In the past, getting paid to do housework was absolutely unheard of. Chores were a way for children to contribute to the family, and parents would reward their children financially if they wished. Today it is the opposite. Children expect an allowance, and many parents are too willing to pay a child for the chores they should be doing anyway. You don’t charge your child to cook his dinner, do you? Then they shouldn’t charge you to clean the table!

If you haven’t already integrated the required tasks as a routine element into your child’s personal development, it’s time to start. Here are some age-appropriate chores that most kids should do that they should do for free.

Five to seven years: Clear the table – Separate clothes – Clean your room. I have heard many people say that a child of five or six is ​​too young to have domestic responsibilities. While it is true that you would not have a five year old scrub the floor or dust the furniture, he or she can help clean the dishes on the table, separate dirty clothes into shades and lights, and clean up their own room each and every. one. night before going to bed.

Eight to Ten Years: Clean Bathrooms – Vacuum rugs. Between the ages of eight and ten, your child should begin to do more important tasks. An eight-year-old can learn to vacuum and a ten-year-old should be able to clean mirrors and bathroom counters on a weekly basis.

Ten to twelve years: help with garden work: take out the trash. Tasks don’t have to revolve around internal work. A ten to twelve year old can also work outside the home. Picking branches, raking leaves, and shoveling snow are great ways for kids to help take some pressure off their parents. They can also help by taking out the trash on trash day and returning trash cans to the house after the trash has been picked up.

Thirteen to sixteen years old: Wash floors – Help with meals. Between the ages of thirteen and sixteen, your children should begin to learn the skills they will need when they are alone. By giving them homework to do, you will help them learn the things they don’t teach in school. Cleaning the kitchen and washing the floors seems simple, but they must be done correctly. By having them do this task at home, they will know how to do it when they move in on their own.

You can also have a child this age help prepare meals. Have your youngster cut a salad while you prepare the pasta or have your son prepare the corn on the cob while you grill the chicken.

While your children may not be thrilled with the new responsibilities assigned to them, it is actually for their own good. Everyone is part of the family and each person should contribute in an age appropriate way. As the famous saying goes: “One day they will thank you.”