Chores. That’s what you have children for, right?! Or is that just China? Maybe China is onto something…China for President 2020 since “their” COVID-19 pandemic is running the country anyways?
Too soon? Blame my cheekiness on not being around adults enough in the last few months.
So yeah, it’s official- I’m mentally over COVID-19 and ready to have an clean casa with my little minions to help with some age appropriate chores for kids. “Mommy quarantine brain fatigue” has my patience at “NOPE.” I’m barely surviving living 24/7(-ish) in my chaotic work/home/gym/school environment.
Obviously, due to COVID-19, there has been a good amount of extra time at home with the kids and husband. So, inevitably, there are more messes to clean, clothes to wash, meals to prepare, etc. And with all the “hats” I’m wearing these days that means there is less time and less momma energy to do the extra amounts of chores.
So who is going to help with these extra chores?
My husband? The same husband who is also loaded down, quarantined with 5 ladies (the 2 girls, the 2 furbabies and his wife) and whom I don’t trust to do the chores “the right way” (a.k.a my way)? Ha, can I get a collective southern ‘Blessss’? Plus, he already is “working hard” on his ‘huney-to-do’ list (blog for another day?).
Really, the answer to “who is going to help with the extra housework” is simple: child labor. “Technically” there are laws against that in the U.S.; but rules are made to be broken?
Ha, all jokes aside. Unfortunately, household chores are one of life’s of the constants (cheer up kiddos- stability is good for you). While I don’t believe in child labor, I do firmly believe in assigning my children AGE APPROPRIATE chores.
Not only does the practice of giving kids chores help to ease the burden of basic household upkeep, but it also establishes good habits and life skills for their future.
In fact, I have found there are many positives to children assisting with chores around the house. Chores help to empower kids by allowing kids to use their own skills and abilities to manage “adult responsibilities.”
Having these types of “adult responsibilities” around the home play a fundamental role in teaching children independence and responsibility for themselves, for others and for their property. This is important because as we age, independence and responsibility will increase; if we don’t teach our kids to value hard work and doing their part in a family unit, adulthood is going to be a rude and tumultuous awakening.
I feel chores are a right of passage into childhood. The responsibility of doing chores leads to earning allowance, which leads to more independence.
Smart parents know to start chores as young as 2 or 3 years old. They understand there is a small window when kids’ have relentless energy along with a strong desire to please their parents. So smart parents capitalize on that shit! By giving their children maintainable goals around the home, parents encourage their kids’ enthusiasm to be their “helper” (or “favorite child” from child’s perspective).
Although cleaning is therapeutic for this momma; nobody really wakes up ready to take on chores for the day. Again, unless you are weird like me; where some days my anxiety manifests in controlling my environment by cleaning and organizing the minutia.
Yeah I’m THAT mom. If you aren’t THAT mom, you know THAT mom. The mom that says her house is a disaster when in reality there are signs of a loved home that is lived in and there might be some piles around, organized piles, but piles. (*Side note- I’m going to share a little secret: Generally, a mother’s self-esteem is directly correlated to the state cleanliness in the house. Now all the nagging makes sense, right?!)
Regardless of the state of the home or the extent of a parent’s “OCD-ness”, every parent needs a little help to keep up with everything life throws our way. As parents we strive to raise responsible children. Allocating chores to kids is a simple, yet very crucial part of developing children into responsible adults.
Now that you are on my “child labor” bandwagon (wink wink), I want to emphasize how very important it is to ensure the chores given to kids are AGE APPROPRIATE. Since each child differs in strengths, personality and capabilities there is no cookie cutter answer. But after researching the internet, I found the following suggestions for AGE APPROPRIATE CHORES for different age groups:
Chores for Kids
- Chores for Toddlers (Ages 2 & 3 yrs). Repetition is key. Toddlers are constantly learning and absorbing then mimicking what they see. Don’t force chores they dislike.
- Chores for Preschoolers ( Ages 4 & 5 yrs). They want to be “big kids” at this age. Keep chores simple to help them feel confident in accomplishing the chore. Don’t overwhelm them.
- Chores for Primary Schoolers (Ages 6 & 7 yrs) ; (Ages 8 & 9 yrs). This age group can handle more physically demanding or complex tasks than before; as well as responsibility with less supervision. Be patient with them as they are still learning and might become a little rebellious against doing chores.
- Chores for Middle Schoolers (Ages 10-13 yrs). Give this age group the freedom to choose how and when (within the week or month) they take care of their chores.
*See this chart for more age appropriate chores as well as some chore ideas for High Schoolers (Ages 14+).
Other tips to consider when delegating age appropriate chores to your little ones are:
- Chores can be made FUN! With the right attitude (*note-to-self) and a little creative thinking, your kids might actually look forward to housework. Some ways to make chores fun include: singing, dancing, making up competitions, using unique cleaning tools, etc.
- Best advice is to be patient and use positive reinforcement (*see creating a chore reward system).
- My favorite rule of thumb – NEVER clean without cleaning fluid; and by cleaning fluid I mean wine (sparkling grape juice for the kiddos).
In summary, who knew raising human beings could be so complicatedly rewarding? So many do’s and don’ts. We are imperfect humans raising imperfect humans. Cut yourself some slack. Parenting is tough. Especially during quarantine. But it’s worth it…(fingers crossed). I kid, I kid. ha.
Seriously, give yourself a parenting gold star for caring enough to research age appropriate chores. You are doing something right. And sure, your children might act like ‘orphan Annie’ (*ahem* Charlie, Keatyn) while doing housework, but you will feel like Daddy Warbucks when you have a tidy home and responsible independent mini-mes!
AND…..Remember a clean house a day keeps the COVID away!
What chores for kids do you do in your home? Let me know in a comment below!
