With school, play-dates, and extracurricular activities, finding time for children to do household tasks may seem impossible, and that’s just your schedule! However, it’s important to make time and room for chores for kids into your daily agenda, if nothing else than for the benefits alone. A 20-year national study by the University of Minnesota found that children who had been given chores beginning at ages 3 and 4 experienced more success as adults. The study also found that these children had excelled in educational completion, had met important career goals, and maintained positive relationships with friends and family members. Need we say more? Check out these age-appropriate chores that your child can begin doing today:
2-3 Years
- Put away toys
- Place dirty clothes in the wash or a laundry basket or hamper
- Help feed pets
- Dust
- *Mom Tip: Put socks or dusting gloves on your child’s hands for a fun, effective way to dust!
4-5 Years
- Set and clear the kitchen table
- Help wash and dry dishes
- Put away clean silverware *be careful with sharp knives!
- Make their bed every morning
- Match and fold socks
6-9 Years
- Unload dishwasher
- *For hard to reach places, tell your child to stack them on the counter for you to put away!
- Replace empty toilet paper roll
- Transfer clothes from washer to dryer, and from dryer to hamper
- Fold clean clothes *don’t be too nit picky about their process
- Help put groceries away
- Vacuum floors
10-12 Years
- Mow the lawn, sweep or rake
- Clean bathrooms
- Mop or sweep floors
- Wash windows
- Wash basic laundry
- Make basic meals
- *Maybe even their own lunch!
Engaging in daily chores also help children develop and improve fine and gross motor skills, increase confidence and self-esteem, and chores can even help children play well with others. The key is to start them young and make it fun! Have a chore party every Sunday, crank up the tunes and get to work. Incentive your child with a Mommy and Me date or have them work toward a new book, toy or game. Before long, chores will be a natural part of your child’s daily routine!
You can also reward them with some play time at The Little Gym near you!
brain grows, develop social, motor skills