How to Assign Age-Appropriate Chores:

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In my previous blog, “How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores” I promised that I would write up a list of age-appropriate chores. Because we have five girls over a span of 12 years, we’ve had to learn what chores are appropriate at different ages. This is a loose guide, because every child grows and matures at their own pace. There are no cookie cutter kids. However, these chores are listed based upon my experiences both in my own childhood and also in raising my children. For instance, I know that most 8-year-olds are capable of doing their own laundry because that’s when I started doing my laundry as a child. I was able to handle it just fine, and appreciated that I could wash my favorite sweatshirt as often as I needed to without having to wait for my mom to get to it. My girls have all started doing their laundry at age 8, and have done well with it too.

When assigning chores to your children, I would recommend limiting the amount of time that the chore will last for. For instance, by around age 7 they should be capable of doing about 15 minutes’ worth of chores. However, if they dilly dally or don’t work hard the whole time, then 5 minutes gets added to the timer. I also add 5 minutes if they bicker with each other or push back when I ask them to do their chores. However, by around age 13, I usually take away the timer and just ask them to do the chore until it’s finished. They may balk at this, but it’s a good life lesson that sometimes you just have to get things done regardless of how long it takes you. Allowing them to play music while they work is the magic powder that vanishes cranky attitudes (theirs and mine!)…the wilder, the better! One of our favorite playlists is the Dude Perfect Playlist on Spotify (we are huge DP fans!!).

I should also clarify that there were times when my little ones were in a private school, and they came home tired and with a lot of homework. This was one of the reasons that I began homeschooling, because I couldn’t stand to see my children coming home overwhelmed and stressed out every day. During this season, I did not give them chores during the weekdays because they literally did not have time. If this is the case for you too, try doing chores on Saturdays, during vacation weeks, and during the summer. You know your children, and what they can handle. However, if they are sitting on the couch watching TV for 2 hours after school, then they most certainly can handle a 15-minute chore.

Ages 2 and 3:

Kids are often defiant at this age, so turn every chore into a game. Give one step instructions such as, “Let’s see how fast we can get all of your marbles into the jar! Ready?… GO!” If they don’t join in, don’t punish, but instead say “I’m going to win!!” Be careful not to be vague, by saying things like “Pick up your room”. They need very specific instructions, like, “Would you please be a big helper, and put all of your Legos back in this bin?”

Some chores that they can start with are:

Pick up toys and put them in a basket
Place books on the bookshelf
Put laundry in the hamper
Put bathtub toys in a basket

Ages 4-5:

At this age, they are more mentally capable, but will probably still have coordination problems. Having a small handheld vacuum that isn’t too heavy for them can be a great way to allow them to feel like they can actually accomplish something helpful.

Here are a few chores they might be able to accomplish:

Sweep or vacuum off a staircase
Wipe off the kitchen table after meals (Yes, the crumbs will probably all go onto the floor… baby steps!)
Help carry the lighter grocery bags into the house
Help put away the groceries
Empty small waste baskets into a larger basket
Bring the shoes that have migrated to the entryway back up to people’s closets

Ages 6-7:

By this age, they are often good little helpers, who will happily do a chore, but may need a few “fine tuning” tips. They will be so proud of what they can accomplish and will probably want you to come and check out what they have done. This isn’t because they want an inspection, but because they want to hear you say that they are such big huge sweeties, and that they did a beautiful job!

Here are a few chores they should be able to do at this age:

Run the vacuum (not a heavy one)
Dust surfaces
Wipe down the front of the kitchen appliances (Refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, etc.)
Clear off the kitchen table after meals
Help with emptying and filling the dishwasher. They probably can’t reach the upper cupboards, so they will need a stool. Have someone hand the dishes up to them, and they can neatly stack them in the cupboards.
Washing the handwashing-dishes

Ages 8-9:

At this age they are capable of doing almost all household chores, except for the “heavy” ones. Make sure the chore doesn’t go over 30 minutes for a weekday chore, since their time is already booked up with homework, sports, etc.

Have them tidy their room on a weekly basis. I recommend this being a Saturday chore or done before guests come over. Don’t let it go more than a week in between cleanings, however, or it will get to be too much work for them, and you may have to step in and help them.

Bedroom duties should include:

Floors are picked up
Sweeping, vacuuming and dusting as needed
Clothes folded and put away
Bed neat and clean
Tops of dressers tidy
Do their own laundry

Other household chores might be:

Pet care such as: Giving daily food and water or emptying the litter box/pooper scooper duty. We have backyard chickens, so our girls will take turns collecting the eggs, filling their water and feeder, giving them our food scraps, and letting them out of their coop in the morning.
Sweeping floors
Taking out the garbage and sorting the recycling

Assigning bathroom cleaning duty is probably appropriate at this age. However, in an effort to keep the chore from taking too long, I usually break it down into two separate chores:

Clean bathroom sink, mirror and empty the garbage
Sweep and wipe down the bathroom floor and clean the toilet inside and out

Ages 10-11:

Depending upon how physically developed a child is, they will probably be able to begin assisting a parent with outdoor yard maintenance.

Shoveling snow off the steps or the driveway
Raking leaves
Sweeping off the driveway

Ages 12-13:

At this age, we have our kids cook supper once a week. Once a month, we have them cook a new recipe that they have never done before. This way, they will have a good number of meals that they know how to cook before they are living on their own. Part of their responsibility is to place the supplies that they will need for their recipe on the weekly grocery list. If they have last minute supplies that they neglected to put on the list, don’t rush out to the grocery store and “fix” it for them. Teaching them to adjust and do a different meal is all part of the learning process too! Sometimes natural consequences can be the best teachers, after all.

Based upon how mature they are and how young the youngest sibling is, they may be able to begin babysitting, so Mom and Dad can have a date night. In our family, we make a point to do this at least once every two weeks, so that I can be a happy, healthy mama. Start by going away for short amounts of time, and slowly increase the time as they become more comfortable. Make it fun for the kids too, by letting them have a movie night with pizza and a slightly later bedtime on those nights. You can also ask a neighbor to be “on call” for the child if they need assistance. If the younger children are misbehaving for the older sibling, then come up with a punishment that will be given the following day, such as an extra chore, or missing out on an activity that they were looking forward to. The same punishment can be applied if the older sibling is being mean to the younger siblings while they are babysitting.

Other chores that can be added are:

Cleaning the bathtub and shower
Mowing the lawn

Have I missed any chores? Comment below and tell me what chores your children do, and at what age!

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