Children, even as young as toddlers, just love to role play. Letting them help out with chores provides valuable life lessons about teamwork, family, responsibility and accountability.
To grown-ups, these are some of the daily tasks that just have to get done. However, to a child, it’s a chance to role-play or imitate grown-ups. Children who participate in family activities at a young age may even feel an added sense of accomplishment, greater self-confidence and greater sense of value within their family.
Here are a few ideas for including your child (while supervised and/or as developmentally appropriate) in daily chores:
- Matching socks—also great for learning colors, comparing, etc.!
- Carrying in the mail (add an occasional letter or postcard for your child for extra fun)
- Setting the dinner table
- Clearing their own plastic dishes and utensils after mealtime
- Helping to pack lunches into lunchboxes
- Dusting
- Watering the plants
- Selecting their outfit for the next day
- Filling a beloved pet’s water bowl
- Vacuuming
How do your children participate in family chores?
Tags: Helping with chores, Learning through Play, Preschool, Toddlers
