5 Chores for School-Age Kids

Submitted by  Meryl Rose  - http://www.chitchatformommies.com

Okay, let’s admit it – as moms we except (or at least hope) that when our kids reach school age, they will help out a bit around the house.  Ideally they will have already been doing some small chores for a while.  The truth is, if you start having them do some chores while they are young, it makes it quite a bit easier to get them to do the harder stuff as they get older (and more capable).

Moms – you might even be surprised at the chores kids in school can manage.  If you can find tasks that they happen to like as well, I guarantee it will make “job time” much more pleasant for everyone involved.   Here are some good chores for young school aged kids:

1.      Setting & Clearing the Table

Kids are often eager to help at mealtime.  Setting the table is a simple but important task that they can perform.  You can make it easier by using placemats that have outlines of where the plate and utensils go.  You might also want to consider getting plastic plates and cups to help avoid breakage – or at least not using your fanciest plates.  After the family eats, your child can help clear the table.

2. Folding & Putting Away the Laundry

The laundry is my least favorite household chore – I always seem to have piles of clean, but unfolded laundry still in the dryer or in baskets waiting to be folded.  Enlisting the help of the kids to get it folded and put away can be a huge help to a busy mom.  It’s usually unrealistic to expect a young school aged child to fold an entire load of laundry on her own, but she could fold her own clothes and put them up.  She may not fold them as well as you or put them exactly where they belong, but there’s no need to make a big issue out of it.  The important thing is that she is trying.

3. Dusting

This is a very simple task that kids usually enjoy.  Give your child a duster or a sock to wear on her hand and let her have a blast.  Swiffer makes a great product that is a glove that fits over your hand – my daughter LOVES to use this to dust!  If you’re worried about breakable items, have your child skip dusting those shelves until you are more comfortable with his/her dusting abilities. 

4. Help With Dishes

The dishes may go more slowly when you have a child helping, but things will get better once she has helped a few times and gotten the hang of it.  If you have a dishwasher, your school aged child can help with the loading and unloading.  If you wash by hand, she could rinse and dry the dishes.  Storing them in low cabinets will allow your child to put them up herself as well.

5. Pet Care

Kids usually prefer playing with their furry friends then helping out with their care, but having your child help with pet care is a great way to build her sense of responsibility.  You could start small, having your child give the pet food and water.  Once that is mastered, she could clean cages or litter boxes, and perhaps help with grooming if the pet gentle and even-tempered enough.

School aged children can help around the house in many ways.  Your child may be able to take on more complex tasks, or she may need some coaching on the simpler ones.  Either way, making housework a part of your child’s routine will make your life easier in the long run.

 Meryl D. Rose is a mommy to an adorable 5 1/2 year old girl and has been married for almost 13 years to a wonderfully supportive husband. Meryl has over twenty years’ experience teaching and counselling children and parents both in and out of the classroom. Meryl was bitten by the proverbial computer bug and created www.chitchatformommies.com - a website created by moms for moms. Once you enter the website, you will find brand-new as well as time-tested, creative and simple solutions to help multi-tasking moms of today thrive in their most important roles - as mommies.