Children love to please, and they really love to help, especially younger children! Nothing makes a toddler or preschool age child happier than for you to give them a simple baby wipe and instruct them to dust the house. They might use an entire package of baby wipes, but your house will get dusted and they will feel very pleased with the opportunity to help you. The same might not work for your teenager, but you can find ways to encourage them to help you as well.
From an article in, VeryWell Family a 75-year old Harvard research examined childhood variables and biological processes that predicted health and well-being later in life. The research showed that children who were assigned chores fared better later in life. Chores were the best predictor of which children were more likely to become happy, healthy, and independent adults.
So, a good parenting goal would be to teach your child responsibility and to be self-reliant and assigning chores is a great place to start.
Here are seven reasons why you should consider assigning chores to your child:
1. Life Skills: Your child may be young now, but they won’t always be a child. Cooking, laundry, and budgeting are skills that your child will need once they finally move out on their own. Schools no longer teach life skills, so what better place to learn these skills than at home with a parent. *Tips for the younger child: They may not understand how a budget works, but they can help with laundry and simple cooking tasks with your supervision.
2. Responsibility and Self-Reliance: Assigning your child regular chores will help teach them responsibility. Chores that directly affect your child, like cleaning their own room or doing their own laundry, can help them become self-reliant. Even allowing your younger child to make their own bed and picking up their toys in their room allows them the opportunity to feel pride in what they’ve done. *Tips for the younger child: They love to be praised and what better way to encourage them to be responsible and self-reliant than to highly praise then for even the smallest chores.
3. Teamwork: Family members are a “productive team” and are accountable to each other. When a member of the team doesn’t meet each other’s expectations there are consequences. Learning these lessons at home can help children develop teamwork skills to use at school or work. *Tips for the younger child: Let them know the importance of being part of a team or being a team player. You can create a simple clean up song or phase as they go about cleaning up their toys or messes.
4. Respect: Most children don’t appreciate or fully realize all the hard work their parents do around the house until they move out on their own. Children that are assigned chores will gain that insight much quicker. Children are aware of the messes they make when assigned the chore of picking up their room or their toys around the house. They become more respectful of the work that goes into keeping their home clean. *Tips for the younger child: When they have toys out encourage them to put away the toys they are finished playing with, before they get another set of toys out.
5. Builds a Strong Work Ethic: This is a trait that is highly valued by teachers and bosses so, instilling a strong work ethic in your child at a young age will greatly benefit your child for when they start school or go out into the workplace. When children are given a reward such as an allowance or screen time for doing a good job on completing their chores, it can easily spark the interest of working outside the home when they become a teenager. *Tips for the younger child: Younger children love “Star Charts or Sticker Charts.” They feel very accomplished when they complete their charts. An incentive for a filled chart would be a trip to a local store that offers a “Dollar Bin Section.”
6. Building Time Management Skills: Assigning chores to older children and teens gives them the opportunity to build good time management skills. Meeting schoolwork due dates, completing assigned chores, and juggling their social life helps them to learn to set priorities and manage their time wisely, all important skills they will need as an adult. *Tips for the younger child: Younger children love to play games so, in an effort to help your younger child build Time Management Skills you can turn clean up time into a game or set a timer for them to beat. Keeping the goal for them to clean up and put away things neatly and in the correct spots.
7. Family Bonding: Chores do not always have to be looked at as taking time away from their children. Completing chores together can create memories between parents and children. Younger children who want to help but aren’t always allowed will feel important, and it will boost their self-esteem. Teens who grumble about always having to help may find they have a moment to open up about something that has been on their mind. “Many Hands Make Light Work.” *Tips for all aged children: Set a goal of a family reward when all weekly chores have been completed. You could have a “Family Movie or Game Night”, a “Family Night Out for Pizza and Ice Cream.”
SUGGESTED AGE APPROPRIATE CHORES FOR YOUR CHILD
AGES 18 MONTHS – 2 YEARS:
*Wiping baseboards with a duster or dry rag, *Matching socks (good for teaching the concept of “same and different”),* Putting safe, unbreakable dishes on the table, *Bringing safe, unbreakable dishes in from the table, *Picking up toys (they may not want to, but they can!), *Putting stuffed animals on the bed in the morning, *Putting trash in the trash can, *Handing adults safe, unbreakable items from a grocery store.
AGES 3 -5 YEARS:
In addition to the suggested chores above, children can: *Clean windows with a cloth and a spray bottle filled with water, *Set the table, *Clear the table, *Put dishes in the dishwasher, *Dry safe, unbreakable dishes, *Sweep small messes with hand broom, *Fold simple laundry (their shirts and pants, small hand towels and wash cloths), *Dust with a dry cloth or dust mitt, *Wipe low window sills with a damp cloth, *Wipe spots on the floor with a wet rag, *Put books on the bookshelf neatly, *Water flowers, *Pull sheets up/straighten sheets, *Assist in the kitchen with measuring, pouring, stirring and mixing (great way to boost fine motor skills and to teach measurement), *Carry in small bags of groceries, *Help put groceries away. *Put toys away and pick up bedroom.
AGES 5 – 7 YEARS OLD:
In addition to the suggested chores above, children can: *Fold laundry (teach them how, but don’t expect it to be perfect), *Sweep the floor, *Empty small trash cans into trash bag, *Straighten books on book shelf, Wipe table after meals, *Make bed, *Pick out clothes and dressing without assistance, *Help prepare their own lunch, *Bring in mail, *Water flowers, *Unload safe utensils from the dishwasher, *Wash plastic dishes at the sink, *Fix bowl of cereal,
AGES 8 – 9 YEARS OLD:
In addition to the suggested chores above, children can: *Load dishwasher, *Put away groceries, *Vacuum, *Make own snacks, *Put away own laundry, *Make own breakfast, *Peel vegetables, *Cook simple foods, such as toast, *Mop floor, *Take pet for a walk.
AGES 10 AND OLDER:
In addition to the suggested chores above, children can: *Unload dishwasher, *Do laundry, *Fold all laundry, *Clean bathroom, *Wash windows, *Wash car, *Cook simple meals with supervision, *Iron clothes, *Babysit younger siblings (with adult in the home, unless they have reached approved babysitting age), *Clean kitchen, *Change their bed sheets.
Shawnie Cheatham is the Director of First Presbyterian Eustis Preschool and has over 18 years of preschool experience. The FPC Preschool is one of the most acclaimed and highly rated preschools in the area - a perfect 5/5 online rating. Learn more by clicking here!
