Chores for All Ages

In some families, chores for children have gone the way of the horse and carriage.  After all, childhood is a time for imagination, freedom, and play play play!  Children shouldn't be burdened with the responsibilities of adulthood–financial woes, spousal disagreements, and the never-ending piles of dirty laundry.  Children should be free to explore their surroundings without being forced to stop and take out the trash or wash the dishes.

Yes, of course.  When the day comes that the children are adults and set up house on their own, a miracle will take place.  They will know exactly how to keep everything clean, the car maintained, and the house in proper repair.  They'll never once experience frustration and irritation over the constant need to straighten up, throw away, wipe, wash, and scrub.  No, never!

Hopefully you can hear my sarcasm.  How was your own experience growing up?  Did you have chores or none at all?  How have you adjusted to keeping house since you became an adult?  Can you see any correlation between your childhood and your view of housekeeping today?

The best time to begin learning to keep a house clean and organized is during childhood—beginning from the time a child can walk.  Children need a slow introduction to housekeeping tasks, beginning with the simple—throw your trash away—to the more complex—change the car's oil.  As you may be painfully aware, it's no fun to wake up one morning and realize that you're suddenly responsible for all of the household chores!

It's like boiling a pot of water.  You begin with cold water and slowly it begins to heat.  You can never take cold water to boiling in one second.  It takes a slow progression: cold to lukewarm to warm to hot to boiling.  A child who begins with the “cold” of putting his own toys away, moves to the “warm” of folding his own clothes, and then to the “hot” of mopping the kitchen floor every Friday stands a better chance of successfully managing the “boiling” of total household management than a new wife who never did a single chore during her childhood.

Not only is childhood the prime opportunity for learning the tasks of managing a home, chores are the perfect way to help your children feel useful and needed.  All children, just like all human beings, have an innate desire to belong.  With each new baby born into a family, the mother's workload is increased.  Older children are very helpful at lessening the load on Mother, and the older they become the more helpful they can be.

A child who has never done chores or been responsible for anything will likely protest being given tasks to complete around the house.  Parents who are consistent in their expectations and who offer praise and encouraging words for a job well done will soon find their child enjoying the part they can contribute to the family.  The more a child participates in the family's household duties, the more special and needed she will feel.  A girl who is responsible for family laundry, for example, will know that her family depends on her.  A boy who mows the family lawn each week will take satisfaction in knowing that his home is always neat and well-kept, pleasant to the eyes of anyone who passes.

What chores are appropriate at different ages?  Of course, this will depend greatly on an individual child's maturity and capabilities.  See how these suggestions fit within your family.

Toddlers

Please see “Chores for Toddlers”

Preschoolers

• Put away silverware.
• Set the table.
• Take clothes out of the dryer.
• Put away own clothes (may be able to fold some also).
• Fold washcloths.
• Wipe sink and scrub toilet bowl with brush (tends to be a favorite!).

Elementary

• Transfer clothes from washer to dryer.
• Hang socks and underwear on clothesline.
• Fold clothes and towels and put them away.
• Prepare simples lunches.
• Unload dishwasher.
• Wash dishes.
• Sweep floor.
• Make bed.
• Change sheets.
• Clean windows and mirrors.

Preteens

• Mop floors.
• Hang laundry on clothesline.
• Load dishwasher.
• Change light bulbs.
• Take out trash.
• Wash car (perhaps with help for the high spots).

Teens

• Mow lawn and trim.
• Change oil.
• Wash and dry laundry independently.
• Cook meals.