Yesterday, I posted about 10 Chore Ideas for Toddlers. Today, I’m going to share some chore ideas for 4-year-olds.
Why 4-year-olds? Well, because I happen to have a 4-year-old right now. 🙂 However, don’t feel like these chores are only appropriate for 4-year-olds. They’d probably work great for children of other ages, too.
3 Important Things to Remember
1. Children Need to Know What You Expect of Them
If you don’t show your children how to do a job well, you can’t expect them to know how to do it right. Before asking them to do a chore on their own, work alongside them a few times showing them specifically how to do it.
2. Don’t Expect Them To Do It Well–Especially At First
It often takes a lot of repetitive teaching, gentle correcting, and practice before a child can do a job well. Don’t expect perfection–especially when they are young. What matters is that they are putting forth effort and trying their best.
3. Praise 10 Times As Much As You Correct
It’s easy to want to focus on pointing out all the things a child does wrong and where they need to improve. Instead of dwelling on what they didn’t do right, focus most of your energies on praising those things they did well. Encouragement and affirmation go a very long way!
15 Chore Ideas for 4-Year-Olds
Children at this age are probably able to dress themselves, brush their teeth, and comb their hair. If they aren’t doing these things on their own, I’d encourage you to start by teaching them those chores.
1. Pick Up Their Room — Make sure you show your child exactly what a clean room looks like. And if their room is really messy, I’d suggest working with them to clean it and giving them one specific project to work on at a time. Young children are often still learning the concept of staying on task, so you want to make sure you don’t overwhelm them by giving them too large of a task to accomplish then they are ready to tackle.
2. Vacuum — If you have a vacuum with an attachment, they can use the attachments on furniture or small areas in your home. Kaitlynn also can vacuum one room, with a little help from me.
3. Water Plants — Use a plastic watering can (we found ours at the dollar store or you can make one from a milk jug) to make it fun and easy for small hands.
4. Fold Washcloths, Hand Towels, Underwear, & Other Small Items — I often will sort these out from the big laundry pile and make a small pile for each child to fold, based upon their folding abilities.
5. Sort & Fold Socks — Sorting and folding socks can be a fun job for little people. And you can teach matching, colors, and counting with it, too.
6. Put Away Laundry — When the girls help with laundry, I have each of them put away their own laundry plus sometimes some towels. It’s amazing how much more quickly things get put away when multiple people are working together!
7. Dust/Wipe Down Surfaces — 4-year-olds are great at cleaning baseboards, small floor areas, wiping down cupboards, or dusting surfaces. If you have a feather duster, they might have fun trying that out, too!
8. Wipe Down Sink/Toilet — Cleaning wipes work especially well for young children to use. Or, you can spray some nontoxic cleaner onto a rag and let them wipe down the sink, toilet, or floor in the bathroom. Kaitlynn is also learning how to clean the toilet with the toilet brush, with my supervision.
9. Empty Trashes — 4-year-olds are usually big enough and strong enough to tie up the trash bag and haul it out to the garage or back door.
10. Wipe Down Door Handles — Give your child a cleaning wipe or a damp rag and have them wipe down all the door handles. This is a favorite chore at our house!
11. Clear the Table — Teach your children to clear their plates after each meal (our children are still working on doing this without needing to be reminded!)
12. Rinse Dishes/Load Dishwasher –A 4-year-old is usually old enough to stand on a chair at the kitchen sink and rinse nonbreakable dishes (be sure to remove the knives and other sharp or dangerous objects before letting them do this). They can also help to load silverware and other nonbreakable dishes into the dishwasher.
13. Simple Meal Prep — Kaitlynn has learned how to pour cereal/milk, make toast and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and pop popcorn on her own. She also often helps me when I’m cooking.
14. Set the Table — Teach your children how to set the table correctly from the time they are young–it’s a skill many adults still don’t know! 🙂
15. Mop — My dad got the girls child-sized mops for Christmas and they love them. And while Kaitlynn is still working on perfecting her mopping skills, she does a pretty good job at mopping a small area.
Looking for other age-appropriate chore ideas? You might find these chore lists helpful:
What chores do your 4-year-olds do? I’d love to hear other ideas!
Thank you!
It’s so true that we need to implement responsibility into our children early on.
I have 3 sons-2, 3 and 4 years old. Since the year I teach children to help around the house and self-care. I use the Manini app for three children. It’s like printed chores cards, but in a phone. In the app, you can mark the completion of tasks, and children like it very much. And the app has a goal Board that lists all household chores and self-care for children under 5. The older child can already do almost everything, that is, almost 40 skills)
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing. That app sounds like an excellent tool! -Jordan, MSM Team
This is a great list, especially the PDF and children have plenty of opportunities to learn from these chores not only getting the work done but instead a lot of the knowledgeable stuff.
I am a mother of kids from 1,3,5,7,9,and 10yrs old i have dificulty of hot to punish and what to do when they wont do their chore what should i do
I suggest to take away what they love to play with around the house. Stick with it… They should not be allowed to do notung but their chorus. Set up time to do chorus. This way they know is time to do just that chore. It all takes time to get them in schedule mode. Think of it like butt camp for them and you are the solider learder. 🙂 I also found it helpful to write on a paper with each childs name and write their chorus. They i would place it on the wall where they see it ever day. Also a list of respectful rules for the home. This will reinforce what you want to happen in your home. I hope all this helps.
We have a step ladder under the washing line..
My 4yo boy loves climbing the ladder, and pegging his own washing out and bringing it in.
He matches the colours of the pegs and counts EVERYTHING
and enjoys practicing his shot by throwing his clothes into the basket..
Yes you do have to do some re adjusting or help him hold some things, but all in all he does a pretty good job!
This was so helpful! I’m so glad I found it. Thank you!
We got a small vacuum at the thrift store (it’s like a dust buster with a handle) for my little one to vacuum.
We must have a tall trash can (or short kids). There is no way my 5 year old could take out the kitchen trash. The bathroom trash though, that can happen.
Wipe down door handles and clearing the table is left to the 3 year old though. They fight over who gets to dust though lol.
I taught both of my boys (4 & 13) to turn the washing machine on, with the powder and putting the clothes in very early. Now my 4 year old jumps up, grabs his chair and does it himself. It’s great! He loves to wash dishes (plastic ones), alongside me as well. They both love cooking so much I’m almost irrelevant in the kitchen haha
4 year olds are at a stage where they love rules. Anything you can explain to them in a logical, here’s-how-it’s-done way really works for them. (They’re also very good at tattling when someone isn’t following “the rules” 😉 My kids at 4 have really done well with picture chore charts. They can’t read, but I explain the process and draw the pictures to correspond, and after only a couple sessions with my help they can remember (or follow the pictures) and do a good job with their chore. They have always gotten such satisfaction from sticking that cheap, simple little foil star sticker onto their chore chart! It builds their self-confidence and focusing skills, and I’m always amazed at how helpful it is for me to have even those small tasks accomplished! (Putting away the silverware while I unload the other dishes is my current 4 year old’s favorite job. Other chores on her chart include putting her pj’s away, getting dressed, brushing her hair and teeth, and eating breakfast. When each chore is done she gets to mark it off, and now it’s become a routine she’s really good at.)
My son just turned four and some of his chores involve taking care of our pets. One of his chores is to give the dog water. I don’t let him fill the bowl directly. He fills a cup and pours it in the bowl. I also let him give the dog treats, and he can open the door to let her in and out.
Thanks for the suggestions on other chores!
love this! my boys (2&4) work together to clean out the dishwasher. but i’m totally going to start working with my 4 year old to clean the bathroom (especially since my little boys are most of the reason for the mess!) 🙂 thanks for a great post!
Love your post. I’m wondering if you know where your dad got those mops. That is a chore my kids would love to do…and I would love help with.
I’m no mom – in fact, I’m still in college! But I’m amazed you can get your four-year-old to do these things willingly! Great parenting!! =) I hope I can pull this off too someday.
My 4 1/2 year old LOVES to wash windows and mirrors..
I will give my daughter a bottle of vinegar water and a window cloth and she will go to town cleaning windows and mirrors. Granted I have to go back over them but she loves it!
Thank you for this list! I have been thinking about giving my 4 year old chores, but wasn’t sure where to start and now I do!
Love this list – there are some I hadn’t thought of before. When I’m mopping my girls (2 and 4) like to use handheld scrub brushes while I use the big mop. Perfect because then I don’t have to bend down so much…
My four year old is a Chore Star in our home! Some that I didnt see mentioned:
He flushes the toilet in the kids bathroom every morning (my kids are really bad about not flushing!)
Wipes the table down after meals
Brings down the dirty laundry for me 🙂
I get my 3.5 year old to replace the toilet paper under the sink so that we never run out. I’m always amazed at how much he can stuff under there. He also sets the table, its creative in appearance but that’s ok, I don’t mind.
Thank you so much for sharing!! My son also helps us weed the flower beds now that it is getting that time of the year!
Thank you for these ideas! I’ve been starting to give my 3-year old more responsibilities around the house, but it has definitely been difficult to resist the urge to “redo” what she’s done. (Think nicely folded laundry accidentally unfolded and shoved in drawers.) This week, she’s going to help me in the kitchen…I’m going to print out a copy of our weekly menu including photos, and she’s going to be in charge of setting the table and helping me serve the meals 🙂
You added the typography to your images for Pinterest – didn’t you? I was thinking about doing the same thing. Pinterest has got me motivated to start adding some of my own photos to my blog so I can pin them.
Now on to the actual topic: My daughter got a magnetic responsibility chart for her birthday and that has been very helpful. We have been using it for 2 weeks now, and I have already seen an improvement. At first she didn’t seem enthusiastic, but the more I enforce it, the more enthusiastic she gets.
This post made me realize I may be underestimating my kids. I didn’t have any responsibilities for my 2 year-old, but maybe I should start.
I have a five ear old and a three year old. They clean their rooms, make their beds, empty the smaller trash into the kitchen trash, clean their bathroom sink, swiffer the floors, pick up dog poop, take their laundry to the laundry room and sort it, set the table, take care of their dishe, unload the dishwasher, put away some of their laundry. My five year old is learning to work the microwave and can make breakfast for her and her sister. They both also help with a lot of cooking.
We have also recently started giving our five year old an allowance – $5 per week. But even before that, they have been helping for a long time!
My 4 yr old does a few of these things.
I have a dishwasher and she helps me unload the dishwasher. I have her put away the dishes that go in the bottom cabinets and the forks and spoons (I do the knives). I take the trash out and she put a bag in the trash can. She folds all wash clothes and matches the socks. She put her clothes away and on hangers and hang them in her closet. (She has a low shelf that she can reach) She cleans her room and I just taught her to make her bed. She clears the dishes off the table and I wash. She wipes the table off, while I clean the kitchen. She is still scared of the vacuum so that is not going to happen but she does help me dust. I get the high places and she gets the low places. When doing laundry, I separate the clothes and start the washer and she like to throw the clothes in the washer. When they are dry she takes them out the dryer. She also helps me put the food away when I grocery shop. she puts the food away in the fridge and pantry and I do the upper cabinets and freezer. I love my little helper. Im not married so its just me and her and she loves to help mommy.
I have a 4-year-old girl, and one thing she likes to help with the laundry. She loads the washer, switches the lad, and empties the dryer. I come behind and load the soap and show her what buttons to push. I think being so involved makes her feel like a big kid.
It definitely does make them feel like big girls. My daughter wants to be a big girl so bad. I didnt used to let her help but I do now.
Thank you for such great ideas!
These posts have me thinking I need to “hire” a toddler and a preschooler each week to help me! 😉
We don’t have kids yet (hoping to adopt soon) but I am going to keep these ideas in mind for the future!
My daughter is almost 4 so this will come in handy! She always wants to help out around the house! 🙂 Thanks!
I just had my little guy scrubbing baseboards the other day – he had the BEST time using the spray bottle! I just gave him a bottle of vinegar water so it wouldn’t be toxic and let him go to town. He cleaned the baseboards in the entire house thoroughly and would have kept going! Something about 4 year old boys being allowed to use a spray bottle is great fun. Of course he was soaked afterward, but it was well worth it! My baseboards are clean and he had a great time doing it!
Try making jobs smaller. Five minute chores, even if there are several, are much easier for kids than a general order such as “clean up your room.” Set the kitchen timer, and praise them if them “beat the clock.”
Wow, reading this list I realize I’ve been too laid back with my kids. Considering that the laundry is always at “Avalanche” stage, I think it’s time to introduce the oldest one to folding duties. I’ve tried before and then had to refold them all myself so of course I stopped having her do it (my mistake).
I’ll have to learn to live with semi-balled up towels for a while if it means it’ll get done by someone other than just me.
Now it’s time to find a child-sized mop!
To each her own. My children put away their shoes, pick up their dirty laundry and carry their dishes to the counter. I occasionally ask them to do other little things (like putting away socks), but I joyfully do the bulk of the work myself. Interestingly enough, they often offer to help out and do it joyfully as well!
These are some great chore ideas! It’s so important to teach your children to help and work at an early age (of course not like serious “work”).
Of course they’ll fail and be stubborn at times, but it’s certainly something to try and instill into them.
My kids are a little older. They are 12, 9, and 7. They are extremely helpful around the house. I believe it’s because we did start them out when they were younger. There are certain jobs that are expected of them daily (bedrooms, cleaning up after themselves at mealtimes, and basically just cleaning up after themselves through out the house.) This week we started an actual “chore chart.” I broke it down into 3 sections; kitchen duty, bathroom duty, and odds and ends. Since i have 3 kids, they will rotate each week what they are doing. We also decided to pay them a certain amount of money at the end of each week upon completion of the chore chart. We want to help them in learning how to save money and to have the opportunity to tithe. I’m excited to see how it goes. The first week is almost up and they got through it with little to no grumbling 😉
Crystal,
Could you do a post sometime tellling us which chores are mandatory and which chores they get paid for? I would also like to know how much you pay them. Please!!! I would like to start doing this with my 3 & 5 year old but would like to have some guidlines on paying them and on which chores you pay. Thanks!
When my twins were 4, they had to put the silverware away from the dishwasher (I’d take the knives out first). Great sorting skill! They also had to put their laundry away (their drawers were labeled with pictures). They also loved wiping the windows with rags and a vinegar/water solution–I usually had to go back over it, but they would get started.
Does anyone have a great link for a chore list?
Did you see these? https://moneysavingmom.com/2012/03/5-free-printable-chore-charts-for-kids.html
Are you looking for a list of what kids can do at what age? I love this one: http://www.boyacks.com/Merrilee/The%20PLAN.pdf
I LOVE that list. Thank you for sharing!
No, that’s at my parents’ house. The girls had just opened up their new mops for Christmas and had to try them out immediately! 🙂
Do your parents like that stove? I was looking at one the other idea. Seems like it would cut down on costs because it doesn’t have to heat as much space at one time.
They do. And when I’ve used it at their house, I like it, too. 🙂
My 5 year old helps clear and wipe the table, sets it, and washes the floor in front of the sink and stove where it seems to get very dirty. Plus cleans up her toys from the living room (when I remember to make her do it before bedtime). She gets a small allowance and she is so thrilled to go to the store after a few weeks and buy a toy (we don’t toy shop between holidays unless kids have their own money).
We have “strip-the-bed” Sunday in our house, so the kids take their sheets off, put them in the laundry basket, and get their clean sheets out of the linen closet. They’re responsible for putting away shoes, backpacks, and coats. They clean up their dinner plates, which I’ve noticed has now carried over to other people’s house without a reminder from me….yay:) Plus, put dirty clothes in laundry, pick out clothes for the next day…. I’ve been teased that I’m a drill sergeant, but it’s been so worth it taking the time to teach them and expect them to do these chores. They really are doing a great job.
Crystal, which jobs do you pay them for?
Empty the dishwasher. Of course there are things they don’t unload, like sharp knives; and after more than a year I still have to remind them where some things go. But the bulk of it they do solo.
Windows and mirrors. It’s easy and safe enough for them to spray window cleaner on their own and they enjoy wiping it dry.
This is a great list! Please don’t take offense, but please don’t let a 4 year old brush their teeth all by them selves! They really must have an adult help them.
My 3.5 year old loves to brush her teeth (pre-brushing with no toothpaste) before mommy or daddy does it for her. The dentist said that kids are not skilled enough to do this unsupervised until they are about 8 years old.
Agreed!
As your kids get older, ask the hygienist to give them a tooth brushing lesson. 🙂
I agree. According to dentists and the American Dental Association, children do not have the manual abilities to brush their teeth on their own until they learn to write in cursive (around 7 or 8 years old). Once they master the skill of cursive writing, they have the ability to brush their teeth correctly.
Also, it is difficult for a young child to understand they must brush at a 45 degree angle aimed at the gumline. Understanding a 45 degree is not easy for any 4 year old I know! 🙂
These are gret ideas. Thanks to the other ideas in the comments too. I will be keeping this in mind as my toddler grows.
My 4 yr old keeps an extra roll of toliet paper in all the bathrooms. HEr job is to go in the bathrooms every Monday and make sure they have enough for the week. She also keeps up with how many rolls are left and when I need to put that on the list to purchase. She cleans the kitchen table and folds and puts away her laundry. She also taught her older brother how to put clean sheets on his bed, so she’s now in charge of that on a weekly schedule, just for her brother’s room. (There’s no way she can even reach her own bed to put sheets on it!)
I love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing!
We don’t fold underwear–just stack them up flat and then put them into the drawer or bin. Makes life much easier!
I noticed it, too! How do you like the two ovens on your stove?
I love those mops, but how do you wring them out??
That part is not too practical. I usually give them a small bowl of water and then we rinse/wring them out in the sink.
When our basement flooded in September 2010, we received a Flood Relief box from the Red Cross. Our entire basement needed to be mopped with bleach water (to prevent mold). I started mopping beneath my washer/dryer…and when I was ready to wring the mop out, I ran upstairs and asked my husband how he thought I should wring it out. We had no clue…and we ended up using a different mop!
The thought was great (and we used lots of other items from that Red Cross box), but someone didn’t think through the mop concept. 🙂
Me too. Love them all and it inspires me to clean (I need to anyway, but this actually makes me in the mood) and to involve my kids. Thanks.
My four and six year old boys unload the bottom rack of the dishwasher and I do the top. That means I am putting glass up high. And they put silverware and plates/bowls away down low. I intentionally set up our plates and bowls in the lower cabinets of our island so my boys could do this chore. 🙂 They plates and bowls are breakable and so far they have had no accidents.
I love purchasing child size items for chores. 🙂 We have little kid snow shovels, brooms, rakes, and much more. The Montessori Services catalog gives great ideas and I order from them too.
I love all these ideas! Thanks Crystal!
We don’t have a dishwasher, so after dinner I wash dishes, my 4-year old dries and the 2-year old clears off the table. (I was a bit worried about that at first, but he does great!)
My four-year old also folds her own laundry and puts it away, makes her bed, tidies and plays with the baby. : )
Thanks so much for the ideas! Since I’m overwhelmed with the laundry presently, I think I’ll start my 4 year old to helping me fold clothes! She loves to clean baseboards and is offended if I make deviled eggs without her. (She does other cooking stuff too, but that’s the one that cracks me up.) I love the picture of your daughter cleaning. At that age, they love doing what you do, don’t they!
When my 5yo was 2, he wanted so badly to sweep the floor every time one of us brought the broom out. But it was too long for him and he would hit the cabinets, chairs, etc. with it. So I bought a broom with an adjustable handle and he has brought it out to “help” ever since. Love that your dad did a similar thing with mops.
I too am appreciating this series, though my children are different ages than yours for the most part. At 4, mine could do a decent job with windows/glass with the Windex. I usually might go behind them some, but it was good practice and now they do even better. Kids can do baseboards at this age too pretty well. Mine were not good at vacuuming then, but my vacuum is sort of heavy as someone else mentioned. Mine could do pet care also at this age.
I think you might be getting to it, but wondered how you do the “extras” that your girls get paid for? Do they choose? Do you assign? Do you just offer some? How does that work and how much do you pay them if you don’t mind me asking? Is it different for different chores based on how difficult it is?
I have struggled with this for years. Overall mine do not get an allowance- at least not in their hand. We have an automatic deposit into their savings each week, but they are not free to get this money for just anything. We have always expected a lot of them chore wise and have told them they are part of a family and working together helps the family run smoother. This is even more true since one of the children is autistic and really does not do much to help out at all, and realistically probably adds quite a bit to my work load between extra laundry (still not potty trained for #2 at 8 years), messes (picture a child standing on the counter at 3 AM throwing all your eggs into the air and watching them land!), and things he cannot do for himself.
Usually the other 3 children might be asked to do something extra and we would give them money for an outing or get them something special every so often, but I would like to have something more concrete in place. I think they would be more motivated and happy about the extras if they knew there was cash on the other side. 🙂 So thank you in advance for any wisdom there.
I appreciate you letting us pick your brain so much. You are such a help to me. I visit the blog so much it is sad as I now refer to you as Crystal. My husband used to ask “Who?” in confusion, but now he knows.
Oh, and so excited you will be at HEAV. I am hoping I can make it this year!
We use a letter reward system for our kids (age 3, 3, & 4): I printed squares with their initials on them (great for this age!) in their color (they have color middle names) – and when they do a good job of something, are especially courteous, help out without asking, I tell them to “go get a letter” which they put into a pocket chart on the fridge. When they amass 10 letters (we take some away for poor behavior too) they redeem them for a coin (a plastic coin with their initial on one side and the number 10 on the other). They can “spend” their coins: 1 coin gets them a bag of candy from the bulk section (usually 1/2 pound is plenty for them to be overwhelmed, and they usually end up sharing it) – 2 coins gets a $10-20 toy, and 3 coins is bigger game or toy (for example, the 4 year old saved his coins/letters for FOUR MONTHS (talk about restraint! the little ones kept choosing candy!) – and he got a Leap Pad! This works really well for our family, and we have some letters at preschool too, so the teachers can use them as tools for good behavior (they send notes home if we should reward or remove a letter, this happens maybe once a week or less). We’ve been doing this for a year now, and the kids respond really well to it. This weekend the boys earned two letters for helping daddy mulch the yard and set up the garden – he didn’t ask for their help, and they even helped with clean up. Great system!
We just got my 4 y/o son a child sized broom and dust pan with a small brush. He loves it! It is hard to stop him from sweeping. An added benefit is that I make him clean up the floor after he eats so he gets to see the mess he makes. He’ll say, “Wow, I was messy. Next time I probably shouldn’t have toast!” :O) Another fun job if you have small dogs is for them to hold the leash during their walks.
Great story! Our girls do these things, but we also include feeding our dog and giving her water. They love to help out!
My 4-year old does all that you mentioned above but also can help unload the dishwasher, wash walls, wash baseboards, wash windows (I just use water and vinegar), organizes the books, organize the front entry – hanging up jackets, putting away shoes; takes the recyclable bottles to the garage.
My almost 6 year old does everything that you mentioned and what my 4 year old does, plus organizes the hair accessories, organizes the pantry, washes the floor (that didn’t work so well with the 4 year cause she didn’t understand the WHOLE floor needed washing), counts the change and rolls them.
My girls are responsible for putting away their own clothes, emptying the dishwasher, preparing their own breakfasts, lunches, and snacks and setting the table for dinner. They also assist with feeding their little brother who is under 2. Even their little brother likes to vacuum and clean up.
My 4 year old favorite chores are:
Windexing- windows, dishwasher, front of stove. This is the one spray i do let her use because she is really good at it. I give her windex and papertowels and let her go to town.
Dusting off tables I just give her a baby wipe.
Deep cleaning the wood floor with me -bucket and rag (mostly we use spray and a swifter type thingy)
Emptying the silverware from the dishwasher. First I remove all knives then, I set her up with a little stool next to the silverware drawer.
Helping mommy clean out her car inside and out
I wrote a similar blog post about this a few weeks ago when we started doing a reward system. I also have a 4 year old child. He loves to match socks. He also attempted to mop the floor yesterday, but that didn’t go so well. 😉
Here is the article I wrote: http://www.blissfulhomemaking.com/chores-for-kids-age-appropriate-chores/
I love this series 🙂
One thing that we started recently for my 5 year old twins is the “chore jar”. They have standard chores on their chart (get dressed, brush teeth, make bed, etc.), but one of the items is also chore jar. Everyday they pick an item from the jar – many of the chores are ones you mention above (dust living room, water plants, wash the sliding glass door, etc.). I love that I can change out the strips of paper as our needs change. They love that it is a “game” because they don’t know what they will get.
What they REALLY love is that one of the strips of paper says “Free Pass” which means they don’t have to do a chore jar chore that day, but they still get credit on their chart.
We also have one that says “ALL PLAY – Toy Sweep” which means that we set the timer for 10 minutes and all run around cleaning up toys.
We are still figuring out the whole chore system so these posts are great!
Wow I just realized my 4 year old son does do chores! Haha…he pretty much does most of what you have listed, aside from mopping and vacuuming( ours is very big and heavy). I think a mop might be in his and his little brother’s Easter baskets haha! We found a child sized push broom at a yard sale for $0.25 when he was 2. Score! He helps sweep the garage floor and decks all the time and he is getting pretty good at this:) he and his brother also enjoy helping to put wet laundry into the dryer and I give them baby wipes and they wipe anything down that they can-I should have them concentrate on those door handles. It is great when they feel so proud of themselves for helping. They also love to help bake and be included in meal time when possible. I am now surprised at how much my kids really do and I did not think of them as chores…I need to print a chore chart for them so they can see how much they are appreciated. Sweet little kiddos.
My oldest, Cohan, has been helping sort laundry since he was three-it is a pretty simple task for him. My youngest is three and he will move the chairs at the table while I am sweeping. They also love to pick up the rocks off the sidewalk and put them back around the house. Picking up sticks is so much fun that is usually becomes a race and a gigglefest! They also help put the recycling out and take out the trash. We are hoping to get rid of the taking diapers out chore but so far no luck! LOL
I have some popsicle sticks that I wrote chores on that they get to draw out of a cup when they are in trouble. Picking up rocks and sticks outside are a few of those chores. (I decided that they might as well be productive when they are in trouble instead of sitting around in a time out.) Sometimes they decide they really like their chore too. Bonus!
Love this idea! I think this would work with my 7 yr daughter.
I LOVE this idea!! Thank you for sharing
I took out one of the sections on a basic Swiffer and it became the perfect size for a child between the ages of 4 & 8. 🙂
My four-year old loves to water houseplants with his water gun. It’s fun and builds fine motor skills. He also enjoys chores involving the handheld like vacuuming the sofa cushions or stairs and polishing wood furniture.
Let me start off by saying in the past 2 months I’ve become fully dedicated to being a “money saving mom”, i’ve definitely found your website to be so insightful and helpful… I’ve recently come across articles that have not only been inspiring but coming at perfect timing. Thank you!
My question is- how do you reward your children? I have a rather “mouthy” 5 year old son. AMAZING child, just spoiled… great with others, not so much when at home. How do you go about rewarding them? Praise? Thank you in advance. Advice from other parents is appreciated as well! Bless you!
My thought would be to work on saying, “Yes Mommy!” with a cheerful attitude whenever you ask him to do something. You could make it into a game first that’s silly, then transition to super-easy chores, then a bit harder. I wouldn’t focus on the reward, personally, because they don’t actually deserve a reward for helping or doing what you ask. But as they cheerfully obey, you could praise that, and tell what a good job they did, how strong he is when he takes out the trash, how he’s such a good helper to Mommy, etc. But, he has to obey whether he feels like it or gets that praise or not. Those are my two cents. Love to hear others’ opinions too!
I have a very “mouthy and outspoken” 4 year old. I do not tolerate mouthing back of any sort and that will get her sent straight to her room. I also agree with you and I correct her. I do not tolerate her saying “what or huh” to me. When I call her name and she says “what” I respond, “yes ma’am” (we are in the south). This has been on going so I rarely have to remind her. For chores and other stuff I used to reward, but I no longer do. I do not want her to think that she gets a reward for cleaning up mess she makes. You put crumbs on the table, you wipe them up. I do however, give her verbal praises, high fives and hugs. I tell her “good job, mommy loves how you cleaned the table all by yourself. You are such a good big girl”. My daughter acts out mostly outside the house and I do reward her for that. When she has tantrums and other misbehavior, we leave immediately which usually corrects the problem. When she is good and I do not have to speak to her, I will reward her with a free ice cream or apple fries from McDonald’s or some other treat she may want which is usually to watch Spongebob. LOL ( I have a few coupons for those McDonalds treats).
Right now she is working towards receiving her Memory Game I got from Target for $1 in her Easter basket and she knows good behavior may get her a chocolate bunny ( I do not like her eating alot of chocolate and she is a chocolate addict)
I love the mopping chore. I took a couple of sections out of my swiffer when my daughter was about 2 and she would use a swiffer wet to clean the entryway and bathroom floors. The areas were small enough for her to do and she felt like a big helper. She still likes to use the swiffer to do those areas and the kitchen as well. She loves to help me cook, especially mixing dry ingredients or wisking sauces. She is also very good at putting the silverware away when we are unloading the dishwasher. Thanks for the topics and ideas. I really do need to include her in more of the laundry, rather than finding it faster to do it myself. The biggest problem now is that 16 month old brother wants to unfold and “help” too.
I find my four year old often begging to help with chores like sweeping, vacuuming, putting away flatware, dusting, etc. I like to use those opportunities to teach them while they are willing and try to remember what they begged to do and ask them to help the next time.
My kids feed the dogs every morning and pick up dog poop in the back yard. They also help us in the yard with weeding in the summer.