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Publication #FAR0098

 

Children and Chores1

Suzanna Smith2

Figure 1. 
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Recently when a friend was grocery shopping, he sent his twelve-year-old daughter in search of a list of items they needed. She dashed off happily, returned a few minutes later, and masterfully loaded her goods in the cart, her job complete.

This story reminded me of how much children of all ages are capable of when given the chance.

Children who have regular household jobs not only help keep the family home running smoothly, but also learn responsibility and the skills they will need for their own homes. There are several steps parents can take to make the process work for everyone. First, make chores part of the child's routine so that their jobs are done at regular times. A list of chores can help children remember, and so can a simple reminder like, "It's trash time."

Also, teach the child how to do the job by showing and explaining how it's done. Experts advise parents to start early in assigning children their own chores based on what they can do at certain ages, and, of course, with safety considerations in mind, too. Show your children what to do first, let them try while you watch, then let them go to it on their own. Even children as young as two can help by putting away toys, and three-year-olds can help set the table. At older ages, children are capable of feeding pets, sweeping, vacuuming, loading the dishwasher, clearing the table, emptying wastebaskets, and helping to prepare dinner. As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services points out, "Don't underestimate your children! The same child who runs a complicated computer game can certainly manage the washer and dryer!" (Pantley, 2006, ¶ 5).

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/521.mp3

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/521.wav

References

Pantley, E. (2006). Winning the chore war. In Safe children and healthy families are a shared responsibility. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved February 8, 2007, from http://www.childwelfare.gov/preventing/supporting/resources/chorewar.cfm.

Tables

Table 1. 

Household Chores by Age

Age

Chores

2-3

Put away toys

Set table

4-5

Get mail

Help with yardwork

Feed pets

6-7

Clear table after meals

Pour own drinks and get snacks

Empty wastebaskets

8-9

Sweep or mop floor

Load or run dishwasher

Run/take own bath

10-11

Help make dinner

Mow lawn

Clean kitchen

12-14

Grocery shop from a small list

Prepare dinner

Clean bathrooms

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR0098, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 521. Published March 2009. Reviewed March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.