Performing household chores teach young people responsibility and can help your child learn to be a good citizen. It’s also part of growing up. Someday, your teen will either be living on their own or with a roommate, friend, or partner. The skills they’ll acquire through doing chores will serve them throughout their adult lives. Learn more about the best chores to assign older kids and teens.
Chores for Older Kids and Teens
There are endless options for chores to give your older kids and teenagers—and certain chores may be a better match for some kids than others. You and your child can brainstorm the ones that might be best for them. However, here are 10 of the most popular options to get you started:
Doing, folding, and putting away laundryHelping to prepare mealsLoading and unloading the dishwasherMowing the lawnPacking their school lunchSweepingTaking out the garbage and recyclingTidying up their roomWalking the dogWashing the car
What Chores Can Older Kids and Teens Do?
Teens are capable of doing practically any household chore that adults can do. However, they will need direction and guidance as they learn how to do chores correctly. Guidance is not the same as nagging. Start by showing your teen how to do a specific chore and then monitor their work to ensure they can do it on their own. For example, if your teen isn’t cleaning the bathroom in a sanitary manner, or if their lawn mowing technique leaves a lot to be desired, consider it a teachable moment. Make your expectations clear and actually demonstrate how you’d like a chore to be done. Chores are a way to teach your teen about adult life. You can also weave money-managing skills into chores: consider giving your teen an allowance for doing certain chores or link chores to specific privileges. Keep in mind, some teens do not have the skill to start, maintain, and/or complete a task—much less a full list of chores. If your teen is struggling, take notes about what they need to correct, then work together to determine the skills that are needed for your teen to be successful in navigating and completing the task you’ve assigned them. You can also use Grandma’s Rule of Discipline, which ties a task to a specific incentive or privilege. Tell your teen that they can spend time with friends as soon as their chores are done. If they are motivated to see their friends, they will likely work hard to get the chores done.
Consider Safety Issues
Most teens are mature enough to do chores with little to no supervision. That said, every teen is different. Carefully consider your teen’s skill level before creating their chore list. For example, household chemicals can be a hazard. Talk to your teen about the importance of not combining chemicals and discuss ventilation issues. Make sure to discuss what to do if your teen accidentally gets a chemical on their skin or in their eyes. Before allowing your teen to use the stove, lawnmower, weed whacker, power tools, or other appliances, go over safety issues. Supervise your teen before you allow them to use those items independently. Make sure they know and practice safety precautions, such as knowing how to handle extension cords (for example, never plugging in a cord that’s frayed or wet).
Teach Care for Belongings
Teach your teen to keep their personal space clean. This might involve keeping their bedroom clean and making sure their things are organized when they’re in common areas of the house. The chores you assign should be things that will help your teen recognize the importance of taking care of their personal items. Here are a few examples of chores that are a good fit for most teens:
Making their bed (including changing the sheets)Organizing their closetPutting their clothes awayPutting items back where they belongSweeping or vacuuming their bedroom
Teach Responsibility
While all chores instill responsibility, creating a chore list that includes caring for other people, pets, or plants, gives your teen a chance to be in charge. Consider including a few of these items on your teen’s chore list:
Babysitting younger siblingsBrushing the pets outside to reduce shedding indoorsFeeding the petMaking lunch for siblingsWalking the pet or cleaning litterWashing the pet and/or pet’s thingsWatering plants
Teach Citizenship
Give your teen a variety of chores. You might consider having siblings swap duties from month to month or week to week just to make sure everyone has practice doing each chore. To help instill a sense of community responsibility, include chores that involve caring for common areas in the home:
Cleaning refrigerator shelves and door (inside and out)Cleaning the bathroom sink, mirror, and toiletCleaning the kitchen countersCooking dinner (you can provide instructions)Dusting the living room, bedrooms, and office spaceEmptying the dishwasher or washing dishesMopping the floorsOrganizing bookshelvesOrganizing drawersOrganizing the food in the pantryOrganizing the garageSanitizing surfacesShampooing the carpetsStraightening up the living roomSweeping the kitchen and bathroom floorsTaking care of items for recyclingTaking the trash out to the street for pick up or loading into the car to take to the transfer stationVacuuming living room, hallways, bedrooms, and stairsVacuuming the furnitureWashing and drying laundryWashing windows
Assign Chores by Season
You can also change or assign chores based on the season. Depending on where you live, there are some tasks that might only need doing part of the year (such as shoveling snow).
Spring and Summer
Warmer weather may mean more opportunities to do outdoor chores. And summer vacation is a great time to assign more chores. Here are some summer chore list ideas:
Cleaning outdoor furnitureGathering unwanted items to donate or sell at a yard saleGetting outdoor items out of storage and ready for useHelping with landscaping projects, like spreading mulch or building a rock wallMowing the lawnTrimming the bushesVacuuming the carWashing outdoor items, like boats, ATVs, campers, or other outdoor itemsWashing the carWeeding the garden
Fall Chores
During the fall months, you may need certain outdoor chores done, especially yard work. Here are some fall chores teens can do:
Blowing the leaves off the drivewayCleaning out the gardenCleaning outdoor items and help store them for winterHelping clean the guttersRaking the lawn
Winter Chores
If you live in a cold climate, there’s a good chance you’ll need help with snow removal. Here are some cold-weather chores you might add to your teen’s chore list:
Cleaning snow off the car(s)Shoveling the walkway/driveway
Encourage a Good Work Ethic
Work with your teen on identifying a regular chore schedule. Give your teen daily chores, as well as bigger chores to do on the weekends or during school vacations. Use chores as a way to help your teen become more responsible, but make sure your teen doesn’t take on too many chores. Find a healthy balance that will give your child the chance to acquire valuable life skills and still have plenty of time to do homework and have some fun.
