Chores for Kids: Effective Way of Teaching Life Skills

Sometimes it’s easy to forget how important it is to teach our kiddo’s life skills like this. Sometimes, as parents, we get so wrapped up in the alphabet and teaching them to count, that we forget that they will be running a household someday. Chores for kids can be a great way to teach life skills. They are also a good way of teaching responsibility and time management. If your child is having trouble with chores, it’s not their fault!

Tips on How You Can Help Them Manage Chores More Effectively

• Provide chores that suit the age and skill set of your child.
• Give them adequate time to complete chores before reminding or assigning new ones.
• Allow children to work at their own pace so they don’t feel rushed.

Chores for Kids According to Their Ages

Chores for 1 – 3 Years Old

Now is a great time to start encouraging your child to help clean up after their self. When they drag all of their toys to the living room floor, encourage them to lend a hand in getting it all back to their toy box when they’re finished playing. They can also be given a damp sponge or rag, without any cleaner, to help wipe down countertops or dust furniture. Oftentimes, at this age, it will be a super fun task for them and help instill a sense of responsibility for their own messes. These are perfect chores for kids.

Chores for Kids 3-6 Years Old

By this point, they’re old enough to start helping with a few of the larger tasks. Have them help you separate your laundry and take this opportunity to explain to them why you’re separating and show them how to work the washer and dryer. These chores for kids are great for this age to get them involved in after-dinner clean-up. Allow them to clear the table, help you pack up any leftovers, and include them in dishes. Whether you’re washing by hand or loading a dishwasher, they’re at the perfect age to start stacking the dishwasher appropriately or rinsing and drying the dishes. Given that they’ll be starting school within this time frame, encouraging them to help pack their snacks or lunches is also a wonderful idea. It also helps to ensure that they’ll be happy with their food for the day!

Chores for Kids at 6-9 Years Old

Now is the time to really start pushing some organizational skills. Have them go through their bedroom once every few months and encourage them to get rid of anything that they don’t use, don’t play with, or are simply causing clutter. Show them how to organize their things in a way that makes them easy to find and makes cleaning up a lot quicker and easier. I give my kinda 3-month rule; if you haven’t played with it or used it in the last three months, and it doesn’t have some sort of sentimental value, get rid of it. If it’s still in good condition, we donate. What can’t be donated, we recycle or trash? These chores for kids are perfect to teach them organizational skills.

9-12 Years Old Chores

At this age, you can start giving bigger chores for kids to tackle on their own. Such as, running a load of laundry or handling the after-dinner dishes. You can also have them sweep, dust the furniture or wipe down the bathroom. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to keep a close eye on them, but it’s a good time to start encouraging some independence. Allow them a chance to figure out the best way to tackle the job and finish it all on their own. But of course, always step in if they’re about to turn all of your clothes pink!

Chores for 12-15 Years Old

By this point, they should be well accustomed to the daily chores for kids around the house. Giving them a schedule or even a simple little daily list will help nourish their growing responsibility. A chore chart or to-do list when they get home from school will help them learn that certain responsibilities have to be dealt with before they can do the “fun” things. Nothing excessive, just a shortlist of two or three things that have to be done along with homework before they get to visit friends or play video games. This is also an opportune time to start assigning them large jobs such as helping with mowing the yard or sweeping and mopping.

Chores for 15-18 Years Old

By now they’ve got this. Keep strong with the chores for kids list and ensure that they understand their responsibilities and the importance of making sure they get things done. They’ll most likely be driving at this point. So, if they have a car that’s another great responsibility lesson. Make sure they understand their accountability; washing the car, keeping gas in it, and keeping up with maintenance is their responsibility.

The Great Allowance Argument

I remember asking my parents for an allowance years ago. I was told that I have a roof over my head, a place to sleep every night, and food to eat. That was my allowance, and I understand that now. Plus, my parent’s made it by, but they didn’t have a lot to spare. So, I don’t necessarily encourage handing your child a butt load of money every time they do their chores. After all, no one is going to pay them to clean their own house when they get to that point.

However, a little encouragement never hurt anyone. A simple sticker chart when they’re young works wonders. If they do all of their chores for the week or month without giving you any trouble, perhaps a small toy, outing to the park or a few bucks are in order. As they get older, a trip to the movies with their friends or a little gas money can go a long way.

As their parents, it’s our responsibility to make sure our kids are ready to take on the world. The alphabet and counting and reading and math are all extremely important. But as an adult, I’ve known people that couldn’t do their own load of laundry. I want my kids to be “smart”. I want them to have a great education. But I also want them to be able to cook their own meals and run their own household. In the midst of reading and writing and arithmetic, we can’t forget to teach our children how to live through these chores for kids.