Do you spring clean? Neither do I. How about clean when the kids go back to school? I do some, but I’ve passed on a bunch of work to the kids.

I Wrote About Chores

 
Several years ago, I had a good time writing a long list of chores for young children for a parenting website. This blog post introduces and leads you to that list after an update with…MORE CHORES!!! This blog post also gives a book recommendation w/an affiliate link. I could make a little bit of cash if you buy the book via that link. It’s up to you.

(There was one parent who expressed her madness at me in the comments because I made my kids work.)

Other than that, my article on chores was a big hit which is a good thing because I’m a big fan of having kids do chores.

Also, it made me look good to the editor.

side note: My children are not always so much fans of chores, but those are the breaks.

And Now, I Present Research to Back It All Up

 
NOT-SO-SIDE-NOTE: This research isn’t new, but it’s getting a boost again, it seems:

“Research by Marty Rossmann, emeritus associate professor of family education, shows that involving children in household tasks at an early age can have a positive impact later in life. By involving children in tasks, parents teach their children a sense of responsibility, competence, selfreliance, and self-worth that stays with them throughout their lives. How the research on involving children in household tasks works Rossmann explored outcomes for 84 young adults based on an in-depth study of their parent”

A Note About Chores: Cards and Checklists

I doubt I’m the only parent who struggles with: “Must we really have these charts and checklists? Did Almanzo Wilder in Farmer Boy have this to milk cows and work the fields? Why the madness?”

And then I read The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. And remembered that surgeons and…hello, PILOTS (I’m looking at you, Husband) have checklists to properly do their jobs. Maybe not with all the pretty pictures, but you get the point.
 

51 Chores for Young Children

1. Emptying the dishwasher. 4 to 5-year olds can put away silverware in a drawer they can reach. Older kids can put away breakables.

2. Cleaning out clutter. Have kids go through the nooks and crannies of their bedroom and find five things they would like to give away or donate to a thrift shop or local charity.

3. Digging holes in the garden for planting small flowers.

4. Using vacuum attachment to vacuum in furniture, under the cushions, etc.

5. Scooping cookies or biscuits with a spatula after baking sheet has cooled.

6. 5-7 years and up: add needed items to grocery list

7. 8 years and up: cut coupons for common items in the house.

8. Folding washcloths

Read the rest at Parenting Squad, where I broke down the chores by age: 43 Chores Young Children Can Do

What chores have you passed on to the younguns?