Getting Kids Started With Chores Kids Activities Blog

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Are you wondering when’s a good time for getting kids started with chores? When you start early, you set your kids up for understanding chores are a part of life. Kick off the spring cleaning with these tips for getting kids started with chores at an early age. With all the running around happening in my house, it’s imperative that my kids pitch in and help out with the chores. Not only does it make my life easier but it gives them a sense of satisfaction with a job well done and teaches them responsibility. The key to getting your kids involved with helping out with the chores is making it fun for their age. You have to find age appropriate chores that challenge them just enough but don’t cause them to become frustrated because it’s too hard.

My daughter, Kenzie, is two but she wants to do everything her big brother, Logan (5) does. For the most part, she’s able to keep up with him and catches on to fun games FAST! But, when it comes to chores…it’s not quite so simple because she is so much smaller than him and she gets frustrated quite easily. So I have to make sure they each have their own age appropriate chores and we make a game out of it.

For ages 3 and under I highly suggest sticking with simple, easy to supervise tasks like: feeding pets, picking up toys, sorting socks by color, putting laundry in the dryer (I hand it to her and she tosses it in then presses the button to start). These tasks use broad motor skills and are easy for parents to explain. Picking up the toys has been the most challenging because she needs more direction like “pick up the dolls and put them to bed”, or “pick up all of the blocks and put them in the bin”.
For ages 4-6 I typically have more complex tasks that makes my son think a little harder. His tasks include: making the bed, unloading the dishwasher, sorting laundry, dusting, and wiping down the windows. Logan REALLY wants to mop and vacuum but he’s not physically able to yet. Those types of chores need a bit more upper body strength than he has right now.
Over age 7 there’s really not much that’s off limits inside other than cooking….which I let them both do with me but I wouldn’t trust them in the kitchen alone until they’re much older. Once Logan turns 7 I’ll start teaching him how to vacuum, mop, clean the bathrooms, do laundry, etc.

Make It a Game with ‘Chore Hour’

Once you decide WHAT jobs you’re going to give the kids you have to then turn chores into a fun game that the kids will want to do. Every day before I start cooking dinner we have ‘Chore Hour’. At 4pm I’ll turn on the radio to fun upbeat music and we’ll rush around and see if we can complete all of our chores in an hour. The kids actually look forward to Chore Hour each day because I make it an atmosphere of fun and togetherness. They also know that after a 5 days of completing ‘Chore Hour’ as a family then they’ll get a special treat over the weekend. I use the KidzTokenz app but any reward tracking app will do just fine. Each day we have a successful ‘Chore Hour’…meaning there’s no fighting about not wanting to do chores, most of the chores get done, and we all work together then they can add a star to the reward tracking app on my phone. Each week we have a special treat that we’re working toward like pizza for dinner, ice cream after church, a trip to the zoo, etc. You can make a treat at home like this yummy Easy Homemade Chocolate Mousse Recipe or give one of these 50 Smoothie Recipes for Kids a try! By encouraging children to start helping with chores as early as possible, you’re signifying it as a way of life. Having the kids help out does make simple tasks take a bit longer in the beginning but as they learn, the help becomes invaluable! Being a work at home mom I need all the help I can get in keeping the house clean. Plus, the kids are less likely to make a big mess if they know that they’re going to be the ones cleaning it up later!! Next week, we’re really going to have fun as we go through the 5-Day Spring Cleaning Challenge together. We’ll do things like these 11 Ways to Organize Your Board Games! It’s a week of deep cleaning and clearing out the clutter– I can’t wait to have our home refreshed and ready for warmer weather! I hope you’ll join us in the FREE Spring Cleaning Challenge! Do you have any tips for getting your kids involved and excited to do the chores? Share in the comments below! Ready to organize the entire house? We LOVE this declutter course! It’s perfect for busy families! In the meantime, hop over to our Quirky Momma Facebook page for more ideas!

I’m Melissa, proud mama of 2 crazy preschoolers, one wild puppy, and a husband who travels for a living. You’ll catch me sharing all sorts of chaos and fun over at Serendipity and Spice where I focus on embracing the happy accidents that create the spice of life! Thanks so much to Holly for inviting me over to join in the fun here on Kids Activities Blog– I’m very excited to be sharing these tips with you today!