There are lots of opinions out there about whether or not kids should do chores, which chores are appropriate, and whether or not kids should get paid for them.
I think the most important thing is that kids do as much for themselves as they can. Sure, many times it’s a lot easier to just do it myself. But as much as possible I ask the kids to do any jobs they’re capable of. I want them to learn to take care of themselves so that they’re not the kid at college who doesn’t know how to do laundry, or the young adult who doesn’t know how to cook pasta.
I’ve also been very surprised by how much my kids enjoy helping around the house (once I get past the initial resistance, which happens every time I initiate a new task). I think they feel good and important and capable when they can do some of these jobs. I recently taught my 14-year-old how to wash dishes (I know, way too late, but I’m trying), and he told me he thought it was a very good thing that he knew how to do that now! I agreed with him.
To get you started, here are chores that are appropriate for a 2-3 year old.
If you need to make some changes to this list, you can easily edit it here. Click on the text next to any picture to change it, or drag and drop items on and off of the list or to a new position in the list.
I’ve had a lot of feedback from people saying these chores are too much for a 2-3 year old to handle. Of course they won’t be able to do all of these tasks WELL, but they can certainly try, and you may be surprised by what they can actually do, and how much more they can learn by trying. Maybe at first the best they can do is pull their blankets up (messily) after they climb out of bed. That’s a great start!
What about you? Do you have a child this age, and can they (or do they?) do any of these tasks?
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