Getting your kids to do their chores can be a real chore, but those daily duties play a huge role in their development.
“It gives them that sense of responsibility and makes them feel important,” says Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, a pediatrician at Seattle’s Children’s Hospital, USA and author of the blog Seattle Mama Doc.
“Kids really do want to help, and chores help them feel that they can contribute something of value and be part of the family unit.”
And it's (almost) never to early to start: Kids can begin "helping" around the house as soon as they show an interest, which can be as early as 18 months. Obviously, your toddler’s not going to be mowing the lawn for at least the next decade, but deciding when she’s ready to tackle less dangerous tasks, like helping unload the dishwasher, can be a little bit grayer.
This list can serve as a guideline to what your kid may be ready to manage on his own, but you should keep your individual child’s skills in mind when you’re creating your own chore chart. “You know your kid best developmentally,” says Dr. Swanson. “Every child is different, and one child may be ready to do certain chores at an earlier age than another.”
That said, here's what the experts say most kids can handle, and when: