By 12 and older, most children are capable of handling a number of chores. Always communicate with your child, and help them out if they get stuck or start feeling overwhelmed. Check out this chore checklist to help you out!
Chores for Children – Ages 12 and Up
CHORE
Child's Name _______________ | COMPLETED
(check) |
| Make Bed | |
| Clean and Dust Bedroom | |
| Vacuum Bedroom | |
| Put Groceries Away | |
| Set Table | |
| Clear Dinner Table | |
| Clean & Put Dishes Away | |
| Sweep Kitchen Floor | |
| Empty Bathroom & Kitchen Trash | |
| Take Trash Out | |
| Wash & Dry Own Laundry | |
| Fold Own Laundry | |
| Water & Weed Garden | |
| Cut Grass/Shovel Snow |
Tips for Giving Children 12 and Up Chores
If you've got a child aged 12 or older to give chores to, check out these tips to make the process as easy and smooth as possible.
Remember that your child needs time to relax each day. Not having time to relax will leave your child stressed, irritable, and depressed. Children do a lot at school each day; when they get home, they should have the opportunity to relax for a while and do what they want, within reason of course. During the week, aim to give your child no more than one hour of chores each day. On weekends and during summer break, two hours of chores each day is enough. Your child should, ideally, have around two hours or more of relaxation time each day.
Teach your child how to do each chore. Your child may not immediately know how to do a given chore. Take the time to teach them, exercising patience as they learn. They may not do it perfectly the first couple of times, so coach them through it. Hold your child to the expectation that they will pay attention and learn, but don't be too hard on them.
Teach your child about the importance of responsibility. While you may have used rewards to help encourage your child to do their chores when they were younger, by twelve they need to begin learning that some chores are simply necessary. Not all tasks in life will come with rewards. If your child does an exceptional job at a chore, then it's fine to reward them. It's also okay to give them an allowance, as this will help them learn money management. Your child shouldn't, however, receive a reward just for doing their chores- other than a thank you, of course.
Understand when it's time to scale back. At times, your child may have a lot going on and may not have as much time as they normally do to do chores. In these instances, you'll want to temporarily scale back the chores they're doing to help them keep a healthy balance in their life. These times may arise during exams, when your child is sick, or when they start a new school year, among other things.