As members of the family, children should participate in helping maintain the household. Being responsible for chores teaches a child valuable life lessons and builds their self-esteem.
When my daughter turned three three years old and we welcomed a new baby into our home, I started thinking about what new responsibilities she could take on.
At this age, her chores are unpaid, but in the future, I plan on offering allowance for certain chores. I want to teach her that her work has value, but I also want her to know that every action isn’t rewarded.
When can your child start doing chores?
Before two years old, I would not attempt to make a child do any chores. Young toddlers can help pick up their toys, but I would not try to force their participation. In my opinion, until a child is at least two, they are too young to understand the purpose of chores. Depending on your child’s development and language skills , they may not be ready for chores until three or four years old.
At two, my daughter began asking why I was cleaning and doing laundry. It was a good opportunity to explain why and involve her in the daily actions we perform to keep our house clean and functioning.
Once your child is ready, they can start helping with simple chores. These chores are the building blocks to more complicated chores for kindergarteners, grade schoolers, and beyond.
30 ways your toddler can help out at home
When starting to give your child chores, try a mix of personal care and household duties. Here are 30 suggestions.
- Pick up toys
- Wipe surfaces with wet washcloth
- Dust surfaces
- Sweep up small messes with dustpan
- Put laundry in hamper
- Sort laundry by color → My daughter loves doing this!
- Put clean laundry into drawers
- Make their bed → This may just be putting their blanket and stuffed animals on the bed.
- Dry off non-breakable dishes and silverware
- Load non-breakable dishes and silverware into the dishwasher
- Water plants
- Feed pets
- Pull weeds
- Help garden
- Water garden and plants
- Pick up outdoor toys
- Help wash cars
- Pick out their clothes for the day
- Help dress themselves
- Brush their own teeth → With additional brushing done by the parent
- Brush their hair
- Wash themselves in bath
- Mix or stir ingredients when cooking
- Help dish up food
- Pour water into their own cup
- Take plate to the table
- Throw out trash
- Put plate in the sink or dishwasher
- Add items to the grocery cart
- Help find items in the store
If your child is stubborn and doesn’t want to participate, you may want to try the Love and Logic technique. This technique involves giving your child choices. For example, you would say “do you want to brush your teeth or get dressed?” It seems like this technique is too simple to work, but it removes the power struggle and helps diffuse tantrums.
Toddlers can be a bigger help around the house than you might think! Allowing them to assist in the day-to-day chores helps them understand what it takes to keep a home running smoothly.
Are there any chores your toddler does that aren’t on this list?