I’ve talked about chores in the past. Last week I shared a simple printable cleaning chart and mentioned the importance of not doing everything on your own. I’m here to plead my case. (and maybe to remind myself)
I get it. It’s so much work in the beginning to teach kids how to clean. It is so much faster to just do it yourself. But doing everything yourself will not only frustrate you, it won’t teach them anything. There are at least 100 reasons why kids need to help around the house, clean and do chores. Everyone has their own way of doing things but these are my top reasons for having kids pitch in.
5 Reasons Kids Need to Help Clean:
They contribute to the household. They make the messes, eat the food, wear the clothes, dirty the dishes, etc just like you do. They need to contribute with cleaning up after themselves and doing chores.
They learn important skills they will use throughout their lives. This is a huge one. Home is the perfect place to learn how to do things. If they don’t learn it first at home, they will have to learn it somewhere down the line. I was just talking to one of my kids the day about how it’s no fun being an adult trying to figure things out. Teach them now so that they will be ready later.
They learn to be responsible. Responsibility is key. If they know that they are in charge of something and that people are relying on them, they are much more likely to follow through.
They learn the value of work. Another huge one. I think it’s a big problem with today’s generation. Hard work has been lost along the way. I don’t think anyone naturally loves to work. People learn to love it or learn the importance of it by doing it over and over.
They appreciate more. When kids know how much work goes into something, they start to have appreciation for it. They realize that when they dirty a dish, someone has to clean it. Or if they clean a floor and someone comes walking in with muddy feet, it’s frustrating.
It’s hard to know what is age appropriate for each child. Every kid is so different so this is just a guideline. Some kids will be ready for more quickly, while others will struggle within their age group. That’s ok, take what works in your family and run with it. Each category builds on the previous. So by the time they are teenagers, they should know all the basic cleaning skills and chores.
Download this printable chores by age chart. For personal use only. Thanks!