Household Chores for Toddlers

Toddlers and young children love to be helpful, and while you may think they are too young to do chores, the opposite is true. Teaching your child that everyone has a role in keeping up with the house and showing them how to do their part has multiple benefits. Not only will they be more independent and confident, but you’re providing important foundational building blocks to their development. If you’re not sure where to start, our preschool in Greenville, NC is sharing some age-appropriate chores for toddlers and preschoolers.

Tips for Successfully Teaching Your Child Chores

First, it’s important to set expectations with yourself as a parent before you start setting them with your child. What we mean by this is that it can be a test of patience to teach a toddler how to do household chores. In fact, it may make a bigger mess at first than it helps! However, it’s important to resist getting frustrated or to step in and do the task yourself because it’s faster and easier. Here are some tips that will help you both succeed!

Show and explain the task first. This also includes explaining why the task is important, such as why watering plants or sorting socks is a necessary project.
Do the task with your child, keeping movements slow and easy to copy. Also, limit talking while showing them how to do something so your child’s attention isn’t divided.
Take baby steps to help them learn so they don’t get overwhelmed.
Make it fun!
If your child struggles, they may not be ready, and that’s okay!
Let go of the need for perfection – remember, they’re still learning!
Look for child-size tools, such as brooms, hampers for clothes, or buckets to carry items in as they pick up.

Household Chores for Toddlers

First, let’s look at some chores that even two and three-year olds can do around the house!

Cleaning Chores

Putting away toys in bins or on shelves;
Placing their dishes in the sink and wiping off the table with a damp cloth;
Putting dirty clothes in a hamper;
Helping make beds;
Dusting baseboards, table legs, and surfaces with a damp cloth (or a sock on their hand!);
Sweep floor and use the dustpan;
Help load and unload washing machine and dryer with supervision;

Outside Chores

Water plants with their own small watering can;
Picking up their toys from the yard;
Picking up sticks from around the yard;

Pet Care

Get a leash before the dog’s walk;
Filling a pet food bowl with dry food;
Helping to brush or comb a pet (depending on the pet)

Meal Preparation

Adding pre-measured ingredients to a bowl;
Stirring and mixing by hand;
Tearing lettuce for salads;

Of course, these are just recommendations, every child develops at a different pace so it’s important to take your child’s unique needs into account when determining what chores are right for them.

Household Chores for Preschoolers

For children who are four or five, hand-eye coordination improves, and they can follow more difficult directions or can follow two or three steps at once. They can also do some tasks with little to no supervision. In addition to the chores we added above, preschoolers can help with the following:

Cleaning Chores

Use a small, lightweight sweeper for rugs or handheld vacuum to clean up crumbs on the furniture;
Sort laundry into towel, darks, and lights;
Help load and unload the dishwasher, such as putting away utensils;
Make their bed independently;
Match socks;
Put away their clean clothes.

Meal Preparation

Assist with setting the table;
Measuring ingredients as well as mixing and stirring;
Scrubbing vegetables and fruits;
Helping to gather and put away ingredients in and out of the fridge and pantry;

Learn More About Our 5-Star Child Care Center in Greenville

If you’re looking for a caring, nurturing environment for your child where they will learn the skills to get ready for kindergarten, make new friends, and thrive, schedule a tour of our preschool today. Fill out the contact form below or call us at 252-756-8200 to get started.

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