So we are working on helping our daughter learn to help us around the house, and take on some responsibilities. What are some responsibilities that you give your 4-year-old?
I thought wiping the table would be good, but thats harder than it looks. She is great at putting away the silverware from the dishwasher, making her bed, and bringing her plate from the table, but that is it!. Picking up her room or toys still takes a ton of assistance. Does that seem like enough "chores"? What can your 4, almost 5 -year-old do? I need to gauge this and I need some ideas. Thanks.
Clean bathroom sink
Empty the garbage in the bathroom.
Put her folded laundry away
Put all plastics in the dishwasher away (in addition to silverware)
She should not need a "ton" of assistance picking up her room. At 4.5 she should have that down. I would tell her that whatever she is not capable of picking up and putting away will be thrown away. If she can get it out, she can put it away!
My 4 year old love helping make the beds, and foldng an putting away laundry. She also loves running the dust pan and tries to help vacuum. CLenaing up her toys on her own is something she just started doing. She still wants help with that.
On her own, she will put the recycling in the bins, loves doing the silverware and will carefully hand me the other dishes to put away, put shoes and boots on the tray or in the closet get water from the dispenser (she gets for everyone), and will also get her own snacks once I tell her her choice of snack is okay.
My son is 6 now, so he does more. But at 4.5 I suggest...
setting the table (you'll have to be okay with forks ending up on the wrong sides or place-mats askew)
Collect/empty household trash (like dump the bathroom cans into the kitchen can)
Also she is MORE than old enough to pick up her room. Perhaps if you had her do it more often, like EVERY time she finishes an activity and before bed just for good measure, it would be more manageable.
My 5 year old and 3 year old have almost the same chores but the oldest will make his sister's bed since she is short.
Chores they do every day: Feed and water the dog, get dressed by themselves, pick up thier rooms and vacuum using a lightweight one we got from Walmart for 15$, make beds, "help" sweep the floor, clean sliding glass door since they are the ones getting it sticky!, clear the table of thier dishes and condiments, put away thier folded laundry, pick up thier outdoor toys before coming in for the night, they help load the washer and empty the dryer and are learning to set the table although that requires assistance because the dishes are out of reach. My husband will have them help clean the cars once a week and they both are responsible for keeping thier bathroom free of toys and clothes!
yes those sound great, we also have chores like that and i also make my lil girl check the office trash and bathroom trash, she is in charge of putting the waters and pop in the icebox, and the can goods under the counter and making her bed and sometimes ours, and she wasnt that good at first but that was ok i just went back and fixed it or helped her.good job!!
My son just turned 4. He has a Chore Chart (modeled after the one he uses in Pre-K) that has the following chores:
Set the Table
Make Bed
Pick up Toys
Bring up Garbage Bins (he loves pulling the garbage and recycling bins up to the house on those days)
Clear Dishes (after meals)
Clean up Trash
Use Listeners (meaning he listens to us)
Share with Maddy (his 2 year old sister)
Be Happy
He gets a smiley face for each job he does well each day. At the end of the week we add them up. He earns rewards including 10 cents for every 7 smiley faces (a total of 80 cents/week) for his piggy bank, which we match. He puts 1/3 into savings, 1/3 into donations, and he uses 1/3 to buy special treats he wants.
We thought a Chore Chart was way too early for his age, but he wanted it because at school they have something similar to earn rewards for the treasure chest. Odd thing about it - my 2 1/2 year old daughter LOVES it, so we made one for her too. She is doing "chores" WAY earlier than he ever did, as well as brushing her teeth and brushing her hair.
mine helped me put dirty wash in the washer, would have her hold the dust pan, help pick up doggie poo with our big scooper, and put her shoes and toys away. After that there was no more focus to be milked from her.
Yes, it's enough. The most important thing is making it a family thing, everyone helps, keeping it natural way of life. Tell her how helpful and good she is, none of this 'good job' stuff every time she turns around.
Remember, children have little hands and bodies and can't do the same as adults. A little verse or song would be helpful as a reminder if you do it every day then she will do it.
Example - Since the children were 4 (they're 5 & 6 now) they take their plate from table and as they do it they say, "sukey take it off again, sukey take it off again they've all gone away." They take turns setting the table, I tell them whose turn it is for that day, and when it's time, I'll start saying, "Polly put the kettle on," and then the child comes running in and starts setting the table (I give them the plates or set them on counter) and when they do they start saying it, "Polly put the kettle on, polly put the kettle on, Polly put the kettle on we'll all have tea" They take turns wiping the table too. We just sing, "wipe,wipe,wipe, wipe it clean"
When it's time to clean up the toys, I enter the room and get their attention with a little bell same bell for dinner call too, and start singing the clean up song.
These ideas aren't perfect, nothing is, but what a difference these make.
My son is five. From four and a half or so, these have been his responsibilities. Some are self-care, some are caring for the family:
Dress himself
Take his clothes to the laundry (hamper, chute)
Brush his teeth
Hang up his coat/tote after school
Unpacking his lunchbox
Putting his clean clothes away (sometime will help with folding, too)
Taking a Quiet Playtime
Cleaning up his bedroom or play areas (sometimes needs help or direction)
Setting the table (napkin, fork, spoon)
Clearing his dishes after meals
Putting on his pajamas
Helping with taking out garbage/recycling (we do this together)
Help to put groceries away
Watching for crosswalk lights (good to practice!)
I have learned that he needs a lot of guidance at first, and we do work at tasks together until I can see that he has competence/mastery. I don't have a dishwashing machine, so we are waiting a bit for him to help with this task. He also helps water plants outside in the garden, pick herbs, and joins me often in preparing dinner.
well for my daughter and she is 2.5 i have her clean her room well put all toys in her toy box and put her clothes away and she do it just fine and she help with dishes so maybe like pick up clothes,put toys away , clean her table
Bring all the trash cans to the kitchen to dump in a bag.
Put wet laundry in the dryer.
Make Bed.
Clorox whipe down sink in bathroom ( iffy one hmmmm)
Dust wood with a dust feather.
Our DS is 19 months, his "chores" are really jobs that he has taken on, and of his own choosing. He quite likes taking the waste paper basket to the compactor room. He carries our empty coffee mugs to the kitchen. Every morning he picks up the toys he tossed out of his crib, and tosses them back in. He asks to brush his teeth, he "helps" with the dishwasher, he wipes his high chair tray. He's given to handing us our shoes and his shoes when he knows its time to go out.
Trying to think up more jobs we can have him do. :)
F. B.
