend pointed out that my kids were old enough to share some of the responsibility, did things begin to change. I guess I was stuck in the never ending cycle of caring for infants that I failed to recognize we had kids more than capable of doing more than just feeding themselves.
After experimenting with a few different chore charts and rewards systems, I think we finally figured out what works!
Benefits of Kids Helping with Chores
There are so many good reasons why children should participate in helping with household chores. Some of these benefits include:
- Chores teach kids life skills. Kids are eventually going to need to know basic survival skills like cooking, cleaning, and organizing when they move out. Like Franklin Roosevelt once said, “we cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”
- Chores help teach the value of teamwork. What better way to model teamwork than working together in your own home? This also holds them accountable to each other so they can accomplish a common goal.
- Chores develop a good work ethic. This is extremely valuable for their future success as adults. When you work hard, you also get the opportunity to play hard!
Let me share some of the chores we have found our kids to good at based on their ages.
Chores for Toddlers (1-2 years old)
- Pick up toys, books, and games
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
- Wipe down surfaces they can reach (walls, furniture, appliances, etc.)
- Help take laundry to be put away
Chores for Pre-K Kids (3-5 years old)
- Everything from the previous list, plus:
- Feed pets
- Dust furniture
- Wipe off table
- Sort and put away clothes
- Clean their room
- Set the table
- Fold towels
- Make their bed
- Wipe off bathroom sink
- Empty bathroom trash
Chores for Elementary Kids (6-10 years old)
- Everything from the previous lists, plus:
- Sweep and mop floors
- Vacuum
- Help carry in and put away groceries
- Clear the table after meals
- Unload the dishwasher
- Pull weeds
- Help shovel snow
- Beginner food prep with kid safe knives
- Make their own bed
- Help wash cars
- Take trash to dumpster
- Clean windows and mirrors
- Scrub toilets
Children Won’t Become Responsible Without Responsibility
My kids might not always be enthusiastic about their chores, but they do take pride in being important contributors to our family. After all, we aren’t raising children, we are raising adults through childhood.
What age did you start including your kids in household responsibilities? Please share in the comments below!
