Children can help at home from a surprisingly young age, and the jobs they can take on grow with them. Here's a list of age-appropriate chores, from toddlers to teenagers, plus how to run a chore chart that keeps going after the first week.
Every child is different, so treat these ages as a rough guide rather than a target. If a job is new, do it together a few times before expecting them to manage it alone.
Chores for ages 2 to 3
At this age it's about joining in, not getting it perfect. Keep jobs short and do them alongside your child.
- Put toys back in a box or basket
- Put dirty clothes in the washing basket
- Help feed a pet, with you measuring the food
- Wipe up small spills with a cloth
- Put their books back on a low shelf
Chores for ages 4 to 5
Children this age often love being given a "proper" job. Picture cards on a chart work well before they can read.
- Make their bed, with a duvet rather than tucked sheets
- Set the table with cutlery and napkins
- Water plants with a small watering can
- Match socks from the clean washing
- Help unpack the shopping into low cupboards
- Tidy their room with help
Chores for ages 6 to 7
- Tidy their own bedroom
- Put their clean clothes away
- Clear their plate and cup after meals
- Help prepare simple food, such as washing vegetables or buttering bread
- Feed pets by themselves
- Empty small bins into the main bin
- Help sort recycling
Chores for ages 8 to 9
By now many children can manage a job from start to finish without being reminded at every step.
- Load or empty the dishwasher, leaving sharp knives to an adult
- Wash and dry up
- Wipe the kitchen table and worktops
- Hoover their own room
- Fold and put away washing
- Make a simple breakfast or packed lunch
- Help with weeding or sweeping outside
Chores for ages 10 to 12
- Hoover and dust shared rooms
- Clean the bathroom sink and mirror
- Take the bins and recycling out on collection day
- Put a wash on and hang it out, once you've shown them how
- Help cook a family meal, with supervision at the hob
- Change their own bed
- Walk the dog, if it's safe for them to do so where you live
Chores for ages 13 and up
Teenagers can do almost any household job. The goal now is getting them ready to live independently.
- Clean the whole bathroom
- Do their own washing from start to finish
- Cook a meal for the family once a week
- Write the shopping list, or do a small shop
- Mow the lawn
- Clean the fridge or the oven
- Look after younger siblings for short periods, if you're comfortable with it
Keep it safe
Whatever their age, a few jobs need care. Keep cleaning products and medicines out of reach of younger children and only hand over a product once you've shown them how to use it. Leave sharp knives, the hob, the oven and anything electrical near water to an adult until you're confident your child can manage it, and stay nearby the first few times.
How to make a chore chart that actually works
Start with a few jobs
Two or three regular jobs per child is plenty to begin with. It's better that they do three jobs every week than ten jobs for a fortnight and then nothing.
Make "done" clear
"Tidy your room" means very different things to a seven-year-old and a parent. Break it down: "toys in the box, clothes in the basket, books on the shelf." For younger children, a photo of what the tidy room looks like helps.
Rotate the jobs nobody wants
If you have more than one child, rotate the less popular jobs, such as emptying the bins, week by week. It stops arguments about fairness and teaches everyone every job.
Keep it where everyone can see it
A chart on the fridge works for younger children. Older children and teenagers are more likely to check their phone, so a shared app with reminders can work better as they get older.
Praise the effort, not the result
A wonky bed made by a five-year-old is still a bed made by a five-year-old. If you redo their job in front of them, they'll learn that their effort doesn't count.
Should chores earn pocket money?
Families do this differently, and there's no right answer. Some common approaches:
- No link: everyone helps because they live there, and pocket money is separate.
- Basic jobs are expected, extras are paid: making their bed and clearing their plate are part of family life, while washing the car earns something.
- All jobs are paid: clear and motivating, but some parents find children then refuse jobs that aren't paid.
Whichever you choose, be consistent and explain it, so children know where they stand.
Share the load between the adults too
Children learn as much from watching as from doing. If they see the adults in the house sharing the cooking, cleaning and organising, they're more likely to see chores as something everyone does, not a punishment.