Kids Chores: Age Appropriate Chores for Kids

My kids, aged 5 and 6, do chores on our homestead. And nope, it is not always easy to get them to do this. For proof, just look at Julian’s face above as he’s cleaning out the chicken coop. He is not happy. But heck, that’s part of the fun of homesteading with kids.

Part of our job as parents is to help our children grow into adults who are willing and able to leave the world a little better than they found it. And, this can only come about with a strong work ethic, empathy, compassion, and persistence. One of the best ways to instill these values in your kids is to get them involved in the work of running a household, and make them do chores.

The Benefits of Kids Chores

It doesn’t matter if you live on a quarter acre or you’ve got a vast spread at your disposal. Running a household isn’t easy. However, your kids can play an important role in tackling some of the work that must be done.

Getting kids to do chores can be a struggle, and that’s putting it mildly. However, there are many reasons why assigning chores is worth the sometimes epic battles that will result.

1. Kids Learn Self Reliance

According to a poll conducted by Time and CNN, and cited by The New Yorker, two-thirds of American parents think that their children are spoiled.

Most modern children have no idea how much work it takes to keep a household running. If you’re on a farm or homestead, multiply this workload by ten. If we don’t show our children the basic life skills of running a household, we set them up for severe disadvantages later in life.

Kids who are waited on hand and foot won’t know how to function when they set off on their own. Even worse, they might set out into the world expecting others to do these tasks for them. Assigning your kids chores shows them, over time, that they are strong enough and smart enough to do hard things. They learn self-reliance and autonomy, two character traits that are essential for success in life.

2. Kids Learn They’re Valued

Assigning your kids age appropriate chores gives them an opportunity to experience the unique pleasure of contributing to something larger and more important than themselves.

Kids contribute to the success of their family when they dry the dishes, weed the garden, or feed their pets. When they’re praised for their efforts, their self-esteem goes up and they feel pride at a job well done. Kids can see how their work made a difference for their family. It’s a win-win for everyone.

3. Kids Rise to Your Expectations

When my two boys first started cleaning out the chicken coop, their work was sloppy. In their haste to be done with an unpleasant task they missed certain areas, and didn’t spread the bedding as thick as I’d shown them. When I came to inspect their work it wasn’t good enough, so I made them start over.

This, as you can imagine, created a storm of protests, and significant whining ensued. But I held my ground. Instead of yelling back or doing it myself, I explained why all the soiled bedding had to be picked up and why the fresh bedding had to be thick enough to catch future droppings. Once they understood they “why,” they complained less about the work itself. They finished the job correctly, and the next time they did it right.

Assigning kids chores is only a first step. You also need to make sure that your children do a thorough job and meet your expectations.

This won’t happen at first. You’ll need to show your children not only how to do the chore, but how to do it well. You might need to explain why a certain job needs to be done a certain way. Over time, they will rise to your expectations. You just might be surprised at what kids are capable of doing if given the chance.

Age Appropriate Chores for Kids

Keep in mind that at first, you’re going to spend more time and energy showing your kids how to do a task then you would expend just doing it yourself. And, this is why so many adults (myself included at times) shy away from assigning household chores. We’re all busy and we just want the work done.

However, we’re doing our kids a disservice when we try to take on everything ourselves. There are so many good chores for kids, but we have to take the time and energy to show them how to do these tasks. And, more importantly, we need the patience, flexibility, and grace to gently guide them when they don’t do it correctly. Don’t expect perfection, but do expect that they try to do a good job and persist when something is hard.

Remember, you’re helping your kids build a new habit. And, this takes time. Even adults find it challenging to build a new habit. So be patient and keep going. Younger kids might find it helpful to use a chore chart. We used a chore chart with our boys when they were 3 and 4, and it helped to have pictures of what they needed to do each day.

Below is a list of age appropriate chores for a household or farm. Keep in mind that these age groupings are not set in stone. Your three year-old might be ready for a chore that an older child would normally tackle. If so, great! You know your child best, so use your own best judgement about what they’re capable of.

Kids Chores for 2 + 3 Year-Olds

This is the very best age to start assigning chores for kids because they’re so excited to help out.

• Pick up and put away toys
• Gather eggs
• Put dirty clothes in hamper
• Clean up spills
• Pour their own water into a cup
• Feed a pet
• Pick up rocks in the garden
• Transfer clothes from the washer to the dryer
• Fold washcloths
• Match socks
• Pick up sticks in the yard
• Water houseplants with small watering can
• Wash produce from the store or garden

Kids Chores for 4 + 5 Year-Olds

All the chores above, as well as:

• Load or unload the dishwasher
• Help prepare meals or chop vegetables with a kid-safe knife
• Wipe down and set the table for a meal
• Unload groceries
• Make their bed
• Get dressed on their own
• Plants seeds in the garden
• Pull weeds
• Brush a pet
• Put away outdoor toys
• Take dishes to the sink
• Feed small animals like chickens, rabbits, or ducks
• Sweep floors or patio
• Put away folded laundry into appropriate drawers

Kids Chores for 6 + 8 Year-Olds

All the chores above, as well as:

• Vacuum
• Plant seedlings
• Clean the chicken coop or other small animal enclosure
• Feed larger livestock like cows or horses with supervision
• Make simple snacks or an easy lunch
• Rake leaves
• Give small animals a bath
• Collect and take out the trash
• Clean up pet waste
• Hand wash dishes
• Dusting
• Stack firewood

Kids Chores for 9 + 13 Year-Olds

• Prepare a meal for themselves
• Run a farm stand with supervision
• Till a garden
• Do their own laundry
• Clean the bathroom
• Mop floors
• Clean windows
• Clean animal feeders
• Muck stalls
• Shovel snow
• Wash the family vehicle
• Help with grocery shopping
• Feed larger livestock on their own
• Help with home canning
• Dehydrate food
• Change diapers for younger siblings
• Hang laundry on the line to dry
• Milk cows or goats
• Mow the grass
• Read to younger siblings

Kids Chores for 14 Year-Olds and Up

• Help organize the home or barn
• Run a farm stand alone
• Prepare and cook a full meal for the family
• Help deliver baby animals
• Make butter or buttermilk
• Clean out the fireplace or wood stove
• Create a food budget and shop for weekly groceries with supervision
• Make natural household cleaners
• Paint a fence or interior room
• Chop firewood
• Make sauerkraut or other fermented foods

To Pay or Not to Pay?

So now we’re at the sticky topic of allowance. Do you pay your kids to help out, or not?

This is a question that doesn’t really have a right or wrong answer because every family’s expectations are so different. That said, here’s what we do in our family.

Our boys are expected to do some chores without pay to pitch in and help out the family. This includes cleaning out the chicken coop twice a week, making their bed, and cleaning up their toys.

Once they’ve completed their regular chores they can ask to do additional chores to earn money. Right now, the most popular chore is picking up the roughly 15 billion rocks in the garden. For this, they earn $.01 per rock.

Last Word

Assigning age appropriate chores provides so many benefits to your kids. But, it’s not without its challenges.

At times you’ll feel like parent-of-the-year when your child scrubs a toilet or makes their bed without complaint. Other times, you’ll feel like a total failure when you’re on your hands and knees in the living cleaning up 500 army guys while your little darlings are happily making a mess on the back porch. Er, not that I know anything about that.

The point here is that getting your kids to do chores is its own form of work. At times they’re going to push back, ignore you, and resent you for making them work when they’d rather be doing something else. I know it’s hard, and I’m right there in the trenches with you. We take one step forward and two steps back more days than not. And that’s ok.

It’s ok because instilling the habit of pitching in and building a strong work ethic takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight. But if we keep going, if we don’t give up, we’ll wake up one day to see our kids accomplishing their dreams because they’re not afraid to work hard or to keep going when things get tough.

I believe that this is the sum total of what most parents want for their kids. And you’ll catch glimpses of their brilliant future selves at the most unexpected moments. Like when they offer to help you weed the garden when it’s 100 degrees out, or when they help a younger sibling pick up their toys without prompting. Chores build character, over time. So don’t give up.