Household Tasks That Children Can Take Part In

Household chores are a useful tool for teaching children to be responsible and independent.

The home is the first social circle of which a child is a part. This makes it a very conducive environment to put social norms and values ​​into practice that will create healthy skills for later in life.

Give children responsibility

Assign small responsibilities to your child that are appropriate for their age. Make it clear that they need to perform these tasks.

It is always good to motivate your child and explain to them why they should help around the house and highlight the importance of the tasks you assign them. That way, they will happily pick them up.

This will have many positive effects, increase their self-esteem and make them feel important and needed in the family.

At the same time, they are learning to value work. They will realize that household chores are not something that is magically done automatically, but that they require effort.

They will also learn about the benefits of working together. Each member of your family works together as a “team” so that your home can be a place that is clean, neat and comfortable.

Things to keep in mind when involving your child in household chores

• Always keep the child’s age and abilities in mind when choosing which tasks to ask them to do. You need to hold them accountable for the tasks that they can actually do. The idea is that your child should feel encouraged and successful, in addition to working with their family. If a very young child is expected to perform tasks that they cannot perform, they become frustrated, lose confidence in themselves, and will not try again.
• The process of involving your child in household chores requires patience. If something does not work well due to their lack of attention span or skill, do not criticize them or scold them. What you need to do is encourage them and show them the right way to do it. Saying “Look, it’s better to do it this way” while showing them how to do it, they will be better at doing it.

What tasks for what age?

Choosing tasks that suit the child and his or her age is a fundamental part of this process. Each task requires these skills and your child will be able to perform different tasks as they get older.

Below we have provided a guide with some activities to suit different ages:

2 to 3 year olds can…

• Put their toys away. In the beginning, it is a good strategy to accompany this task with a song. A very famous song is “Clean up, clean up, everyone does their part”. The same goes for children’s books.
• Eat on your own. Choose silverware that they can not harm themselves with. It is best to start with a plastic spoon and then introduce a fork. Although food and beverages will end up on the table, floor or their clothes, it is important to be patient so that they can develop this habit.

• Put their clothes away, pick up clothes from the floor in their room or around the house and carry them to the closet.
• Watering plants is another task that children will enjoy and that they can do at this age.
• They can also pick up trash and scrap, such as paper or cardboard, and throw it away.

4 to 5 year olds can…

• Be responsible for their own personal hygiene. They can wash their own body with a sponge (under the supervision of their mother or father), choose their own clothes and dress themselves.
• Go alone in the bathroom. They probably already run around without diapers and this will encourage them to go to the toilet alone.
• Set the table. This is a great opportunity to teach them where each tool is going.
• Foot pets.
• Help wash or dry the dishes.

6 to 9 year olds can…

• Bathe on your own. They no longer need their mother or father to be with them when they bathe.

• Make their bed. Keep their desk clean and prepare their things to take to school.
• Vacuum the floor and dust furniture off.
• Prepare a simple meal, like a sandwich.

10 to 12 year olds can…

• Clean their room and other rooms in the house.
• Go for a walk with pets.
• Hang up clothes that have been washed.
• Pick up the phone.

Children over 12 years can…

• Ironing clothes.
• Sew on buttons.
• Take care of the garden.
• Helping take care of their siblings.
• Shopping.

It is important to avoid associating housework with punishment. “If you do not do what you are told, sweep the dining room for a whole week.”

Show them instead that all household chores are important and necessary. The idea is to set cooperation as a rule for your home and for life.