Chore Ideas for the Little Ones

Over the years, we have been developing a list of ways our daughter can help us keep the house together. My parents {and grandparents} always had chore expectations for me. I feel that chores are important for teaching children responsibility as well as respect for the things that they have. So, having chores is a must!

My 8-year-old daughter is pretty good at remembering some chores, others not so much. Overall, we are pretty satisfied by how much she helps. Of course, every day is a new day! Some days, she is more willing to help than others. But, as she grows older, I see her remembering more of her chores on her own. She actually has been coming up with some on her own as well! {Which is great if her ideas are not too ambitious!}

Here are some chore ideas that we have:

• Make bed in the morning.
• Put dirty clothes in the laundry.
• Take clothes out of dryer. (She has been helping with this since toddler-hood.)
• Put clean clothes away. (You do need to excuse neatness with this one for awhile.)
• After returning from school, empty lunch box and put dishes to be washed in the sink.
• Help put dishes away if needed.
• Tidy shoes. (Not just her own, but ours as well. We are a team!)
• Neaten books. (This one sometimes takes quite awhile!)
• Clean room. (We are working on this as apparently the room does not include under the bed!)
• Feed the dogs. (With supervision since our swipers will take every swiping opportunity possible.)
• Put away homework.
• Place finished library books in designated area to be returned.
• Help prepare dinner by gathering some of the ingredients and materials.
• Set the table.
• After meals, clear plate and put in sink to be washed. Also, clean placemats and put into wash if needed.
• Straighten up desk.
• Help take care of plants.
• Put away toys. (I put this last because it is obvious. It is also obviously a difficult task to complete, if you ask any child.)

The list looks like a lot. However, most of the chores don't take very long and she doesn't do all of them in a given day. The task that has proven to be most difficult for her is cleaning her room. When I was her age, I did it every weekend. We will continue to work on that!

What chores do you have for your kids?