Why Kids Need Chores

Our home is a busy place with both my husband and I working full time, renovating the farm house, running the farm, and the million other little things that we have to do to keep the house running and the kids taken care of. Some days it is easier than others, and usually those days are the ones where the kids are in the midst helping out.

I am a firm believer that kids need to have chores and a sense of responsibility from a young age. Some would argue, “kids should be allowed to be kids!” I agree! Kids should be allowed to be kids, and part of that journey of being a kid is having chores. At my home it is at least. This post is going to be focused on why kids need chores, when they should be introduced to chores, and chores that are age appropriate. Stick around for a free printable chores chart!

To Pay Or Not To Pay That Is The Questions

The age old question… “should my kids get an allowance for doing chores?”…

My kids do not get an allowance for chores. Chores are part of the responsibility of being in a working family. However, if my kids are “hired” for a “job” and do it well they do get paid for that. A job is anything that doesn’t need to be done to keep the house running efficiently; like cleaning out mom’s car.

Age is not really a factor when we talk about chores and jobs. When the kids are old enough to follow directions they are old enough to start having chores. Even our twin five year olds get in on the gig. They will often help sissy rinse dishes, will pick up their play room, and will even make their beds (sort of). They are certainly better at creating messes than cleaning them, but they are working on it.

If you are a parent that doesn’t believe in kids having chores, this post may not be for you. For those parents who are looking for a reason and place to start, keep reading. As for me and my house, we believe in the power of chores and these are the reasons why.

Responsibility and Dependability

A sense of responsibility and dependability is a big deal as kids grow up. They need to learn to own something, make decisions, and follow through on their commitments. These are traits that they will need later in life in friendships, work, and family.

So how do you develop these traits in your child? First you have to start by teaching them what you are looking for. If the chore is to wash the dishes, you cannot expect that they will just know how to do it. You have to invest the time in teaching them the right way to wash dishes. Start by having them rinse as you wash. Gently correct mistakes and show them how you would like for them to do the task. My momma was the best at this, I still struggle with the teaching stage sometimes.

After practicing, switch roles and they wash and you rinse. Make sure you follow your rules, because they will be quick to pick up any bad habits or shortcuts! Play in this capacity for a bit before explaining to your child that every night after dinner they are responsible for cleaning up the dinner dishes.

While you will likely need to remind them every night for a while, the goal is that they learn to own the responsibility and are dependable to ensure the dishes get done every night after dinner. Sure there will be times when they would rather watch TV or go play! Reminding them that their responsibility to cleaning the dishes comes before play will help them learn to prioritize tasks as well as learn a sense of responsibility. Along with responsibility comes accountability.

Accountability

Let’s be honest, even a lot of adults struggle with accountability, so it is important to instill this trait young. Along with responsibility comes accountability or the ability to be able to accept responsibility for your actions. Along with accountability comes potential negative consequences if things do not get done. As the parent, it is your responsibility to ensure you are holding your kids accountable to doing what they are responsible for doing.

As I mentioned before, I do not believe that kids should get an allowance for chores. I believe that every member of the family should contribute to the greater good of the family in some way. Getting paid for a job is for above and beyond, not for being a contributor to the home. I feel very strongly about this for my home, but it isn’t for every family.

My daughter has a few chores that are her thing. After dinner, she owns the dishes, this is an expectation and has to be done along with making her bed, and folding and putting away her laundry. She knows that if these things do not get accomplished there are consequences like missing out on the limited television time that the family gets, a sweet after dinner, or extra chores the next day. By having these reinforcing consequences, she is more likely to follow up on her chores and accept accountability when she doesn’t do them.

I know chores are things she doesn’t love to do, but they are necessary for her to learn how to be independent and self reliant.

Self Reliance

Self reliance in kids, and to be honest, some adults, is a lost art. Chores teach your kids lessons for life. It teaches them that they can do anything they set their mind too. Chores show kids how to be independent and sets them up for success later on in life not just as single individuals but as great partners. Self reliance will not only enable your child to take care of themselves when you are not around, but it will give them the confidence to be leaders amongst their peers and they will know how to take care of others as well.

Appreciation

Chores are also a great way to build interpersonal relationships by garnering an appreciation for others. We have all see that kid that bosses their parents around and gets whatever they want without a single thank you. To me that is appalling. I am big on appreciation and understanding the other person’s point of view. It helps to build strong connections to those in your network. If we do not appreciate the contributions of every person we lose those connections.

By putting your kids in a situation where they have to understand the sacrifices people make to keep the family running they will be more appreciative of those people. When they have to work a job for some cash, they are more likely to appreciate that money, the work that went into it, and spend it more wisely. Appreciation goes a long way in developing your kids into good humans that work well with others.

Is It a Chore or Is It a Job?

I have mentioned a few times in this post that we have chores and jobs at our house. Chores are those things that the kids do as part of their daily responsibility to help the family. This work helps to keep the family moving forward as an efficient unit. Chores can include things like washing dishes or folding laundry. We require our kids to do these daily, not just once in a while. They take over a chore and allow mom and dad or brother or sister to do something else to contribute differently to the family unit.

A job on the other hand is above and beyond what the traditional family unit requires. Jobs are bigger and are only once in a while. Jobs also get you moolah! However, you cannot take on a job if you cannot ensure you are caught up on chores. Typical jobs would be things like washing or vacuuming the car, wiping down baseboards, or bringing home straight A’s for the year (because school can be a job for sure!). This method helps for teach kids balance and rewards along with drive and money management.

So Where Do I Start?

I remember when Liliana was about five years old we decided it was time for her to take a more proactive role in helping around the house. This coincided with the birth of her twin brothers and we needed all the extra help we could get to ensure the house continued to run. We sat down and had a conversation with her about how important that was to everyone. We gave her a chores list and hung it on the fridge so that she would be able keep track of her progress herself.

It was important for us to have that conversation with her to let her know that we were depending on her. It was also important to let her own the process of marking off her accomplishments each day. We did have to check on her progress and remind her a lot, but it was hers to own and she did and still does.

If you are coming up blank on chores to do, or you cannot come up with a checklist to use, download our free printable to get you started. It comes with chores by age and a cute little checklist for your little to use to start the chores process. It is also a handy way to keep everyone organized if you have multiple kiddos that need to do different chores.

Download your free chores chart here!

I hope that this printable is helpful with getting your kiddos started on the right path! Don’t forget to subscribe to our email list to stay in the loop with all that is happening here at the farm. Comment below to let us know what you think of kids doing chores. Is it something you do in your house?

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