Chores for Kids

My son is 9 years old. I'm a single working mom in college. I've also always felt that kids should have chores for a wealth of reasons. It teaches them to pay attention to how they treat their surroundings and in the end, it lessons the burden on everyone as they start learning how to make less work for themselves. My son has had chores since he was about 4. He got a few more this year and he's not thrilled about it, but he does them.

I have always gone by the philosophy of height and age. When I was pregnant and planning to be Super Mom with the perfectly clean house and the always smiling self and child, I read a magazine that said to clean your house for your toddler by getting down to their level and looking at it. I thought that to be superb advice. I've used that same train of thought to give my child chores.

At the age of four, most children are actually big enough to start doing a chore. It should be something that can be done quickly and does not ever exert them. No, your four year old isn't going to wax your car, but he or she can do simple tasks on a regular basis. The trick is to get into a routine so that soon it gets done without thinking about it. One simple chore is to have them take out the smallest garbage bags in the house, like the one by your desk.

Towards the ages of 7-9, children are big enough to take on more detailed tasks. They are tall enough to reach the counter, but they are also a bit clumsy as they grow into their bodies. This might be a good age to rinse dishes, but probably not quite washing them yet. They are tall enough to reach the counter, but need to learn the skills of cleaning, like how a clean plate feels.

From the age of 10 to 18, chores can be added per the needs of your household and the skills of the child. For instance, my child will wash anything I want him to. He just hates to put things away. He will fold laundry, but he hates to put it away. I work with that so that the chores get done and no one is miserable.

It's really a necessity for kids to have chores in most houses. It teaches them about responsibility. They learn skills and habits that become a part of their every day lives so that life skills aren't a shock to them when they grow up and move out.