{"id":35534,"date":"2017-07-19T06:04:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T10:04:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=35534"},"modified":"2021-02-11T12:37:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T17:37:17","slug":"age-appropriate-chores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/age-appropriate-chores\/","title":{"rendered":"Age Appropriate Chores for Young Kids: Personal Responsibilities Versus Chores"},"content":{"rendered":"

Responsibility. It’s something I imagine all parents want for their kids, but how and when to go about instilling it isn’t always clear. In our house, there are some things expected of you simply because you are part of the family. Things like clearing your plate from the table and picking up your messes fall under the category of personal responsibility, not to be confused with chores.<\/p>\n

\"age<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, the girls do fairly well with personal responsibility. I wrote about the chores we had Hailey do when she was three years old<\/a>, but looking back now, I would label most of those as daily responsibilities. I found it important to start building a solid base when the girls were between two and three years old. However, now that Hailey is five, we have tried to be more diligent about adding in regular chores, defined here as ongoing tasks that help the household. I’ve realized kids are capable of much more, much earlier, than I naturally give them credit for. Kaitlyn, though only 3 years old, takes part in chores too, but our expectations are not quite as high.<\/p>\n

\"three<\/p>\n

Chores are important because they make children feel competent and helpful, as they are contributing to the family in a real way. I’ve noticed firsthand that the girls actually misbehave and act out more<\/em> when they don’t<\/em> have purposeful work to do. Idle hands<\/em> and all that I suppose. It makes sense because I know I feel more fulfilled and happier when I feel I am contributing something meaningful to our family. We don’t pay money for chores, but we do inspect the job they did and praise them on their effort and results.<\/p>\n

I’ve also found it’s important not too use chores as punishment. Though I will certainly give them an extra job when they are acting out, I found it works better for us to use chores as a sense of personal purpose and pride rather than as a consequence.<\/p>\n

\"young<\/p>\n

When Hailey turns six, I believe we’ll implement an additional system for extra jobs that go above and beyond in which she can earn money. Hailey is increasingly interested in money, but I want to firmly establish the concept of personal responsibilities and age appropriate chores before introducing the idea of paid work. We talk about how mom and dad work to earn money to pay for things we need and want, and I want her to more thoroughly grasp this concept as she gets older without confusing it with the idea of basic tasks we do as contributing family members.<\/p>\n

\"age<\/p>\n

For now though, personal responsibilities and chores are unpaid but highly appreciated.<\/p>\n

Age Appropriate Chores for Young Kids<\/h2>\n

Chores for Toddlers (2-3 Years Old)<\/h2>\n

Again, this age is really about building the foundation. This means showing the child how to complete basic personal responsibilities. Putting dirty clothes in the hamper, picking up toys, and clearing the table are tasks that are simple enough for an older toddler to start pitching in on. We’ve found an older toddler is also capable of a few chores beyond personal responsibilities:<\/p>\n