If you’re a parent, you know that the to-do list can feel never-ending. Parents are expected to do more, be more, and provide more than ever before.
And yet, as a teacher, I’ve spoken with many teenagers that tell me they don’t do chores at home. They are simply not expected to help their family. It’s disheartening, to say the least.
This is a terrible shame of our modern-day society. First, because shared household chores let parents take a necessary breath for their mental health (no small action!). And second, chores teach kids critical life lessons.
Why Should Kids Do Daily Chores?
The benefits of chores for our offspring are endless.
By being consistent about daily chores, you’re teaching kids about responsibility, a growth mindset, empathy, and that it’s important to be part of a larger purpose. Plus, kids learn early the value of good habits and hard work.
Often, our kids aren’t required to develop these skills elsewhere in life.
And these are no small life lessons! It’s all possible with just a set of daily tasks.
What Chores are Right for My Kids?
The chores your kids are responsible for depend largely on their age, personality, and cognitive development. Below is a list of examples to get you started.
- Sweep
- Dust
- Vacuum
- Make bed
- Clean room
- Wipe windows
- Pick up
- Wipe counters
- Fold & put away clothes
- Wash clothes (full loads of laundry)
- Feed pets
- Take care of pets in other ways (walk, clean out litter, etc)
- Clean bathrooms
- Take out the trash/recycling
- Wash dishes
- Load and unload the dishwasher
- Help cook or cook complete meals
- Mow the lawn
- Help with other lawn care items
- Fix things that are broken around the home
Now, choose two to start with. If your kids don’t have any chore experience, then start with easy chores and build slowly.
Make it Part of the Routine
The best way to incorporate more shared chores into your household is to build them into your kid morning routine or after school routine. Have the kids complete a chore before school starts, or first thing when they come home from school.
If you need to give them motivation, decide that it’s a requirement before screens, allowance, or playing with friends.
And try this free chore chart printable template with your kids this week!
Expose Kids to Different Kinds of Chores
Furthermore, have kids do a variety of chores and not just the traditionally gender-specific ones. Girls can mow the lawn and boys should wash dishes. Exposing your kids to a plethora of chores gives them the learning experience and skillset to succeed with other tasks outside of their comfort zone in the future. You’ll be doing them a favor by switching responsibilities up regularly.
In Conclusion
Finally, I hope this convinced you to add daily chores for your kids right away. It’s not just for our mental health. It’s for their development and life view as well. It’s time we started remembering that and giving them the skills they need to succeed in life.
What chores do you have your kids do daily? I’d love to know!