09/30/2022
By
Ann Marie Barron | [email protected]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Studies show that having kids do household chores does more than give parents a break. It can actually improve a child’s development and health -- even starting as young as age 2.
In fact, children as young as 2 or 3 who are involved in daily chores will also have improved time management skills, and the chores will help them handle stress and instill a higher capacity for independent thinking.
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends age-appropriate activities in which a child can efficiently complete tasks. This can include a 2-year-old child putting toys away or a 12-year-old washing a car.
Chores also help children feel a sense of pride, and the extra help reduces overall household stress and improves relationships, Stacker.com reported.
A multi-discipline study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy in 2014 found that children’s routines and habits, including involvement in household chores, coalesce early and change little between third and 12th grade. That means instilling them early sets kids up for long-term benefits when they mature.
Here’s a list of chores for children and the added benefits experts say they’ll receive:
1. Put things in their place (Starting age: 3 to 4)
General sorting chores — from sorting and organizing toys to color-sorting dirty laundry — is about much more than organization. It’s a skill related to math. It prepares them for future mathematical and scientific lessons.
2. Feed pets (Starting age: 3 to 4)
Young children respond well to routine. Helping to feed pets offers multiple benefits and skills. Gentle interactions with animals, a sense of responsibility for another living creature, the predictability of mealtime, and the satisfaction of pleasing an animal are powerful experiences for a young child.
3. Make the bed (Starting age: 5 to 7)
Children ages 5 to 7 are capable of pulling the task off independently. At this age, children may start to rebel against chores — but simple tasks with very little supervision will ultimately give them a sense of pride in their work. It reinforces obedience and reduces clutter, which weighs people down, experts say. A child who experiences orderliness will notice and appreciate the comfort of organized surroundings.
4. Pull weeds and water plants (Starting age: 5 to 7)
Helping in the garden provides significant mental and physical developmental strides for children, and can help quickly improve their locomotor, body management and object-control skills.
For 5- to 7-year-old children, there are the other benefits, including instilling an early appreciation and sense of responsibility for the natural world. It fosters cognitive development in children as they further their intellectual skills with remembering information and predicting outcomes. Children can also learn the names of various plants and the requirements for keeping them healthy.
5. Empty the dishwasher (Starting age: 5 to 7)
Just like sorting skills for preschoolers, children between ages 5 and 7 can learn where items belong when not in use. As kids get older, tasks like loading or emptying a dishwasher can be part of a chore chart to help kids stay on track independently. Parents tend to want to help children with a task to get it done more efficiently, but there are opportunities for children to feel useful on their own. Even tasks such as emptying the dishwasher can be beneficial for children’s mental health.
6. Fold and put away laundry (Starting age: 6 to 8)
Laundry can be made into a fun activity, whether children are helping sort clothing by color or pairing socks together after they are taken out of the dryer. The folding part may be a bit of a challenge at first, especially for smaller kids, but they can start by learning how to lay clothing items flat and then folding them in half. Kids can also help (with guidance) in placing clothing items, such as socks and underwear, in the drawers where they belong.
