When we first had children, we were somehow under the impression that more of our lives would be spent playing with our children than cleaning up after them. One day we realized that as outnumbered as we were, there would be no catching up on the chores until we had a little help! And so we slowly started recruiting our children to start taking on some of the smaller tasks in our home and something amazing happened, they started caring more about our home and making just a little less mess!
Ok, it wasn’t magic. We still spend more time matching socks than we do lazing dreamily by an idyllic beach, but it’s definitely a start! This week, we’ve put together a few ideas for age-appropriate chores your children can help out with around the house, and even found five fun apps to make these tasks a little less taxing.
Ages 1 and 2
Your little one might not be able to string together a sentence just yet, but they see you picking up their toys every day. Mirroring is one of the earliest forms of communication, and allowing your toddler to start picking up their own toys and putting them into their designated buckets, boxes, and cubbies is great for motor skill development, pattern recognition, and memory!
Ages 3 and 4
As your child gets older, they can be trusted with slightly more challenging tasks like:
- picking up after themselves
- putting their clothes in the hamper
- wiping up their own spills
- wiping down cabinet fronts using a soapy sock on their hand
- washing their toys once a month (in the tub, sink, or a pan of soapy water)
Age 5
Now that your little one is nearly Kindergarten age, it’s time to be ready to help out in the world! Your child should be starting to pick out their own clothes, picking up after themselves, cleaning up their own spills, and helping set and clear the table for meals. Making beds should be an achievable task for these little hands, as well as helping sort laundry for the wash and unloading the dishwasher. At five, your child may be ready to start helping out with meal planning as well, and can be trusted to wash fruits and veggies before they’re prepped!
Age 6-10
Now that your child has a little more strength and muscle control, you can start introducing more difficult (and more helpful to you!) tasks like:
- carrying in and putting away groceries
- folding and putting away laundry
- feeding pets
- helping prepare meals
- packing school lunches
- vacuuming
- rinsing dishes
- loading the dishwasher
- cleaning the car
We know that when your child first takes on a new task, you’ll be tempted to take over. Yes, the first few tries create a bigger mess than they clean up, but your patience will pay off soon! In the meantime, here are a few apps we found to take your family’s chore chart to new heights!
Privilege Points is a revolutionary family organizer that is easy to use, but fully customizable. Each profile has spaces to select both required and optional tasks. Assign and track privileges related to each chore or responsibility, set reminders to keep everyone on task, and reward children in a way that matters to them! That might mean bonus screen time, a sleepover, or allowance depending on your child and what truly motivates them.
Our Home
Free on the App Store and Google Play
More than chores, manage your whole household with one sharable app! Share a shopping list so nothing gets forgotten, monitor your shared calendars, and schedule tasks for every member of the family! Staying organized and finishing assignments earns points, easily managed within the app. Interested in teaching children to care more about your home? Giving our children more responsibility reminded them that it’s actually Our Home!
Homey App
Free on the App Store
Your child’s first experience with financial literacy should be designed specifically for them. With Homey App, you and your child will discuss goal setting, responsibility, and mindful money matters in a safe and accessible way. The app helps your child stay motivated, while allowing them space to understand the amount of work it takes to maintain your family’s home. You can customize your family’s chore list, creating smaller bites for smaller hands, and tackling bigger tasks together.
Busy Kid App
Free on the App Store and Google Play
What’s a made bed worth to you? What about a weeded garden? Name your price and manage your child’s allowance using Busy Kid App! This app helps children learn to manage their finances in a safe, parent-controlled environment.
Chore Pad
$4.99 on the App Store
For preschoolers, visual learners, and not-quite-readers, Chore Pad creates a visual chore list using your child’s photo and pictures of the task at hand. You can create a profile for each member of the household, who will be able to access their chore list with just a touch! Tasks are customizable, and anything from brushing teeth to practicing piano can be added to the list, right beside items like unloading the dishwasher and clearing the table!
On days when it feels overwhelming, remember how short childhood really is. A clean home will never compare with a happy one! But we hope these tips and apps can help keep your family happy, healthy, and working together for a more harmonious home!
