My daughter just turned 6, and I’m thinking it’s a good time to introduce her to some chores. I want to help her learn responsibility without it being too tough or frustrating. What simple tasks have worked for your kids at this age? I’m looking for chores she can mostly do on her own but still feel like she’s contributing. Any suggestions would really help!
My 5 year old really likes putting their dirty clothes in the hamper and wiping down the table after we eat. I think 6 is probably perfect for those plus maybe organizing their toys into bins.
Right now we’re trying to make it part of our bedtime routine, but some nights my child just melts down about it. Do you find it easier to spread chores throughout the day or bunch them together? I’m still figuring out what time of day works best when they’re not already tired or cranky.
My 5 year old does really well with making their bed (just pulling the blanket up), feeding our cat, and wiping down the bathroom sink after brushing teeth.
I found that jobs where they can see the difference right away work best. Like when the cat bowl goes from empty to full or when the sink goes from messy to clean.
Some days my kid gets distracted halfway through, but I try to gently remind them to finish. Do you think starting with just one chore works better than introducing a few at once? I keep going back and forth on this.
We started with setting the table and putting away laundry. Both kids could handle those pretty easily at 6.
They also cleared their plates after meals and organized their backpacks for school. Nothing too complicated, but they felt helpful.
At that age, my child did pretty well with sorting socks after laundry and watering plants with a small watering can. There’s something about tasks that involve caring for things that seemed to click.
Dusting low surfaces with those colorful microfiber cloths worked too, though sometimes I’d find random objects mysteriously “dusted” and moved around the house. Matching tupperware lids to containers became this weird puzzle game that kept them busy for way longer than expected.