I like to keep a tidy home! However, it can be very difficult to keep with three kids while also working a full time corporate job. I used to try and do all the things myself, until one day I was reminded that kids can help with chores. And, you know what little kids love to help! So, when my daughters hit the “helper” stage of toddlerhood or childhood (3-5 years) I accepted it! I started to let them help me with any task they wanted to, just to kind of pique their interest. As they got older I began adding more chores to the list. Doing their chores every day guarantees they get video game or tablet time. But most importantly, I get help with keeping our home under control. Below are the chores my girls, ages 3-9, help me with every week. 

Laundry

For the first few years of parenthood, we lived in small apartments in Los Angeles. Laundry day was a whole event for our family of 4 at the time. My girls were probably 4 and 2 years old.We’d gather all of our hampers full of clothes, a pouch heavy with spare change, and take a trip to the local laundromat. For us it was a chore, but the girls happily helped us load the clothes into each machine and they would excitedly insert the  coins into each slot. This was their very first chore. When we were able to have our own washer and dryer, they continued to help us load and unload the laundry. Now my older daughters (7&9) are old enough to handle the entire process and my youngest (3) helps with unloading the dryer. Having my girls help with this chore saves me so much time which allows us to do more activities together.

Garbage Duties

This is a chore that my daughters did not start until we owned our own home. My older two are responsible for taking out the larger trash bags from the kitchen; regular trash & recyclables. They are also responsible for rolling  the cans in and out  on  trash day. My youngest can also help with this task, per her request. See, at this age, 3, kids just want to be included! They want to be able to help and feel like they too are contributing. At least that is the observation I have made about my own children. Anyway, my youngest is responsible for taking out the smaller trash bags from the restrooms and my office. Super helpful! 

Dusting

Dusting is one of those chores that my kids got stuck with accidentally. What I mean is that one day, years ago. They were watching me clean our apartment and would not stop saying “ I wanna help, I wanna help you mommy.” So, to get them to let me finish my chores, I asked them to dust a bookshelf. Ever since then, they help me dust the furniture, book shelves, and the decor. They started doing this one at around 5 & 3 years of age and continue to do this once a week. 

Vacuuming

Okay so this task is not for my little one, she hates loud noises. So, if your child does not like loud sounds, I do not recommend they vacuum. My older daughters help me vacuum our couch and occasionally the carpets. We have a super light and convenient handheld vacuum that they use to dust the furniture and it is not too loud. My 7 & 9 year old are  the ones who help us with the rugs & they actually like doing it for some reason. They only help with this occasionally since our vacuum is a 20 year old Dyson, that we love, but is also super heavy. If you have a lighter vacuum and your child is not overwhelmed by loud sounds, this could be an easy and even fun chore for them. 

Table Setting

This daily chore is one of my favorite and also most meaningful tasks of the day. It just feels nice and like a symbol of appreciation that they are willing to help me set the table after I spent 1-2 hours getting dinner ready after a long day of work. Additionally, all 3 girls can help with this! They gather cups, utensils, napkins, and take any trimmings and condiments we may need. After every meal they are responsible for clearing the table and dropping off the dishes with me. We don’t have a dishwasher, so it really helps me finish the post dinner cleanup much faster. 

Yard Work/Raking

Owning a home requires a lot of our time. We now have to be landscapers and general contractors because we do not have the budget to hire help. On gardening days we ask the girls to help us remove weeds from our garden beds. They also help pick up the grass trimmings and fallen leaves. This is a much more labor intensive chore so they get an extra treat and are only expected to help for short periods of time. 

Bed Making

I don’t know if it’s the military man in my husband, but he gave us all this assignment. The girls are to make their beds every single morning. Not hotel quality, but they’re still expected to look decent. They also have this terrible habit of shoving their socks in the beds, and it is so annoying. Our lost sock grave grew far too much, which contributed to having this nonnegotiable daily chore. My youngest can’t help with much here yet, so she helps take their dirty socks to the hamper.

Baseboard Cleaning

Cleaning the baseboards is an easy chore for kids that we do once a month or so. I like this task because it’s one of those tasks that everyone can help with. I hand each of the girls a microfiber cloth and they wipe all of the baseboards down. If needed they use soap and water, but for the most part it is a simple dusting task. To make this easy on all of us we designate sections: the girls get the bedrooms and we get the living, dining, and kitchen. 

Wall Spot Cleaning

The walls can get extremely dirty when you have kids. Kids don’t care when their hands are dirty, they just grab and touch everything. This results in some off colored wall spots that require serious cleaning. So, every two months my girls have to help me clean high traffic areas and any other dirty looking spots on the walls and doors. The worst places are normally around the door knobs and door thresholds. I can honestly say that this is their least favorite task, but they create most of that gunk so it’s only fair they help me a little on this one.  

Routine Toy Pick Up 

The simplest and most beneficial thing you can do for you and your child is routine toy clean up. I began this task at an early age for all of my kids. I didn’t even think of it as a chore. It is a fundamental learning block for us. This teaches our kids to be mindful of shared spaces and to start building responsibility. It is not a perfect clean up session and it likely never will, but it does help a lot. Make sure their toy storage space is easy to reach and they have knowledge of where certain items belong. This will take time for them to grasp, but just keep explaining and encouraging them to clean up after themselves as well as they can. Eventually they’ll get it down. My 9 year old still struggles, but most adults do too, so it’s alright. 

I hope you find these helpful while trying to figure out how to teach your child responsibility and teamwork! Not to mention make working parent life a little easier. 

Don’t forget to share your tips with me in the comments below, or on Instagram!

Thanks so much for reading!