From pre-teens through teens, the rigors of daily schedules increase leaving less time at home to help with chores. While it’s important not to overwhelm your teen with too much, he or she shouldn’t be completely free when it comes to helping out around the house. The following are 10 awesome chores for your tween or teen:
- Look at the younger brothers from time to time
- Help with laundry (load washer and dryer, fold laundry, put laundry away)
- Take out the trash and organize the recycled items.
- Cook a simple meal
- Gardening (mowing lawns, weeding, etc.)
- Make his bed and tidy up his room
- Handle cleanup after dinner (rinse dishes and place in dishwasher)
- Empty
- Clean the windows
- Sweep the driveway, garage, deck or patio
When you present your tween or teen with a new assignment, be sure to:
- explain. For example, explain why clothes should be color sorted before washing and what it means to load the washing machine evenly. Nothing is too basic to explain. Remember not to bad-mouth your preteen or teen; Teach it, don’t lecture it.
- Show. Show your tween or teen that “vacuuming the family room” means vacuuming the rug, removing the cushions from the sofa to vacuum up crumbs, putting the cushions back on, then changing out the vacuum attachments for the woodwork. Show them where cleaning supplies are kept.
- Praise. Praise your tween or teen regularly and frequently to encourage great work in progress.
A tween or teen who can handle household chores will be better equipped to handle a job when the time comes. The tasks he is responsible for at this age will prepare him to live on his own. Everyone in the family should have a responsibility to help out on the home front every day. Involve your children to help run the home so everyone in the family reaps the benefits.
