Age Appropriate Chores For Kids

Want to give your child a bit more responsibility, but not sure which chores they're capable of doing? We're talking about age appropriate chores for kids and when they can do what.

It is perfectly reasonable to expect your children to do chores to help around the house, but one problem that many parents face is knowing which chores their children are old enough to do. You might worry that a particular task you chose is too difficult for your child to handle at this time. In reality, many parents underestimate what their children are actually capable of doing. Some parents have a perfectionist attitude and don’t allow their children to do chores that they cannot complete to the same level an adult would. Don't be that parent. It’s very important that you try to allow your child to do chores (or try doing them) that he or she is capable of doing, even if they fall a little short on the perfect meter. It builds self-esteem and shows them you trust them. Plus, you know what they say - practice makes perfect.

Here are some age appropriate chores for kids:

Preschool age: Have them help unload the dishwasher, sweep, put away their toys, put away folded laundry, and any other small tasks they are capable of doing. At this age they may be able to help set the table, put away silverware, or move laundry into a front-loading dryer. Kids love to help out, so allow them to join in tasks whenever possible. This will help form positive attitudes toward chores from a young age. If you don't already have one, grab this free printable chore chart to help them get excited about chores.

Elementary school: Most elementary aged children can start doing more difficult tasks. If they are tall enough to reach it, they can probably help with it. Make sure they are always supervised for any tasks that could be dangerous. Some chores they can do at this age include raking leaves, watering plants, putting away dishes, folding and putting away laundry, sweeping or vacuuming, dusting, making beds, feeding pets,

Middle school: Now your kids are starting to graduate from chores they did before. They can still do all of the previous tasks you but you can start adding more difficult ones to the list. They may be better at washing dishes now, and now is the time to teach them how to wash their own laundry. They can probably clean bathrooms and mop floors as well. They can also do more outside the home, such as mowing the lawn, weeding, .

High school: At this point, your children are probably capable of doing most any chore in the home. If you have younger and older children in the home, you probably want to have the older ones do the things the younger ones can’t. But if it’s just you and teenagers, you can share the housework evenly. They should be able to do laundry and iron clothing, thoroughly wash dishes, prepare meals, shovel snow and mow the lawn, care for gardens, mop floors, clean bathrooms, and wash cars. They can also babysit their younger siblings at this age.

Now you have some information about planning age appropriate chores for your children. You should also sit down and talk with your kids about what chores they are interested in tackling, and remember that you can always let them try something and then it if seems too difficult now, you can drop it and pick it back up when they are a little older. Children develop at different ages so what works for one, might not work for another.

Of course, you know your child best, but this list will give you some general ideas of which chores your child is old enough to tackle. Try them out and see what works for your family!

Do your children do chores?
Anything you specifically have them do at certain ages?

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Chore Charts for Kids

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Disclosure: Image credit: Adobe Stock / Author:  Igor Mojzes