When children are as young as 5 years old, they can help wash dishes.
Most kids hate chores, and they probably won’t actually thank you later for making them do them, but you can still pat yourself on the back for teaching children a world of valuable lessons. A sense of responsibility is the major takeaway of doing chores, but children will also develop a work ethic and learn how to help someone (you) out. As a bonus, if you give them an allowance, you’ll also teach them the value of money and how to start a savings account, but most kids love rewards of any kind, so just a chore chart with stickers for completed tasks should be enough for 4- to 6-year-olds.
First, set an example by picking up after yourself and putting your child’s things away. Then, as soon as they can walk, teach them to put their own toys away in a place they can easily reach, such as a toy box or open bin under their crib, and to put dirty clothes in a clothes hamper in their room.
Start out small and gradually increase their responsibilities. Kids learn new ideas quickly, and they soak up information like sponges. Refer to this list to figure out what children can do when:
- 1-2 years old: Put away toys; put laundry in the hamper; turn off lights.
- 2-4 years old: Dust furniture with a duster, put pets’ food in bowls (with supervision); put napkins on the table, wipe up messes; take laundry to laundry room.
- 4-5 years old: Clear and set the table with supervision; add ingredients to food; carry and put away groceries; fold towels and washcloths and put them away; water plants with supervision, make the bed; pick up pine cones before someone mows the yard; sweep floors.
- 5-6 years old: Prep foods for dinner; put away laundry; vacuum (depending on how heavy it is); hand wash dishes; rake leaves (supervised); fold most clothes; complete previous tasks by themselves that formerly required supervision.
- 6-7 years old: Unload dishwasher; empty indoor trash cans; wash dishes; learn how to wash clothes; prepare simple meals and snacks, such as sandwiches.
- 8-10 years old: Clean specific rooms; organize certain areas; write thank-you notes for gifts; test smoke alarms once a month with supervision; rake leaves unsupervised; clean the bathroom with supervision.
- 11-13 years old: Change bed sheets; clean mirrors; prepare an occasional family meal; mow the lawn with supervision; change light bulbs; change the vacuum bag.
- 14 years old and up: Wash windows; do yard work; prepare food; make a grocery list; wash the car.
To teach children the importance of saving money, begin an allowance system when they’re around 6 or 7 years old. Teach them to put part or all of their allowance into savings, either a piggy bank or jar with a lid, and watch it grow. Encourage them to have a monetary goal for their savings, such as $100, instead of encouraging them to spend it on something in the future. Then, when they reach that goal, ask them what they’d like their next goal to be, and celebrate their achieving it with a small reward, such as taking them out for ice cream or to the park for a day. As they grow, motivate them to buy items on sale and make a budget. As they reach short- and long-term goals, you’re building their self-esteem, and you’ll have a clean house and happy helper along the way.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto/ktaylorg
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