Childhood Chores

In our house, we approach chores much the same way we teach skills on our shows: we start small and then gradually give our kids more responsibility. Our girls started “helping” us around the house at age two because, like all preschoolers, they loved to help. They would put away their toys, throw out their napkins at snack, get us a paper towel roll from the pantry (that one had them happily occupied for a while). At around five to seven years old their chores included setting the table in stages (napkins, placemats, cups with ice), cleaning up their rooms. At ten, we wanted the chores to foster independence and responsibility: making simple meals in the kitchen, being responsible for themselves (getting ready for school is a chore!), making their beds, feeding the dog.

Here are some tips that make the idea of chores a happy part of your family routine.

» Start early: The earlier we have our kids work with us on some of the daily chores, the easier it is to get them to pitch in when they are older. Because they love to help, you can start at age two with simple tasks.

» Chores for a reason: We always talk about “why” in my house (funny that I named one of my shows, Super WHY!) so that we have a point of view. For instance, there isn’t a huge reason to make your bed every single morning. So, as long as we are responsible for our own rooms, we don’t make that a big priority.

» Chore chart? Charts are a visual way to reinforce what is expected of kids and they like the feeling of checking things off a chart. However, emphasizing that chores are things that help the family is more important than checking a box off the chart.

» Age Appropriate chores: We always want to set our kids up for success, not failure, so age appropriate chores are a must. And, truth be told, the “chores” work best when we are all working together in some way.

• Age 2-3: Bring plates to the sink, throw away their own garbage, clean up their toys.
• Age 4-6: Set table in stages (napkins, placemats, utensils, forks). They don’t have to be responsible for it all, so help them out with what they need to do next. Keep room tidy, help clean up after dinner, help pack snacks for lunch, help to fold laundry, choose clothes for school.
• Age 7-11: At this age they should start to be responsible for their chores, completely. Set the whole table, make a simple meal, put lunch together for themselves, put clothes out for school, bring laundry down to laundry room, keep room tidy, be responsible for their own “stuff.”

» Chores as responsibility:
As kids get older (middle school to teenage years), we want our kids to take responsibility for their actions. We, as parents, need to make sure that we’re communicating this and understand how to motivate our kids. There need to be consequences for actions. What happens when you don’t bring your laundry to the laundry room? No clean clothes!

---

Mother of two, Angela Santomero is the creator, writer and producer of children’s uber-hits Blue’s Clues and Super Why! Every month Angela offers her advice and observations on being a mom and an executive in children’s television while balancing and learning from both worlds.