Age Appropriate Chores for Your Child

A good number of parents feel that the kids should channel all their focus and time on studies, hobbies and play. To ensure this happens, these parents slog day in and day out, doing a day job and running all the household chores themselves.

Experts say that this might not be the best way to nurture the kids. Although your intentions are nothing but good, it is now believed that when children helps in household chores, it is a win-win situation. The child feels empowered as he is making a direct contribution to the house. And as parents, you get to strike few tasks off your daily to-do list.
Not convinced? Here are:

4 Reasons Why Your Child Should Help You In Daily Chores

1. When you pass some of your work to your child, the child feels important and valued. This is one of the first active steps to building a good self esteem
2. Once the child learns well how to do the chore and it becomes part of his daily routine, he becomes more responsible towards it
3. It instills a sense of pride in your child when you and others appreciate his efforts in running the house smoothly
4. It gives you a chance to teach foundational lessons of gender equality – it is not just mom’s work alone!

All these are great. But how to ensure your child start doing chores and keep at it? Here are:

6 Tips To Ensure That The Chores For The Child Is Not A Chore In Itself!

1. Start immediately: Believe it or not, even toddlers can do chores. The idea is to give them some chore that is simple enough and suitable for his age. In fact, smaller kids are known to show more willingness and enthusiasm to help you around in the house. So start young! And if you have an older kid, start immediately. Do not wait for a month beginning or a Monday! Believe us, your child is ready TODAY
2. Appreciate: The confidence your child gets when you praise him for a work that is normally done by an adult is immense. Even if your child does not do the chore well, encourage him with good words or else he will lose interest in it quickly. Also, do not wait till the end of the chore to appreciate. It is the effort that counts and you can tell him you are proud of him even amidst the chore
3. Be consistent: Once your child starts doing a chore, make sure he does it every day consistently unless he is sick. If you let your child off the chore in the name of a guest visiting, exams or play, then the child might think it is ok to slack – someone else will take care of it. Ensure your child knows it is his responsibility EVERY DAY and he alone is accountable for it
4. Relax: There are 100 ways to do a chore and no one is perfect. If your child is not doing the chore well, there is no harm in explaining or showing it yourself initially. But do not expect him to do it exactly the way you do it. You are both, after all, two different individuals. And if you constantly gives instructions or nags, the child might lose interest quickly. Do not micromanage
5. Do not differentiate between kids: Perhaps because of the way we were brought up, there is a tendency among Indian parents to gender discriminate te chores. Help in the kitchen? The girl should do it. Carrying packs from the super market? The boy should do it. Do not do this. No chore is more suitable for one gender than the other. It is important to teach your boy that he is expected to contribute to kitchen and laundry. Similarly, it is important to teach your girl she is strong enough for all chores
6. Make a chore list or poster: Make a chore list and put it on your refrigerator so that your child remembers. Write clear instructions. “Put toys and books in places; Make your bed” is a better instruction than “clean the room”

While all these tips will help you in getting your child to enjoy the chores, the very first step is to ensure you give them age appropriate chores in the first place. So here is a list of age appropriate chores for your little one:

Age Appropriate Chores: 2 To 4 Year Olds

• Tidy up: Pick up toys from the floor and put them in the toy basket
• Throw waste in the waste basket
• Put pillows in place
• Dust or wipe surfaces
• Get diaper from cupboard
• Put used plate/spoon/bowl in kitchen sink
• 3-4 year olds can also water plants with a small watering can

Age Appropriate Chores: 4 To 6 Year Olds

• All the chores mentioned for 2-4 year Olds
• Get ready by themselves every morning
• Help in the kitchen. For e.g., towel dry the washed dishes
• Put clothes inside washing machine
• Help take clothes off the cloths line after drying
• Sort the clothes based on who it belongs to
• Help fold laundry, especially small towels etc.
• Collect newspaper and milk from outside every morning
• Dust the house
• Clean their rooms – putting toys and books in specified locations, making bed etc.
• Clean play area (inside the house) with a broom after every play date
• Set the table before a meal (keep table mats in place, bring plates and glasses from kitchen etc.)

Age Appropriate Chores: 6 To 8 Year Olds

• All the chores mentioned for 2-6 year old
• Put the dishes back into its specified places after drying
• Fold clothes
• Clean dining table after a meal (including wiping the table and putting away table mats)
• Hang laundry in the clothes line
• Carry small packets from shop when accompanying you
• Put garbage bags and baskets outside the house for collection and brig it back after collection
• Wipe clean wash basins in the house

Age Appropriate Chores: 8 To 12 Year Olds

• All the chores mentioned for 2-8 Year olds
• Making simple meals like sandwiches, toasting breads, making a juice (like Tang)
• Take complete care of washing clothes in a washing machine
• Brooming and mopping floors
• Polish shoes
• Pack school bag
• Fill water in water bottles
• Take bath and get ready themselves
• Do homework alone
• Answer phone calls

Age Appropriate Chores: Teens

• All the chores mentioned for 2-12 Year Olds
• Do chores without being reminded or prompted
• Iron clothes, at least their uniforms
• Organize their cupboard
• Bringing snacks in bowls and drinks in tray when guests visit
• Cook light meals, tea coffee etc for everyone in the house
• Reheat items in microwave
• Take responsibility for the younger kids and babysit
• Earn allowances by doing important chores like cooking a meal
• Help in outdoor gardening and other work

Good luck!!