Chores are an important piece of jigsaw in the development process for your child. It teaches them the value of belongings, and expands their capacity to handle and manage responsibility. One of the greatest challenges and obstacle that parents face is not knowing what kind of responsibility and chores their children is appropriate for, and what they can handle. So, below are some tasks, chores, and responsibilities that your child can assist with, and that are appropriate for their age.

• Toddlers (Age 2-4)

Even a toddler can help around the house; with close supervision, of course. It is okay to trust your children at this age to help around the house with small tasks and responsibilities, such as – making their bed, putting their toys back to their designated place, etc. You can do things to make it fun for them, for example, putting their shoes back into place into a timed game. These games can be personalized to your child’s liking and taste, and will make doing chores as fun and interesting as you want it to be, and will encourage them to readily participate in doing the said chores.

• Kinder (Age 5-6)

As your child grows older, they should now be more capable of handling more serious tasks. For example, they should now be able to pick up their dirty laundry and bring them to the laundry basket, or even help sort out the laundry. They may not be able to fully assist with the entirety of the laundry, such as folding and hanging the clothes, but they can be plenty of help in sorting out and folding the clothes! Children in this age group should be able to put their toys and clothes away, but they may need some help and guidance from their parents.Your child could even help you with at the dining table by helping you set the table. This will help create an interest and willingness within the child in helping around the house with chores.

• Early Elementary (Age 6-8)

Now that your child has reached their early elementary years, they would have a refined sense of motor skills. Due to their refined motor skills, they are far more capable of helping you around the house with chores and other responsibilities. At this age, they can continue to help you with laundry, the table, etc. But now, they can begin helping you with things like folding the clothes, putting them away, etc. and now they can even put their toys away without any help! And as they grow more helpful, they may be of help in the kitchen as well!

• Latter Elementary (Age 8 and up)

In the latter years of elementary school, your child should be capable of handling their personal chores on their own and independently, although it is absolutely normal for them to require some degree of supervision or support to carry out the more ‘cumbersome’ tasks and chores. They should be able to handle responsibilities and chores like taking care of their laundry, making the table, keeping their room clean, making their bed, etc. with ease and without much effort. They can now also assist with cleaning the dishes, keeping the backyard clean, cleaning around the house, etc. And you may also begin to notice some resistance from your child around this age.