Ah the tween years. Not quite a teen, no longer a big kid and years that are filled with changes. These years are typically the first time that you will start to see major attitude from your kids and by the time they exit this stage? You may just be wondering where your sweet and innocent child has gone. By this point in your child’s life it may be hard to get them to do anything, let alone chores. With that said though, here are 5 age appropriate chores for tweens to get you started with some ideas.
Laundry – Your tween is perfectly able to wash clothes by this point. Make sure that they have everything they need (because chances are they will not go look) and send them off to wash clothes. Remind them that laundry isn’t done until it’s folded or hung and allow them the room they will need to complete the chore.
Mowing the Lawn – With supervision, your tween can mow the grass just fine, however, since this is a “larger” chore, you may want to consider paying them a bit extra on their allowance for doing so.
Sweep and Mop – By the time that a child is 9, they should be able to fully sweep and mop rooms that need it. Teach them how to make sure they get all of the dirt up and how to not leave any streaky water behind.
Cleaning their room – Younger kids might need help cleaning their room but by age 7 or so, they should be able to do it themselves. If they’re still having trouble, print them out a checklist of steps to make sure it’s clean and post it some place that they will be able to see.
Cleaning and Washing the car – Give a kid a water hose or bucket of water and they’re in Heaven on a hot summer day. Give them $10 for washing the car? Even better. A quick word of advice on this one is to make sure that you give them the supplies before they get started. Otherwise, they could use something that will scratch or damage your car and not even mean to.
Tweens can be moody, but they’re also some of the best helpers out there once you get them motivated. They can often feel like they’re not appreciated so make sure that you thank them for their help with each chore. Once you get past that hurdle, they’re usually pretty willing to help.
What chores do you have your tween do for you?
Sarah L says
I think laundry is very good for this age.