• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
She's Your Friend logo
  • Holiday
  • Mom Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Holiday
  • Mom Lifestyle
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Holiday
    • Mom Lifestyle
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    She's Your Friend » Life Advice

    The Complete Guide to Chores for kids

    by Joanna Stephens Published: Jul 13, 2020 · Updated: Jan 17, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links. We earn commission from purchases made. ·

    • Share
    an image designed to be shared on pinterest showing kids doing chores with text overlay that reads chores every kid can do
    an image designed to be shared on pinterest showing kids doing chores with text overlay that reads chores every kid can do

    Teaching your kids about chores is not only a great way for them to have some responsibility, but it also helps teach them independence.

    Another great perk is that it ends the, "mom, will you do this".

    Jump to:
    • Why do kids need to help with chores?
    • Teach your kids how to do chores
    • Do I need a chore chart?
    • How often should kids do chores?
    • Daily responsibilities vs Chores
    • Examples of age-appropriate chores for kids
    • Should cooking or making their own meal be a chore?
    • Printable template of chores for kids

    As your children become more independent, things will run a lot smoother, and parents won't have the burden of doing it all. 

    With that being said, kids can only do so much. There are age-appropriate chores for kids of all ages, so there really isn't a reason not to start!

    a toddler girl helping with the dishes

    Why do kids need to help with chores?

    • They get to help contribute to the family.
    • They learn responsibility.
    • It helps your child not feel entitled to everything.
    • It keeps them from becoming spoiled.
    • They are strengthening their work ethic.
    • It makes kids feel needed, because what they do matters!

    Teach your kids how to do chores

    a mom showing her daughter how to do chores

    The best way to get your kids helping with chores, is to teach them! It's hard to expect something from someone when they were never taught. 

    This will require a little patience on your part, but in the end you will be happy you did. 

    Go through step by step how to do the chore, and don't leave out even the simplest detail. After all, this is new to them!

    Do I need a chore chart?

    Another great thing for organizing chores is using a chore chart.

    These are great for younger kids (especially toddlers) because it shows them what they have accomplished, and what still needs to be done.

    When your kids get older, chore charts might not be as effective.

    a young boy bring laundry into the laundry room

    How often should kids do chores?

    This will really depend on each family, but you can have daily and/or weekly chores that you set for your child. If your kids have a hectic weekly schedule during school time, set some weekend chores.

    Daily responsibilities vs Chores

    Are daily responsibilities the same as chores? Some might answer yes, and others might answer no.

    For me, I think it depends on the age of your kids.

    Daily responsibilities include things that need to be done on a daily basis, like making beds or picking up your room.

    For younger kids these would be a good starting point for chores until it becomes habit. As your kids get older, ideally they should be doing other chores besides these daily habits.

    a toddler girl on a step ladder wiping windows

    Examples of age-appropriate chores for kids

    Here are some examples of ideas for kid-friendly chores. For your convenience, I have separated them into age groups.

    AGES 2-3 (CHORES FOR TODDLERS)

    When your kids are this young, there is only so much they can do. With that being said, they are still quite capable of helping out!

    • Wipe the table down (after crafts or eating)
    • Put dirty clothes in laundry basket or hamper
    • Help set the table
    • Put toys away
    • Help make their bed
    • Help unload the dishwasher (my toddlers were always eager to help me. They will usually grab a plate and hand it to me, which gives them a sense of accomplishment and pride!)

    AGES 4-5

    • Make their bed
    • Pick up toys and books
    • Water plants
    • Sweep the kitchen floors
    • Put dirty clothes in laundry basket or hamper
    • feed the pets

    AGES 6-7

    • Empty the dishwasher
    • Vacuum their room
    • Fold Clothes and match sock pairs together
    • Peel Potatoes
    • get the mail from the mailbox

    AGES 8-9

    • Do your own laundry
    • Put Groceries Away
    • Vacuum the living room
    • ​help pull weeds out of the garden
    • ​doing dishes or loading the dishwasher
    • cleaning the bathroom sinks and countertops
    • sweep the front/back porch
    • take the trash out

    AGES 10-11

    • clean the kitchen
    • ​clean their bathrooms (toilets and all)
    • clean windows
    • mop floors
    • water the garden

    AGES 12+

    • wash the car
    • mow the yard
    • help with grocery shopping
    • watch younger siblings
    • change light bulbs
    • clean the refrigerator
    • dust furniture

    Should cooking or making their own meal be a chore?

    This will all depend on each parent, but my philosophy is that teaching your child how to cook or make a meal is a life skill...not a chore.

    With that being said, you might set goals for your child to be able to make a sandwich by a certain age, or boil noodles by a certain age.

    Printable template of chores for kids

    a printable showing chores for kids grouped by ages

    Download your copy of Chores for Kids

    Remembering the different types of chores for each age group can be a lot to memorize. That's why I created this printable with a template of the chores for each age.

    This template is best used as a guide. Some parents offer rewards for accomplishing tasks, like extra screen time or an allowance. 

    Most importantly, remember to help teach your child about how to do the chore. This way they know what to expect and you can feel more confident that they are doing it the RIGHT way.

    You might also enjoy reading: Toy Rotation Guide for parents

    • Share

    Reader Interactions

    Join the Discussion Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    about me picture of the founder Joanna Stephens

    Hi, I'm Joanna! Wife, and mother of 2. Here you will find a mom friend to talk all things motherhood, beauty, home decor, and other helpful advice for life.

    More about me →

    a 2023 planner with text overlay that reads free printable and 24 pages

    Follow us

    • go to our pinterest account
    • go to our facebook page
    • go to our instagram account

    Easter

    • a pink background with easter eggs and bunnies
      17 Non Candy Easter Basket Ideas
    • six printable easter worksheets for kids
      11 Free Easter Printables for Kids
    • collage of different easter themed home decor with text overlay that reads affordable easter home decor
      Affordable Easter Home Decor
    • a girl focused on her STEM project with her computer
      13 Best STEM gifts for Kids
    • collage of thirteen kids books with text overlay that reads the best books for kids
      20 Best Books for Kids
    • a mom and son coloring in a coloring book with crayons
      5 Best coloring books for toddlers

    What's Popular

    • a-baby-who-is-crying
      Gassy newborn: a parents guide to help
    • a mom combing her baby's hair
      Complete guide to Cradle Cap and Baby
    • a 1 year old holding a sippy cup
      Transitioning from Formula to Milk
    • a pregnant woman holding a purple gift by her belly bump
      Awesome Baby and Pregnancy Freebies
    • a baby holding a box of zarbees baby cough medicine
      An Honest Review of Zarbee's Baby Cough Syrup
    • Geralt and Yennefer funko pop characters from the witcher
      31 baby names from The Witcher

    Features

    collage showing HuffPost Today parenting team, Verywell family, Newsweek Lifewire and Workest by Zenefits.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Connect

    • Contact
    • Sponsor

    About

    • About Us
    • Accessibility

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures

    She's Your Friend provides information for educational purposes only and is not to be taken as medical advice. See our privacy policy for more details. Posts within this website may or may not contain affiliate links. She's Your Friend is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program.

    Copyright © 2018-2023 She's Your Friend

    She's Your Friend
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.