BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

If you’re keen to instil a great work ethic from an early age, teach your little one some important life skills, and get a bit of help around the home, then we have good news!  

There are quite a few chores you can introduce to your under-five; and while a tween or teen may be loath to launch into action, little people are often much more enthusiastic! 

It’s fun to copy Mummy, and exciting to grapple with special equipment; and although your under-five shouldn’t be washing sharp knives or bleaching the bathroom, there are several important tasks they can get stuck into.  

For advice on which chores to start with, we’ve gone to the experts at Raising Children Network, and here are seven jobs you can roll out between the ages of two and five. 

Chores to try with your toddler  

Although the ‘terrible twos’ might not seem conducive to hard household yakka, your toddler is an increasingly capable person who can achieve a lot when they put their mind to it! 

Simple, but satisfying, jobs work well, and the following tasks are ideal for your two- and -three-year-old: 

Helping to tidy up their toys

Although you can’t expect your toddler to pack up everything on their own, or organise their toys with Marie Kondo precision, they can definitely help to tidy up the toys after playtime.  

Derek McCormack, Director of the Raising Children Network says, “Sharing the load is a great way to motivate your toddler and show them how things are done, and you might like to explain the ‘why’ of this chore, by saying, “We need to put everything back in the toy box, so your toys are kept safe and no-one trips over them.” 

Helping to load laundry into the washing machine 

It’s fun for your toddler to push laundry into the big, shiny drum, then see it come out wet and clean at the end of the cycle.  

And Derek says, “If you have a drying rack, they can have a go hanging clothes on it. Ages two to four can also practise using pegs to hone their fine motor skills and learn colours and counting.” 

Helping to top up your pet’s water bowl 

If you have a dog, cat or other thirsty critter, then your toddler can help to keep them hydrated.  

Filling up your pet’s water bowl together is great for your little one’s dexterity, hand-eye coordination and early understanding of volume, and it also encourages empathy and responsibility. 

Derek says, “Your toddler can also watch as you measure out the dry and wet pet food, and somewhere between the age of six and 11, they are likely to be able to feed your pet on their own.” 

Chores to practise with your preschooler  

By the age of four and five, your child has gained a lot of skills, and they can play a more active role in domestic duties!  

This doesn’t mean your preschooler will be making dinner for 12 or folding mountains of laundry, but you can put them on the right path by introducing these jobs: 

Setting the table for meals 

Your preschooler will probably get table-setting practise at childcare, and when you’re all together at home, they can take the lead in laying out cutlery, serviettes and plates.  

Derek says, “Dinner plates can be heavy and delicate, so you might like to take a pile of plates to the table for your preschooler to then assign to each seat.”    

Helping with meal preparation 

With your supervision, there’s a lot of food prep that your preschooler can do, and jobs like washing lettuce, mashing potatoes, cutting soft food and taste-testing sauces are all appealing tasks for your mini sous-chef! 

Helping to sort freshly laundered clothing 

Folding clothes takes a bit of skill (especially to get that department store look), but your preschooler can help to sort the clean clothes into piles for each family member. 

Derek says, “This is good for their mind and the small muscles in their hands and fingers, and watching you doing the folding is the first step in doing it themselves.” 

Helping with the supermarket shopping 

You can involve your preschooler in all stages of the great grocery adventure, from list-writing, to supermarket shopping, to pantry-packing.  

Derek says, “Going shopping provides an opportunity to talk about words, numbers, shapes, colours, value-for-money and nutrition,” and it’s always good to have an extra hand with the bags!  

As your child gets older, you can load them up with more complex chores and greater responsibility. 

Jobs like taking out the rubbish, emptying the dishwasher and vacuuming the carpet are all possible between the ages of six and 11, but in the early years, it’s the process that really counts, and not necessarily the quality of the job.  

Your pre-schooler will learn important life skills and relationship skills as they work with you on different chores; and they’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment when they master a new technique and see their efforts rewarded. For example, when your pet slurps that water, or Daddy wears the socks they’ve sorted. 

Even if your child doesn’t like doing jobs, a bit of praise can be very motivating, and it helps to know that you’re chipping in too – because many hands really do make lighter work!