Children and Chores

As a parent, you may be wondering when is a good time for your child to get involved in doing chores around the house. Research has shown that children learning to do chores from a young age has many benefits to their overall growth and development.

Chores don’t have to take away from the joy of childhood. In fact, you may find that children enjoy doing chores and find it fun!

Here are just some of the benefits of encouraging your child to do chores at home:

1.      Chores help children to learn responsibility – children will start to understand the process and importance of completing necessary tasks around the home teaching them to become self-reliant.

2.      Developing a sense of belonging and teamwork – involving children in working together to complete tasks around the house will help them to feel like they are contributing to the family and their help and contribution is valued.

3.      Chores offer learning opportunities – this may include learning new skills such as cooking, sorting and organising and evening practicing sequencing as they follow step by step instructions to complete a task.

4.      Developing care, respect and empathy – contributing to chores can provide a unique opportunity for children to learn about respect for their environment and shared space. They may feel a deep sense of accomplishment as they help in the home and feel the appreciation from other family members for their care and assistance.

Here are some tips for setting chores at home for your child:

-          Ensure chores are age appropriate and achievable for your child.

-          Start early with simple tasks and simple instructions

-          Make it part of your daily or weekly routine

-          Praise their efforts not the results – as they may not complete chores perfectly.

-          Make it fun by including some music or making chores into a game.

Here are some age appropriate chores for children:

Toddlers (1.5-3 years) – packing away toys, wiping up spills, helping put items in a trolley when shopping, assisting with sorting the laundry, helping to water plants.

Preschoolers (3-5 years) – setting the table for meal times, making up their bed, assisting with laundry, assisting with cooking, assisting with the grocery shopping, small tasks when caring for a pet, tidying bedroom.

Children assisting in watering the Sage garden and learning skills of responsibility.