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Now that school holidays are over and children have returned to school, families are getting back into daily routines and busy school schedules.
While many parents may feel it is unnecessary to involve their overscheduled kids in housework, we may not be doing our children a favour by letting them off the hook.
These duties are not only necessary to help balance out the workload for busy parents, but can have a positive impact throughout our children’s lives, teach them self-reliance and team contribution.
Providing children with age-appropriate chores gives them a sense of confidence, making them feel wanted and needed. It teaches them important life skills and a sense of responsibility.
Another important lesson – it teaches them to deal with frustration and delays instant gratification, which all contributes to our children doing better in school and life.
Over and above, giving kids chores helps to ease the load of overworked and stressed parents – a win-win for everyone!
Also read: Children own around 4 digital devices on average, and few can spend a day without them
Age-appropriate chore chart for kids as a helpful guide to keep your home clean and organised:
Chores for children under 2-4
Children who are still very young will need some assistance - but it’s never too early to show them how to take responsibility for a few household chores.
Here are some simple chores for children that you can introduce to them.
Make it fun by rewarding them with stickers each time they complete a chore!
- Put their toys away
- Help clean up messes with a napkin or cloth
- Help feed the cat or dog
- Pile up books and magazines
Also see: Is it possible to turn laundry time into me time? We asked a dad
Chores for children aged 5-8
At this age, you can begin introducing family chore chart ideas that require more independence.
Recommended activities include:
- Folding and putting clothes away
- Help bring in light groceries
- Dusting surfaces
- Watering plants
- Putting clothes in the laundry basket
- Helping make breakfast
Housework for kids aged 9-12
As well as all the previous chores for kids, children at this age can begin doing more complex tasks.
Recommended activities include:
- Helping to make dinner
- Tidying rooms
- Cleaning surfaces
- Vacuuming the floor
- Mopping floors
- Washing the dishes
- Clearing the dinner table
- Caring for pet hygiene (cleaning cages, emptying litter trays)
- Emptying the washing machine and hanging clothes
Also read: 'Learning with a smile': Homeschooling moms share their tips
Chores for teenagers
At this age, teenagers will be capable of doing most household chores without supervision.
They can also help younger siblings with their tasks on the chore list for kids.
Recommended activities include:
- Walking the dog
- Washing the dishes
- Helping make the dinner
- Mowing the lawn
- Carrying and putting away groceries
- Ironing clothes
- Putting on the washing machine with the help of a delicate detergent
- Emptying and loading the dishwasher
- Organising and decluttering
Safety warning
Always choose chores for children that are appropriate for their age and avoid anything that involves harsh chemicals or sharp objects – no matter the age!
When it comes to drawing up family chore chart ideas, it’s important to come up with age-appropriate chores.
Involving the whole family with the household chores can be a wonderful way to bring the whole family together.
Get everyone on board by drawing up your chore list together and let children volunteer for the tasks they want to do.
- Draw up a table with three columns for name, task and completion status.
- Agree on your chores so everyone is clear on what to do.
- Have stickers for very young children and explain how they will get them.
- Hang the chart in a visible and accessible area
Submitted to Parent24 by Cleanipedia.
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