final warning…

Recently I found myself in a constant cycle with my oldest where I complained about not wanting to clean up after him all day, every day… and threatened (key word threatened) to throw toys away if they were left out… or otherwise have him reap some consequences for his lackluster attempt at completing what seemed to be one of only a few simple tasks… to date he has had about 321 “final warnings” about not hanging his towel up in his room, or making his bed, or “fill in the blank”…

Then I realized the issue wasn’t really him, but honestly just the fact that we hadn’t really outlined his tasks (explicitly…lol), nor had we consistently held him accountable when he didn’t complete them (or give him any incentive for regularly completing them). Soooo to the internets I went to try to figure out some age-appropriate chores for him to complete that wouldn’t leave me annoyed… or him frustrated. I found several cheat-sheets and articles around the topic and have outlined a few below. You can obviously make them more specific to the tasks that are relevant in your home, but this gives an idea of the types of responsibilities kids are actually capable of handling at any given age. To be honest, I didn’t even realize my littles could handle “chores”… despite seeing them handle them like pros at daycare. SMH! Take what you need below - and if you haven’t already I highly encourage you to peruse a few websites to create a chore list of your own!

Toddlers (Ages 2-3)

• Put their toys away

• Put dirty clothes in the hamper

• Help load the washer/dryer

• Clean up messes

• Put their trash in the trash can

Preschoolers (Ages 4-5)

• Make their bed without supervision

• Assist an older sibling with setting the table

• Dust with a cloth

• Help bring in light groceries

• Use a handheld vacuum

• Put away clean utensils

Primary schoolers (age 6 - 9)

• Help make lunches

• Vacuum

• Wipe down counters

• Clean their bedrooms with minimal supervision

• Fold and put away their laundry

• Empty small trash cans into a larger one

• Put away groceries

• Load and unload the dishwasher

Now, these are just some highlights - mainly the chores I’m excited about my kids handling, but the point is that kids can handle more than we sometimes give them credit for, and if we are explicit in what we expect from them, and are consistent about holding them accountable to those expectations (and enforcing stated consequences if they habitually ignore their chores), I think it will make a world of difference for both you and your kiddo.

Let me know below if and when your kids started handling real chores, and how you enforced it!