A house full of children, often leads to a messy home! The last thing you want to do is spend your free time cleaning. Your children help make the mess, teach them how to help clean it up!A few extra helpful hands around the house can do wonders for your sanity…and keep the house clean too. Start at a young age. As soon as your child turns2years old you can slowly introduce them to simple chores, like packing their toys away. At this age you will still need to follow behind them, but it’s a start! Set a chore routine in your home and get the whole family involved!
This could mean for example that every Saturday morning for 30 minutes is chore time. Motivate the family to take part in chore time, by doing a fun activity or family outing when the chores are finished. As your children get older, you can give them chore choices! Some children may prefer certain chores over others. For example, your child may love vacuuming but hate dusting. Getting them to do chores they like can be beneficial to a happy clean home and a cooperative child.
We have put together a few age appropriate chores for you to take into consideration:
Ages 2 – 3 (At this age you may need to do these tasks together):
- Pick up toys
- Put their dirty clothes in the washing basket.
- Put their shoes away in their room.
Ages 4 – 5:
- Make their bed. Even if it isn’t perfect, it is teaching them the daily responsibility.
- Carry their dishes (plastic to avoid a breakage) to the kitchen after they have used it.
- Feed the family cat (or pet). This could be a super fun chore!
- Unpack their lunch bags after school.
- Help set the table. You can take the stuff to the table and they can set it.
- Teach them to keep their bedrooms neat and tidy. Everything has a place, show them where it all goes.
Ages 6 - 8:
- Water the plants
- Help pack the groceries away.
- Help pack their school lunch.
- Teach them to pack their school bags. At this age your child will start doing extra mural activities and physical education. Teach them what needs to be packed for each activity.
- Get them in the kitchen and helping with dinner! This can teach them safety in the kitchen.
- Teach them to make simple snacks.
Ages 9 and upwards:
- Change their bedding. You may need to be a bit more hands on with this one but as they get older they will be able to do it on their own.
- Teach them how to load the dishwasher or wash the dishes.
- Vacuuming can be fun too!
- Teach them to sweep or you sweep, and they follow behind you with a dustpan picking up the dust piles you leave for them.
- Get the kids off the couch and in the garden. If you have pets, teach them how to properly pick up the poop and fill up the water bowls.
- As they get older, you can teach them how to work the washing machine and tumble dryer.
- Washing the car can be fun too.
