singing to Ashton as she made beds, wiped down countertops, and dusted furniture, Deb’s daily routine became part of her baby’s schedule. As Ashton grew, she was no longer content simply to watch her mom; she wanted to do chores, too.

When it comes to chores, children’s enthusiasm runs opposite to their ability. The less able they are to do something, the more eager they are to do it! You can capitalize on your child’s willingness by keeping this in mind: Do not expect perfection. You are teaching your child. Whatever the task, you will be doing it again soon; such is the very nature of chores. Keep yourself from redoing what your child has done. Sandy says, “If you go behind your child and correct everything he does, what was the purpose in his doing it? No child wants to see her work redone.” Allow your child to value the joy of a task completed by her own hands, at her own level of ability.

Make it Fun

As a parent, you influence the way your child views things. Whether you call them “chores,” “life skills,” or something else, inspire your child to see her jobs as essential elements of a warm and loving home environment.

• Trash Man. When my sons were little, they loved superheroes. My mother-in-law and I created a red cape to be worn solely by the child who had “trash detail” (emptying the waste baskets and putting in clean liners). He put on the cape and become Trash Man. It worked incredibly well!

• Keep the Change. Another thing I did to make trash collecting even more exciting was to put some change or even a dollar bill in the bottom of the baskets.

• Shinekeeper. Give your child a bottle of glass cleaner and everything below three feet will be clean. We call this chore “shinekeeping.” The shinekeeper gets to spray everything — mirrors, appliances, glass doors, and countertops.

Capitalize on the advantages of work by making it more doable for

ASSIGNING AGE-APPROPRIATE

CHORES

What should your child be doing? He probably can do more than you are allowing him to do! Check out the list below and see if your child might be challenged with some new chores this week.

2- to 3-year-olds

• Put toys away.

• Put dishes in dishwasher.

• Sort clean silverware (no sharp knives) in drawer.

• Put dirty clothes in hamper.

© Getty Images

4- to 5-year-olds

• Help with all chores listed under 2- to 3-year-olds.

• Make bed.

• Fold clean laundry.

• Learn to sort dirty laundry into piles.

• Collect trash.

• Empty dishwasher.

• Feed pet.

• Pull weeds.

6- to 7-year-olds

• Help with all chores listed under 4- to 5-year-olds.

• Dust.

• Set/clear table.

• Help with meal preparation.

• Clean mirrors and sinks.

8- to 9-year-olds

• Help with all chores listed under 6- to 7-year-olds.

• Clean tubs and toilets.

• Vacuum.

• Scrub floors.

10- to 12-year-olds

• Help with all chores listed under 8- to 9-year-olds.

• Mow/rake yard.

• Help with interior jobs such as painting.

• Do laundry.

• Wash the car.

• Iron.

your child. Do not forget to show your appreciation. Saying thank you means as much to your child as it does to you!

The Payoff Children who do too little have moms who are doing too much. They are not

Recommended Reading

• Children Who Do

Too Little by Patricia Sprinkle (Bella Rosa Books, 2007)

• Desperate Households by Kathy

Peel (Picket Fence Press, 2007)

• Chores Without

Wars by Lynn Lott and Riki Intner (Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005)

the only ones who will reap the benefits of a daily education in life skills. “Look at the results for your family at the far end,” encourages Sprinkle. “Once your family is functioning as a team, you have more free time.” Sandy can attest to this. After investing so much time training her children in life skills, today she has preteens and teenagers who can clean the house, prepare meals, and do their own laundry. “It has definitely paid off,” she says. “When my kids were small, I let them do things even though they didn’t do it perfectly. Today they have grown into their chores, and they do as good a job as I do.” 

Rebecca Ingram Powell is a pastor’s wife, mother of three, and the author of Baby Boot Camp and three Bible studies for teens: Wise Up!, Get Real!, and Dig Deep. Visit her Web site at www.rebeccapowell.com.

MARCH 2008 PARENTLIFE 39