appropriate homework for age

What is the appropriate age for children to start getting homework?

Debbie leekeenan, director of the eliot-pearson children’s school and a lecturer in the department of child development, fills us in.

“In recent times, there seems to be more homework, especially for our youngest students,” says Debbie LeeKeenan. Photo: iStock

Homework is such an established part of education, it’s hard to believe it’s not all beneficial. But recent studies have found almost no correlation between homework and long-term achievement in elementary school, and only a moderate correlation in middle school.

Yet in recent times, there seems to be more homework, especially for our youngest students. That seems to have led to a backlash. Often-cited negative effects include children’s frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities and downtime and a loss of interest in learning. Many parents lament that homework is a constant source of tension at home.

What is the purpose of homework? The best homework assignments are meaningful and authentic and are connected to classroom learning. Homework can be used to teach time management and organization, to broaden experiences and to reinforce classroom skills. Parents are not expected to play the role of the teacher or introduce new skills.

Homework can certainly benefit students. It may encourage:

Practice and review —such as reading 15 minutes each night, studying spelling words or number facts

Pre-learning —a way to introduce a new topic; for example, if the class will be studying ants, having students write questions they have about ants

Processing —if learning about moon phases in class, students would observe the moon for several nights and draw what they see and identify the phases

Checking for understanding —keeping a journal about science experiments done in class, for instance

How much homework is too much? The idea that “less is more” rules here. According to the National Education Association, guidelines are no more than 10 minutes per grade level per night (that’s 10 minutes total for a first-grader, 30 minutes for a third-grader). Some students do their homework on their own, and some parents help their children. Many teachers now give homework once a week that is due the following week to allow more flexibility and accommodate a range of student and family schedules.

Successful homework experiences have strong home-school partnerships, where the purpose of homework is clearly defined by the teacher and communicated with the student and family. When in doubt, ask!

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

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Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

How long will it take to complete?
Have all learners been considered?
Will an assignment encourage future success?
Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

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Your Age-by-Age Guide to Homework

Are you scared to look in your child’s book bag at the end of the day?

And I’m not talking about the forgotten sandwiches that migrate to the bottom of a full backpack.

I mean the dreaded homework assignments that loom within folders and binders, just waiting to be ignored and fought over for the rest of the evening.

Typically when parents think of the word “homework”, they quickly associate it with the term “fight”.

But homework doesn’t have to be a fight – a struggle at times, yes, but now a full out war.

Understanding what homework looks like at each grade level is a great start to helping support your child in completing their school work.

Also, the earlier you focus on creating an environment of learning and studying, the easier time your child will have as they progress through school.

Here’s your guide on setting up your child for academic success as well as what kind of homework to expect for each grade:

Setting Up For Success

From day one, homework is important in developing good study skills.

In order to encourage your child to complete their homework and take it seriously, you need to establish a proper homework environment .

Here are some tips for setting your child up for homework success:

Set a regular homework time. Homework should be done at the same time each evening to establish a routine. Just make sure you’re allowing your little one some time to decompress when they get home before jumping into more schoolwork.
Create a study area. Give your child a place to with proper lighting, materials and few to now distractions.
Keep an eye on their work. Involve yourself in the process not only by helping them with homework, but monitoring their progress as well.
Be a role model. While you may not have homework at this stage in your life, you can model good study habits by reading and pursuing your own learning opportunities.

You may think your child is a little Einstein when they start school, but the learning material will progressively get more difficult as they age.

Encouraging good study habits will give them the skills they need to continue their success through school.

Grade-by-Grade Homework Guide

Kindergarten.

When your little one is in kindergarten, it’s likely they won’t have much for homework.

However, you may find the teacher sending home easy tasks such as practicing sight words, letters, numbers and working on patterns.

Since there shouldn’t be a lot of academic expectation from children this young, it’s easy to navigate the homework by making it fun and play-based.

Children learn best through tactile activities, so materials such as PlayDoh can be used to create numbers and letters as well as designing patterns using different colors.

A whiteboard is a great tool to practice what they are learning, especially sight words. Write out the word, have your child read it and let them erase it before moving on to the next one.

Kindergarten homework tends to be pretty repetitive, meaning that your child is likely going to practice the same material each night on a week-to-week basis.

Even if your little one is catching on quick to the material, it’s important to keep up with the homework habit. This is going to help them develop healthy studying habits as they move from grade to grade.

Elementary School: Grades 1 to 2

Once your child moves from kindergarten into grade 1, the learning environment becomes less play-based and more academic.

This doesn’t mean you can’t continue making homework fun! At this age, their focus is still on playing, so you can keep using novel materials when doing homework.

The workload is likely not going to increase during these grades, but the material may become more challenging.

In order to keep homework from becoming too time consuming, you may have to mix straight-up review with play.

Use unique activities when it comes to concepts your child is struggling with and quick reviews for the learning objectives they have easily grasped.

By these grades, teachers typically encourage your child to be reading. This aspect of homework can be delayed until bedtime – which makes reading seem less like “work” and more like a leisurely activity.

Elementary School: Grades 3 to 5

By the time your little one enters grade 3, and until they finish elementary school, they should begin to complete their homework independently.

While it’s important that you remain on standby to help them with difficult concepts, you should be able to set up each homework activity and allow them to complete them on their own.

During this time, students begin to progress from simply practicing basic skills and mastering them onto more complex skills.

This means that homework is going to become more challenging, which is why focusing on a good homework routine during these grades is very important.

If you find your child resisting their homework at this age, there’s nothing wrong with offering an incentive for completing it. Try to stay away from monetary rewards and focus more on fun activities they can engage in once homework is completed.

Remember to not make homework seem like a cumbersome chore – instead, cheer your child on as they work through it. Praise them for doing a good job.

Middle School: Grades 6 to 8

Once your child hits middle school, they should be able to complete their homework assignments on their own.

Homework at this grade level is going to shift more heavily from practicing concepts to completing assignments such as essays and projects.

This is the beginning stages of the foundation of study skills they will need to succeed in high school as well as college or university.

During this time, students are beginning to rely more on technology to complete their assignments. Make sure your child has access to a tablet or computer they can use to conduct research as well as seek help for their homework.

However, it’s important for you to stay involved in their progress. Regular check-ins with their homework will not only help your child stay on track but it will also show them that you want to be involved in their education.

High School: Grades 9 to 12

It’s in high school where a student’s homework load balloons and becomes more time consuming than it was before.

Luckily, kids at these grade levels are able to choose a portion of their courses, so they have a vested interest in what they are learning.

However, with all the changes they are experiencing emotionally and physically, this period of their lives can be extremely stressful.

Maintaining that homework routine is more important now than ever. Stressed-out teens may become overwhelmed with the workload and feel compelled on throwing in the towel on completing homework assignments.

Continue to be supportive by helping them plan and prepare for homework assignments as well as tests and exams .

While you may not be able to help them with the homework material (what is “new” math, anyway?), you can certainly lend a hand when it comes to time management and getting the homework done.

You Can Make the Difference

When left to their own devices, children can’t be expected to take their schoolwork 100% seriously.

It’s your job as the parent to support and guide them through their homework and assignments.

Building good habits now is going to make all the differences as your child progresses through school.

How do you deal with homework hurdles? Share your tips in the comments!

My name is Chelsy and I am a single mother, blogger, and freelance writer. I blog about parenting at Motherhood+Mayhem (motherhoodandmayhem.online) and about working from home at Mama Needs Coffee (mamaneedscoffee.online). When I'm not writing or blogging, you can find me building blanket forts in my living room.

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7 Easy Ways to Help Your Kids To Finish Their Homework…

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Is Homework Useful for Kids? If So, What Age Should It Start?

Brian Gravel, an assistant professor of education, questions homework as it exists and imagines it as a way to make schooling meaningful for young people

A tricky aspect of being a professor of education with school-aged children is that I am frequently asked to comment on issues of pedagogy and policy.

One of my favorite topics involves the myriad questions around homework. When should kids get it? Are kids getting enough? Are they getting too much? What’s the point?

Researchers have explored various aspects of homework for decades, asking questions about its efficacy in raising achievement scores and measuring forms of engagement, and if it can support certain kinds of learning goals.

Across the board, the educational community has consistently shown that the positive impacts of homework—in its present forms—are minimal at best.

Some middle school and high school students might score higher on achievement tests when they do homework. But we can’t find evidence that it supports elementary school learning, and we have ample evidence of its harmful impact, like contributing to children’s exhaustion, reducing time for play, and contributing to overall disinterest in school.

My 10-year-old son believes the purpose of homework is “to bore you.” When asked for a more thoughtful response the question of its purpose, he says “I don’t really know. Maybe to remember what you’ve been doing at school?”

Let me be clear—I do not believe homework in its current forms should exist at the elementary level, and I have deep skepticism of its utility at the middle and high school levels as well. This is more than opinion—it’s the product of having studied how people learn, personal experience, and reading research on the topic. (See Alfie Kohn’s writings on homework —they offer much to consider.)

Homework tends to be the place where the most rote, dull, and uninspired kinds of schooling tasks flourish: memorizing, repetition, reproduction. These contribute to what Ira Shor, notable educational philosopher and collaborator of Paulo Freire, called the great “endullment”—the “dulling of students’ minds as a result of their nonparticipation.”

If we believe education can empower students to be critical examiners of their worlds, to build ideas and connections, and to gain facility with communicating their thinking, then we must rethink “homework.”

I would love it if we could shift the conversation away from whether homework “works” or whether students should be assigned homework, toward what homework could be. That’s because, while we can remove it from elementary schools (and we should), it is likely not going away.

We should ask questions like “Why homework?” and “What could we ask students to explore at home?” And, “How could home be a place to further explore ideas, histories, and relationships that surface in conversations at school?” Or—here’s a radical idea—we could ask students themselves what kind of work at home would feel engaging and meaningful to them.

Homework could invite students to continue thinking, reflecting, and building relationships among experiences in school and in other places in their lives. In fact, students are doing this kind of work already—making sense of what they encounter in school, in whatever forms that took.

I think of homework as extending and expanding the conversations of the classroom, with space for students to exercise their own creativity and agency in exploring those ideas along the lines of their choosing. Homework could be one way students bring their stories, histories, cultures, and identities into the classroom space to support their learning and participation.

The very notion of “homework” creates a somewhat false distinction in how learning and relationships transcend the spaces of one’s life—school might feel different for students if it were a place to make sense of things happening in their lives.

A conversation about homework also allows us to question the nature of the learning environments in school. If the classroom work is rote, discrete, and shallow—then the thinking that students are doing outside of class might be along the lines of “why are we doing this work?” The teachers I work with are eager for more creative freedom in their classrooms, and perhaps questions about homework might provide opportunities for that.

I would be thrilled if we could collectively explore these dynamics of homework—what opportunities it provides, what harms it enacts—and what new possibilities could be imagined for work at home that supports the project of making schooling a meaningful experience for students.

Brian Gravel , E01, EG04, AG11, is an assistant professor of education in the Tufts School of Arts and Sciences.

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How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?

At the elementary level homework should be brief, at your child’s ability level and involve frequent, voluntary and high interest activities. Young students require high levels of feedback and/or supervision to help them complete assignments correctly. Accurate homework completion is influenced by your child’s ability, the difficulty of the task, and the amount of feedback your child receives. When assigning homework, your child’s teachers may struggle to create a balance at this age between ability, task difficulty and feedback. Unfortunately, there are no simple guiding principles.

We can assure you, however, that your input and feedback on a nightly basis is an essential component in helping your child benefit from the homework experience.

What is the recommended time in elementary school?

In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through sixth grade, students should receive two to four assignments per week, lasting between fifteen and forty-five minutes. At this age, the primarily goal of homework is to help your child develop the independent work and learning skills that will become critical in the higher grades. In the upper grades, the more time spent on homework the greater the achievement gains.

What is the recommended time in middle and high school?

For students in middle and high school grades there are greater overall benefits from time engaged in practicing and thinking about school work. These benefits do not appear to depend as much upon immediate supervision or feedback as they do for elementary students. In seventh through ninth grade we recommend students receive three to five sets of assignments per week, lasting between forty-five and seventy-five minutes per set. In high school students will receive four to five sets of homework per week, taking them between seventy-five and 150 minutes per set to complete.

As children progress through school, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework increases in importance. Due to the significance of homework at the older age levels, it is not surprising that there is more homework assigned. Furthermore, homework is always assigned in college preparatory classes and assigned at least three quarters of the time in special education and vocational training classes. Thus at any age, homework may indicate our academic expectations of children.

Regardless of the amount of homework assigned, many students unsuccessful or struggling in school spend less rather than more time engaged in homework. It is not surprising that students spending less time completing homework may eventually not achieve as consistently as those who complete their homework.

Does this mean that time devoted to homework is the key component necessary for achievement?

We are not completely certain. Some American educators have concluded that if students in America spent as much time doing homework as students in Asian countries they might perform academically as well. It is tempting to assume such a cause and effect relationship.

However, this relationship appears to be an overly simple conclusion. We know that homework is important as one of several influential factors in school success. However, other variables, including student ability, achievement, motivation and teaching quality influence the time students spend with homework tasks. Many students and their parents have told us they experience less difficulty being motivated and completing homework in classes in which they enjoyed the subject, the instruction, the assignments and the teachers.

The benefits from homework are the greatest for students completing the most homework and doing so correctly. Thus, students who devote time to homework are probably on a path to improved achievement. This path also includes higher quality instruction, greater achievement motivation and better skill levels.

Authors: Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. Sydney Zentall

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How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask

African American boy studies for science test from home

Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education ( Viking)—the latest book by author and speaker Sir Ken Robinson (co-authored with Lou Aronica), published in March. For years, Robinson has been known for his radical work on rekindling creativity and passion in schools, including three bestselling books (also with Aronica) on the topic. His TED Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” holds the record for the most-viewed TED talk of all time, with more than 50 million views. While Robinson’s latest book is geared toward parents, it also offers educators a window into the kinds of education concerns parents have for their children, including on the quality and quantity of homework.

The amount of homework young people are given varies a lot from school to school and from grade to grade. In some schools and grades, children have no homework at all. In others, they may have 18 hours or more of homework every week. In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association, is the 10-minute rule: Children should have no more than 10 minutes of homework each day for each grade reached. In 1st grade, children should have 10 minutes of daily homework; in 2nd grade, 20 minutes; and so on to the 12th grade, when on average they should have 120 minutes of homework each day, which is about 10 hours a week. It doesn’t always work out that way.

In 2013, the University of Phoenix College of Education commissioned a survey of how much homework teachers typically give their students. From kindergarten to 5th grade, it was just under three hours per week; from 6th to 8th grade, it was 3.2 hours; and from 9th to 12th grade, it was 3.5 hours.

There are two points to note. First, these are the amounts given by individual teachers. To estimate the total time children are expected to spend on homework, you need to multiply these hours by the number of teachers they work with. High school students who work with five teachers in different curriculum areas may find themselves with 17.5 hours or more of homework a week, which is the equivalent of a part-time job. The other factor is that these are teachers’ estimates of the time that homework should take. The time that individual children spend on it will be more or less than that, according to their abilities and interests. One child may casually dash off a piece of homework in half the time that another will spend laboring through in a cold sweat.

Do students have more homework these days than previous generations? Given all the variables, it’s difficult to say. Some studies suggest they do. In 2007, a study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that, on average, high school students spent around seven hours a week on homework. A similar study in 1994 put the average at less than five hours a week. Mind you, I [Robinson] was in high school in England in the 1960s and spent a lot more time than that—though maybe that was to do with my own ability. One way of judging this is to look at how much homework your own children are given and compare it to what you had at the same age.

Many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all.

There’s also much debate about the value of homework. Supporters argue that it benefits children, teachers, and parents in several ways:

Children learn to deepen their understanding of specific content, to cover content at their own pace, to become more independent learners, to develop problem-solving and time-management skills, and to relate what they learn in school to outside activities.
Teachers can see how well their students understand the lessons; evaluate students’ individual progress, strengths, and weaknesses; and cover more content in class.
Parents can engage practically in their children’s education, see firsthand what their children are being taught in school, and understand more clearly how they’re getting on—what they find easy and what they struggle with in school.

Want to know more about Sir Ken Robinson? Check out our Q&A with him.

Q&A With Sir Ken Robinson

Ashley Norris is assistant dean at the University of Phoenix College of Education. Commenting on her university’s survey, she says, “Homework helps build confidence, responsibility, and problem-solving skills that can set students up for success in high school, college, and in the workplace.”

That may be so, but many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all. Families have busy lives, and it can be hard for parents to find time to help with homework alongside everything else they have to cope with. Norris is convinced it’s worth the effort, especially, she says, because in many schools, the nature of homework is changing. One influence is the growing popularity of the so-called flipped classroom.

In the stereotypical classroom, the teacher spends time in class presenting material to the students. Their homework consists of assignments based on that material. In the flipped classroom, the teacher provides the students with presentational materials—videos, slides, lecture notes—which the students review at home and then bring questions and ideas to school where they work on them collaboratively with the teacher and other students. As Norris notes, in this approach, homework extends the boundaries of the classroom and reframes how time in school can be used more productively, allowing students to “collaborate on learning, learn from each other, maybe critique [each other’s work], and share those experiences.”

Even so, many parents and educators are increasingly concerned that homework, in whatever form it takes, is a bridge too far in the pressured lives of children and their families. It takes away from essential time for their children to relax and unwind after school, to play, to be young, and to be together as a family. On top of that, the benefits of homework are often asserted, but they’re not consistent, and they’re certainly not guaranteed.

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The Age-by-Age Guide to Teaching Kids Time Management

Use these tips to help your child discover how to plan and prioritize her time..

Many kids are overwhelmed by the prospect of fitting everything they have and want to do into the few short hours after school. Between homework, activities, and just time to play, there’s a lot to do. But even though most kids don’t have the cognitive skills to organize their schedules independently until middle school, you can start teaching them how to plan and prioritize their time now. “When we teach children strategies for time management from an early age, they internalize them, which sets them up for lifelong success,” says Lynn Meltzer, Ph.D., president of the Research Institute for Learning and Development , a nonprofit research and educational organization.

Wondering how the heck to begin? No worries. Teachers shared their tips on the essential concepts and lessons to teach, age by age, so you can make this school year’s schedule more manageable, successful, and a whole lot more fun for everyone!

Time Management Tips for Preschoolers

For 3- and 4-year-olds, time is essentially divided into now, and not now. But that’s enough to help them figure out how to predict and plan what comes next. To reinforce that knowledge:

Talk about the changing seasons. All those leaf prints (and later in the year, snowflakes) on display in almost every preschool classroom aren’t coincidental, says Stephanie Lampert, a pre-K teacher from Atlanta. The seasons are a primary vehicle for introducing the cyclical nature of time. “It’s an extremely abstract concept,” she says, “and preschoolers are extremely concrete thinkers. By observing a tree over the seasons, for example, kids can see the progression: The green leaves of summer turn red, then brown, and eventually fall off the tree before coming back to life again in the spring. This is a tangible representation of the passage of time that little ones can understand.” How does that help with time management? By observing the patterns in nature and in their daily lives, little kids intuitively grasp the concept of time — and how to create order. Reinforce those lessons by having your child sort family photos by seasons, for instance. Or point out patterns in nature when you go for a walk.
Create a (picture) schedule. “As adults, we use apps and calendars to remind us what we should be doing and when. In the preschool world, we use pictures — like an apple for snacktime and a book for storytime,” says Ellen Dietrick, a Needham, MA, preschool director whose classrooms are dotted with visual cues to keep her young charges on track. So while these 3- and 4-year-olds can’t tell you the exact hour they have snacks, they know it comes after circle time and before the bathroom break. “It gives them a comforting sense of order and predictability,” Dietrick says. Since little kids love routines and repetition so much, create charts of your child’s morning and bedtime rituals. Then have your child check off the steps as he does them — an important lesson in breaking up a bigger chore into smaller, more manageable ones. Try these nine ways to make choretime fun , too.
Practice waiting. “Time management, at its most basic level, is the ability to delay gratification,” a skill linked to better study habits and grades, among other things, says Dietrick. To strengthen time management, Dietrick devises situations that require her students to wait for something they want. “If they clamor for pajama day, for example, we schedule it for a week away, rather than the following day,” she explains. “We mark the days off on the calendar and build up the excitement as the event gets closer. This gives them a sense of what it feels like to postpone something — and a positive experience to associate with it.” Try something similar with outings and birthdays: Begin talking up that trip to the zoo a few days beforehand, for instance, or tell your child to keep a running birthday wish list. Even planting a bulb, watering it, and watching it slowly bloom teaches the art of patience.

Time Management Tips for Children in Grades K to 2

As kids move through these early grades, they’re learning to read calendars and clocks. Those are the basics they need to stick to a schedule. To reinforce the skill:

Find a place for everything. “A kid can’t finish his morning work if he can’t find his pencil. So organization has to come before time management,” notes Staci Carper, a first-grade teacher from Marietta, GA. To motivate her students, Carper created Deskalina, a cousin of the tooth fairy, who looks for clean and orderly desks and leaves a note, a prize, or a piece of candy when she finds one. When Deskalina starts flitting about, the desks in Carper’s classroom suddenly become tidy. Carper also sets up clear routines, like a “Keep Here” folder for unfinished schoolwork and a “Take Home” one for homework. To encourage your child to keep her homework supplies (or room) organized, invent your own mythical being to bestow treats and notes. An easy-to-spot weekly checklist (“Homework in backpack? Reading log signed?”) will also go a long way in keeping your kid on top of things.
Use a visual timer. To help her first graders comprehend how much time is left to complete a task, Carper displays a pie-like visual timer on her Smartboard. When she sets it for 15 minutes, for example, one-quarter of the “pie” turns green. As the seconds tick away, the slice becomes smaller, and when there are only five minutes left, the slice turns red. Seeing time literally slipping away can help kids pace themselves, she explains. You don’t have to be a teacher to score a visual timer — apps like Children’s Countdown (for younger kids) and Time Timer fit the bill just as well. So do old-school egg and sand timers. Use any during homework sessions. If you have a second grader, for instance, set the timer for 20 or 25 minutes. Give your child a star each night he finishes before the buzzer, and reward a week’s worth of stars with a special treat over the weekend (like a one-on-one walk to the park with you). The goal is to help kids tackle their assignments more effectively and efficiently, while making them more aware of the ticking clock, Carper says.
Be clear about consequences. “Grade-schoolers can and should be held accountable for their own assignments and they need to feel the consequences when they drop the ball,” says Joan Greenfield, a second-grade teacher from West Hartford, CT. Sometimes those results happen naturally (i.e., if she doesn’t study her spelling words, she probably won’t do well on the test); other times an adult has to set the ramifications. Every Friday, for example, Greenfield has something called Choice Time, when students get to choose what they want to play with, from board games to Legos to computers. “My students live for Choice Time. But our class rule is that they only get to participate if they’ve completed all the assignments in their classwork folders.” The valuable lesson kids get? “Good things happen when I work hard and manage my time and missing them is what happens when I don’t,” Greenfield explains. Your child has a better shot at absorbing this lesson if you resist the urge to email an excuse to the teacher every time she fails to turn in her homework, says Greenfield. Instead, give your kid the onus of explaining to the teacher what went wrong, and how she plans to avoid the problem next time. Discover more do's and don't for helping your child with homework .

Time Management for Children in Grades 3 to 5

Homework and extracurriculars increase at this age so it’s even more important that kids learn how to set goals, prioritize, organize, and think flexibly, says Dr. Meltzer. Your goal: To get your child to manage his time more purposefully, without a lot of nagging and hovering. How to accomplish this:

Work on estimating time. “In order to make a realistic schedule, you need a good sense of how long things take,” says Marcia Grosswald, an upper-elementary resource teacher in Summit, NJ. To teach this vital skill, Grosswald has her students spend a few minutes at the end of the day planning their after-school hours. “I give them a chart that breaks the afternoon and evening hours into 15-minute intervals,” she explains. “Each time slot is followed by three columns: what kids plans to do, what they actually did, and reflection.” The reflection piece is essential, Grosswald says, because constantly reassessing how things are going helps a kid adapt his schedule accordingly: Last time I had a soccer game at 5 p.m., I had tough time concentrating on my homework afterward. This time, I’m going to do my hardest assignments before practice. If your child’s teacher doesn’t do this, do it yourself at home. Make a chart, have your child fill out the first column himself, and then fill out the last two items together, discussing what went according to plan — and what your child can do about the things that went awry.
Plan for long-term assignments. Deciding when to do tonight’s math assignment is one thing. Figuring out how and when to tackle the book report diorama that’s due three weeks from Tuesday is quite another. “The key with long-range projects is to break them down into smaller steps — reading the book, for instance, or shopping for materials — and then break those tasks down into even smaller nightly assignments, like reading chapters one to three,” says Amy Broocke, who coordinates a tutoring program at her school in Richmond, VA. She also suggests your child use sticky notes when she’s adding tasks to the calendar; that way, the note can easily be moved to another day if the assignment takes longer than expected. Your child can also plan the steps necessary to complete a project by working backward from the due date, suggests Grosswald. Talk through the process together so the assignment feels less overwhelming: You probably need a day to shop for materials and three days to do the diorama. That leaves you with 10 days to finish the book. It’s 150 pages long so you need to read 15 pages a day. Here's how to create a stress-free study space .
Set priorities. “It’s essential kids learn to differentiate between ‘have tos’ and ‘want tos’ and learn to prioritize and self-monitor,” says Meltzer. To help her class do that, Grosswald uses a rock, pebble, and water analogy. The rocks and pebbles represent the students’ duties, she explains, with the rocks signifying their most essential tasks (like school, homework, and sleep) and the pebbles representing their extracurricular commitments. The water stands in for want-to-dos, like video games and hanging out with friends. “I use a jar to represent a day,” she says. “The rocks go in first because they are things you have to do whether you like it or not. Next come the pebbles. But there’s still some room in the jar, so we pour water until our jar — and the day is full.” If you do the rock jar at home, as I did, you’ll have a chance to chat with your kid about her goals, priorities and passions. Don’t be afraid to make changes if you notice the balance is a bit out of whack. After our conversation, we decided Emma would kick off the school year with fewer extracurricular pebbles crammed between the rocks — and a lot more of that refreshing water known as chill time.

Photo credit: 101cats/iStockphoto

Repair Your Relationship With Your Child In Less Than 17 Seconds!

How do you know if your kid’s homework is appropriate?

As parents, we get frustrated with the amount or type of homework that our kids bring home.

But how can we tell if it’s just our mood or if the work is appropriate? Also, what to do about it?

(P.S. If you want more help with this, you’re going to love Chapter 3 of my book, Drama Free Homework available on Amazon.)

Homework can cause parents and families so much frustration! Especially when we think its busywork! This advice for moms and dads will help you judge if homework is appropriate and what to do if it isn’t.

In my first years of teaching fifth grade, I knew that my students needed help in spelling.

Sooooo much help in spelling.

However, I had no idea what to do. Sure, we had a district spelling program with 20 words a week…

But it never taught my students how to spell. If they didn’t know how to spell by the time they reached fourth grade, there was not much to help.

I thought, well, maybe all they need is more practice.

Thus, my colleague and I created the spelling packet from hell.

I didn’t think of it like that at the time, but looking back that was an appropriate name.

We asked kids to alphabetize all 20 spelling words, write them three times each, and color code each word into syllables. I can’t even remember everything that we asked.

But it was 5 pages…

Everyone told us that good teachers were tough and expected a lot out of their students. THIS is what we thought we were doing.

READ: Five Tips That’ll Help Your Kid Laser Focus on Homework

After a few weeks, we found that the students who aced spelling tests on the regular had no problem completing the killer spelling packet. However, the horrible spelling packet had no effect with the kids who struggled.

Probably, just refinforced the idea that spelling, well, sucked.

We continued assigning the spelling packet until one of our curriculum coaches took us aside and asked, “Wouldn’t you be mad if a teacher asked you to do this?”

Fair point. Yes. Yes…

I would be furious.

This spelling packet was not appropriate homework for a fifth grader. It was busy work. Boring, repetitive, monkey-like tasks that asked no critical thinking.

Well-meaning teachers everywhere have assigned this type of homework at one time or another. When I asked the No Guilt Mom tribe on Facebook what homework they received that seemed useless they said,

“ Alllll the same, repetitive daily assigned homework. Seriously, its basically the same thing every day just different words/numbers. Same concept, same layout.” – Allison

“Making 49 cards about Greek Mythology characters. They had to write 3 facts about each character and draw a picture for each one. Just Ridiculous!! A few cards/characters would have been ideal, 49 was outrageous.” – Miranda

What is the appropriate homework?

Appropriate homework asks kids to use a skill already learned in class.

It doesn’t require re-teaching by you. Maybe it’s writing a paragraph to reflect on a reading passage. Perhaps it’s practicing a few math problems.

The amount of homework depends on the child’s age. A guidepoint recommended by the Parent-Teacher’s Association is 10 minutes for every grade level. For instance, first grade gets 10 minutes, second grade gets 20 minutes and so on.

Know that these are rough guidelines. As a fifth grade teacher, I aimed for 30 minutes of math practice a night plus 20 minutes of reading.

If my child gets more than this?

If homework causes a strain in your home and is taking WAY longer than the recommended amount, bring it up with child’s teacher.

Something is amiss.

Either the teacher, like me, doesn’t realize this strain of homework, or your child needs extra help grasping a skill and this will be the opportunity to fix that.

Whatever it is, know that it isn’t your sole responsibility for your child to get all his or her homework done.

It’s your child’s responsibility to do homework.

You and the teacher are consultants and coaches. You help and assist where needed. Maybe gently guide the kid where he or she needs to go. But know, the moment you become the enforcer, the homework war is on and you’ve lost.

Read: How to Stay Calm and Win the Homework Battle

That’s putting it harsh, I know. But the only way to improve homework for your kids is to:

first, figure out why he or she is stumbling and then
work with them on how to overcome those obstacles.

Talking with the teacher to make sure you, the teacher and your child are all on the same page will make it easier to move forward and help.

Appropriate homework doesn’t cause undue frustration. A little frustration is good, but if homework causes a fight every night, that’s a sign something needs to change.

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Conversation with my daughter: Cam: Mama, I want to make a surprise for Daddy. Me: Ok, what should we make? Cam: Something with chocolate because…

The Nursing Mom’s Guide to Going Back to Work

Maternity leave is almost over. You are breastfeeding your baby and you are worried.

You are worried about leaving your little one during the day, concerned about how to adjust to the new routine and also how you are going to keep up with nursing.

We get that!

Whole Wheat Freezer Waffles

I’ve been looking for ways to simplify our morning routine while eating healthy. I’ve heard of other families making waffles in big batches and freezing…

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Going on your first Disney Cruise vacation? You simply must get in on the fish extender gift exchange!

Here’s the lowdown on what it is, how to sign up and a few awesome gift ideas.

Are My Kids Spoiled? 3 Signs of Entitled Behavior (and what you can do!)

Walking past the Disney store, I see a kid in mid-breakdown.

Her face is red, her eyes are wet.

The woman -I can only assume is her mom – stands above her and repeats, “No, you can’t get a toy from the Disney store.”

“WHY?!?,” the little girl screams, “WHY! It’s not fair! You said we could. It’s not fair!!”

Is this little girl spoiled?

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Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says

A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.

The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.

But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:

For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.

But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”

A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.

New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.

The research

The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.

Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.

Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.

Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.

“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”

Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.

“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.

The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.

“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”

Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.

“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

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The Ultimate List of Age-Appropriate Chores for Children and Teens

There are many benefits to having children help around the home. Giving children chores can make them feel important, teach essential life skills, and help ease the workload for parents. Studies have found that providing children with tasks to complete early on will help create a solid work ethic while developing responsibility, self-reliance, and other vital life skills.

Children are capable of handling much more than some people may first believe. Even toddlers can help with the smallest and simplest chores, and by the time they’re teenagers, they can manage most of what their parents can. The key is to start your kids off with small household tasks at a young age and slowly teach them more complicated chores over time. Setting expectations as soon as it’s developmentally appropriate can help ease any arguing later on as they become older and begin to test boundaries.

The following is an ultimate age-appropriate list of chores for children ages two to eighteen:

Toddlers (Ages 2-3)

Toddlers can complete simple tasks around the home. Toddlers are also at an age where they find the idea of helping their parents, caretakers, or older siblings as one of the most exciting things they can do. Young children learn about their world primarily through watching others do something and then copying their actions. Take advantage of this developmental stage to begin teaching your children some responsibility.

It’s important to note that toddlers need supervision and guidance with their chores. By the time they reach preschool age, kids can usually complete some tasks unsupervised.

A few examples of chores that toddlers can complete are:

Put their toys away
Fill up a cat or dog’s food bowl
Place clothing in the hamper
Wipe up spills
Dust or wipe baseboards with a sock on their hand
Pile up books and magazines on shelves or tables
Help load the washer and dryer
Mop small areas with a dry mop

Preschoolers (Ages 4-5)

Preschoolers continue to feel the same desire to help their parents because they’re still learning through observing their elders. There are even some chores your children can do without supervision at this age. Typically, these will be the same ones they completed when they were toddlers, including one or two new tasks they’re naturally adept at doing.

The increased ability at this stage is largely attributable to preschoolers starting to master the skills necessary to perform tasks without supervision. Their hand-eye coordination will have improved at this stage, including their ability to follow more complex instructions. Whereas toddlers need to be told each step associated with a task, preschoolers may have the ability to remember and follow instructions up to two or three steps at a time.

In addition to the chores listed above, preschoolers can typically help with the following duties:

Make their bed without supervision
Clear the table
Use a hand-held vacuum for crumbs or room edges
Water flowers
Put away clean utensils
Wash plastic dishes with supervision
Assist an older sibling with setting the table
Help bring in light groceries
Sort laundry into whites and colors before wash
Match socks together
Dust with a cloth
Care for an animal’s food and water dish

Primary Schoolers (Ages 6-9)

Once a child reaches primary school age, they can take on much more responsibility without supervision. They can start learning more physically challenging or complex tasks as they continue to develop necessary skills.

Parents should understand that this age group will sometimes start “rebelling” against the idea of doing chores as they learn more independence. However, try to remain patient and consistent with the expectation that your kids continue to help around the home. Some children may never challenge their parents in this way. Whether they do or not will largely depend on their unique personalities .

In addition to the chores listed for both toddlers and preschoolers above, primary schoolers between the ages of 6 and 9 can usually complete the following tasks:

Sweep floors
Help make bagged or boxed lunches
Rake the yard
Clean their bedrooms, with minimal supervision
Put away groceries
Load the dishwasher
Empty the dishwasher or drain
Wipe down counters and sinks
Help a parent prepare dinner
Make themselves snacks/breakfast
Scrub the table after meals
Fold and put away their laundry
Take the family dog for a walk (in the yard or with supervision)
Wet mop the floor
Empty indoor trash bins into the kitchen trash

Middle Schoolers (Ages 10-13)

Preteens or middle schoolers can do many tasks independently and be held responsible for them without constant reminders. Many families decide to create a chore chart or task list for their children at this age. Parents can hold their children accountable and check just once a day to mark things off the list or chart; this helps kids learn self-reliance and to be responsible for themselves when no one is looking.

In addition to the tasks listed in the sections above for younger kids, children between the ages of 10 and 13 should be able to do the following chores:

Wash the dishes or load the dishwasher without assistance
Wash the family car
Prepare easy meals without assistance
Use the clothes washer and dryer
Take trash to the bins
Take trash bins to the curb
Babysit younger siblings with parents at home

High Schoolers (Ages 14+)

By the time your child reaches high school, they can do nearly any household task you can. This is the perfect age to start ensuring your teen is fully prepared for the eventuality of living on their own. While not all kids fly the nest upon reaching eighteen, the day will eventually come when they will have to rely on the life skills you’ve taught them. Thanks to the rising costs of living and excessive student loan debts, more children are deciding to live at home while attending college or saving for a home of their own than in recent years. If your child stays with you beyond the age of eighteen, they can continue helping around the house.

In addition to the tasks listed in previous sections, children over the age of fourteen can complete the following chores:

Clean out the fridge
Help deep clean kitchen (appliances and cabinets)
Clean the toilet, sink, and shower in the bathroom
Clean windows
Babysit younger siblings independently (for short periods)
Mow the lawn
Care for pets independently (including walks)
Make more complex meals
Accomplish small shopping trips alone (after receiving their license)
Iron clothes
Resew buttons on clothing
Help parents with simple home or auto repairs

Children are capable of accomplishing much more than parents might think. Even the youngest family members can help with household tasks as early as age two, and by the time your child reaches their teenage years, they can complete nearly any chore you can. There are many benefits to giving children chores, and it also makes life a lot easier for parents.

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Age Appropriate Study Habits

We aren’t born with good study habits. We learn them, we practice them, and eventually they become second-nature. But how does this process start? And when? Building good study and work habits can begin as early as pre-school. One could even argue that a parent’s work ethic and attitude can rub off on children as young as toddlers! After all, you are their first and primary “teacher” and they love to mimic everything you do. So aside from showing them what good work habits look like in our own work lives, how do children develop their own work ethic? What should this work ethic look like at various ages? Here are some tips and general guidelines around what you can expect and encourage:

Early Elementary: Motivation

In their first experiences with academic tasks the most important work habit children should build is motivation to get started. This has a lot to do with the messages we send them around “homework” and other tasks that might not necessarily be their first choice. Lots of kids eventually develop the mindset that homework is a chore and something to dread. Sometimes, this mentality is unavoidable, but there are things we can do to prevent it!

Simply changing the language we use with our kids at homework time can shift the way they think about it. Instead of presenting it as a responsibility (which it is), present it as something fun! Take the first few minutes to sit with them and engage with them in what it is they’re doing. Show genuine interest in the book they are reading, or the math problem they are solving. And most importantly, eliminate pressure for them to get it right the first time!

Upper Elementary: Independence

The next study milestone in a student’s development is increased independence. If your child has been lucky enough to develop and maintain a healthy level of motivation (or at least a desire to get things out of the way), then around third or fourth grade, he or she should begin to develop the ability to execute homework routines independently. Younger students may need you to help them locate their homework, collect necessary materials, and them pack up when they’re finished. As students get older, they should be able to do these things on their own. Depending on how strong your child’s executive functioning skills are, this may take more or less time for them to fully develop.

Middle School: Organization

The increasing demands that middle school work presents require that students become more organized. This includes both organization of physical materials and space, as well as the ability to organize their thoughts and ideas. For most students, these go hand-in-hand. That is to say, if a student has trouble keeping his or her workspace organized, chances are he also struggles with organizing his thoughts and ideas. To assist students in organizing space, consider simple but effective tools like labels and color-coding . To help them strengthen their ability to organize their thoughts, offer graphic organizers, which can work wonders in this department.

High School: Initiative

At the high school level, a majority of students’ schoolwork has evolved from worksheets and nightly tasks to longer-term assignments that require those strong executive functioning skills like planning and organization. A key skill at this level is taking initiative. This includes the ability to self advocate, start and finish assignments in a timely manner, and utilize strategies that are effective for completing work. A common reason that students lack initiative is when they don’t see how their learning is relevant to their lives. Both teachers and parents can work toward building this initiative by helping students see these connections. The more relevant their work feels to them, the more likely students are to have that intrinsic motivation you worked so hard to help them develop at a young age!

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Family Life

Age-appropriate chores for children.

Age-appropriate chores and responsibilities are an important part of a child's development. Here are some reasons why helping out at home is good for kids, along with age-based tips and useful strategies for your family.

Have kids start pitching in early

Young children are naturally eager helpers. Take advantage of this and develop a culture of teamwork in your home. Most preschool age kids can start pitching in with some simple household tasks. This teaches them life skills and how to cooperate with a group (in this case, your family).

Helping to keep the home running smoothly boosts a child's self-esteem. Just don't expect perfection; this is a learning process, and children will develop their skills over time. Praise your child's effort in each task, not the outcome. Small accomplishments lead to bigger ones. Kids can take on more responsibilities as they move through their school years and adolescence.

Some age-appropriate chores for kids:

5–7 years: old Make their own beds, set and clear the table for mealtimes, weed and rake leaves, make and pack school lunches, dust, put toys away, neaten bookshelves, put dirty clothes in a hamper, fill pet's food dish, empty wastebaskets, sweep floors, sort laundry, bring in mail/newspaper, water flowers, and wash plastic dishes in the sink.
8–10 years old: All of the above, plus vacuum, help make dinner, make their own snacks, take a pet for walk, put away their own laundry and put away groceries.
11–12 years old: All of the above, as well as clean the kitchen, change bedsheets, unload the dishwasher, do and fold laundry, scrub toilets and clean the bathroom, wash the car, cook a simple meal with supervision, and watch younger sibling(s) with an adult present at home.

Making chores part of the family routine To help establish chores as the norm, rather than the exception, be consistent. A specific chore chart or checklist can help. It acts as a visual reminder to keep all members of the family on task. It also provides each child with a sense of accomplishment with each completed task.

Tips to encourage your child & avoid battles over chores

As your own child takes on more responsibilities, they will likely have periods when they procrastinate or need reminders. Most kids do. During these times, encouragement and gentle guidance and positive praise will point them in the right direction.

If your child continues to shrug their chores and responsibilities, or need frequent reminders, here are some simple management techniques that can help:

Carefully spell out the tasks your child must perform. Make sure they understand what is expected of them on a daily and a weekly basis. Star charts or chore lists posted in your child's room or on the refrigerator should clearly show what your expectations are. With a school-age child, particularly one who has not taken on responsibilities before, introduce one new task at a time; a long list can be overwhelming.

Give honest praise. This can be the most effective way of motivating your child and guaranteeing their success. As your child completes a regular task, praise them and the effort they made. Initiating tasks on their own without a reminder, completing a special task or doing an unusually good job mights praise. You may also want to consider tangible rewards like allowances and stickers tied to completed chores.

Build structure and routines into your family life. This can give your child a greater chance of remembering their chores. Encourage them to do their chores at the same time each day. Routines of other activities—including meals, homework, play and bedtime—also can teach organization and help them develop responsibility.

Schedule regular family meetings to review your child's progress . Ask for their ideas about chores and other responsibilities. Create new or modified "contracts" for the chores that are expected of them. Most importantly, supervise and support your child. This is the best way to ensure that they are being responsible.

When your child makes a choice not to complete their chores and other responsibilities, consider consequences. For example, you might decide to revoke certain privileges or special activities. Badgering or scolding a child is not an effective method to get them to accept more responsibility; rewarding successes and providing encouragement is always much more effective. Remember that electronic devices and screen time are privileges, not rights.

Keep realistic expectations

Sometimes parents may demand too much of their children or criticize the outcome of the chore. Or, they may assign too many responsibilities. Kids may feel overwhelmed and resist taking on any responsibilities at all. Try to avoid overloading, while still making sure your children assume an appropriate level of responsibility.

Children, of course, differ in the personal traits and temperament they bring to tasks. Some may tend to drift away in the middle of chores. Others have difficulty getting organized, or have trouble shifting from one activity to another. Factor your child's style in your expectations.

Too busy for chores?

Families whose kids are overscheduled, in too many sports and extracurriculars, may feel the child is too busy for chores and might not instill this basic life skill; this is a mistake. Children need to have obligations and duties within the family, so they learn to accept responsibility. Ensure that kids develop skills to contribute to the household, with increased expectations as they mature.

Different families, different responsibilities

At times, kids may point out different levels of responsibility their friends are assigned in their homes. Use this is a chance to discuss what own your family's rules and culture are.

Your pediatrician can help

If you are concerned that your child is not taking on their household responsibilities despite various efforts, share these concerns with your pediatrician. They may reassure you that your child is behaving in an age-appropriate manner. The pediatrician may be concerned if your child consistently fails to complete everyday home responsibilities in addition to having similar issues at school.

More information

Household Chores for Teens
Time Management for Teens: Less Stress, More Balance

A List of Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids 2 to 18

Even young kids can help around the household with simple chores for every year

Becky Rapinchuk is a natural cleaning expert, home-keeping expert, and founder of the lifestyle brand, Clean Mama. She has published 4 best-selling books on cleaning.

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

Ages 2 and 3

Ages 4 and 5, ages 6 to 8, ages 9 to 12, ages 13 to 18.

What to Avoid

Assigning chores to children can be beneficial to their development. Children who regularly do chores tend to have higher self-esteem, be more patient, and be better equipped to handle frustration and responsibility. These skills can lead to greater success in various aspects of life, such as school, work, and relationships.

The complexity of these chores naturally varies per age. The chores a 3-year-old typically has are tiny fixes like putting toys away. By contrast, the chores a 12-year-old would be best at are more involved, such as operating appliances and cleaning entire rooms. Use this list of chores as a guideline when creating age-appropriate chore charts for your children.

Toddlers love to help with chores, and while their assistance may not always be as effective as we would hope, it's worth it to keep up their excitement and helping habit. Many toddlers love seeing a visual reminder of their success, so making sticker charts is a great choice. Although chores may only be completed with your input each step of the way, you are creating positive habits for children to find chores and helping others a way of life.

Helping make the bed
Picking up toys and books
Putting laundry in the hamper or in the laundry room
Helping to feed pets
Helping to wipe up messes
Dusting with socks on their hands
Putting small items in a dishwasher
Dry mopping in small areas with help to maneuver the mop

The Spruce / Xiaojie Liu

The great thing about preschool-aged kids is that they are still reasonably motivated to help. Preschoolers also love individual time with adults. If you take some time to teach them new chores one-on-one, they usually love it.

Many kids at this age are ready to do chores without constant supervision. They also love rewards. Try using a daily chore chart with stickers that allow them to build up to bigger rewards. For some preschoolers, tying chores to an allowance is a great choice. This incentive can also foster independence by allowing them to choose a reward.

Helping to clear and set the table
Making bed independently
Helping out to cook and prepare food
Carrying and putting away groceries
Sorting laundry whites and colors
Watering plants using a small container
Pulling garden weeds
Washing small dishes at the sink
Helping to clean their room
Putting away groceries

Although enthusiasm for chores may diminish for school-aged kids, they have other redeeming qualities that work well for chores. Most school-aged children have an overwhelming desire to be independent. Parents and caregivers can guide children to become self-sufficient in their chores by using chore charts to keep track of their responsibilities. Note completed tasks, as this will help motivate children to continue working.

Taking care of pets
Vacuuming , sweeping, mopping, wiping down surfaces
Empty indoor trash cans and taking it outside
Folding and putting away laundry
Making their snacks, breakfast, and bagged lunches
Emptying and loading the dishwasher
Walking the dog with pooper-scooper supervision
Raking leaves
Clean their bedroom
Help put away groceries
Assist with making dinner

Kids at this age will appreciate a set schedule and expectations. Throw a lot of unexpected work at them and watch them get upset. If you can create a schedule or system with a bit of input from them, you'll have a smooth transition. It's best to find a system that works for your family. Try not to change it without the input and support of the people it directly affects.

Part of this system should address rewards and negative consequences so that these results are laid out and understood in advance.

Helping to wash the car
Wash dishes or fill and empty the dishwasher
Prepare simple meals
Cleaning parts of the bathroom
Doing laundry and operating the washer and dryer
Taking out the garbage
Babysitting younger siblings (ages 11 and 12)
Walking the dog and full pooper-scooper responsibility

Most teenagers can handle nearly any chore in the home as long as they've been taught properly. One thing to be sensitive to is their cramped schedules. Just as we get overwhelmed when we have too much to do, teenagers can find themselves struggling to maintain an unmanageable workload. Monitor your teen's schedule and school commitments; adjust activities and chores accordingly.

Replacing light bulbs
Cleaning bathrooms, including toilets and showers
Vacuuming, changing vacuum cleaner bags, or emptying the canister
Doing their own (or the household's) laundry
Washing windows
Cleaning out the refrigerator and other kitchen appliances
Preparing meals
Preparing grocery lists or going food shopping
Repairing clothes, such as sewing on missing buttons or fixing small tears
Ironing clothes
Mowing the lawn
Caring for pets completely (feeding, walking, grooming)
Setting and clearing the table

Remember that children mature at their own pace, and not all kids will be capable of advanced chores at the same age. Likewise, some children may be ready for more difficult tasks at a younger age. You are best positioned to supervise and evaluate your child's needs and abilities.

You can advance children through more challenging chores as they master the basic ones. It can be easy to let kids continue to perform the same chores because they're good at them, but introducing new chores at regular intervals will actually benefit them in the long term. Institute a "training period" with new chores while teaching them the ins and outs of new tasks.

What to Avoid When Making Chore Lists

The list of things to avoid when making chore lists can often be longer than the chore list itself. Consider the following when creating chore lists for kids of any age:

Do Not Start Too Late

Kids can start doing chores as early as two years old. At that point, kids love to help out parents and family members.

Do Not Make Chores Complicated

If you're in a rush, your chore list may not be clear to a child. Your handwriting may be messy, or the instructions may be confusing, causing a kid to zone out. The fix? Use easy-to-read picture chore cards. For example, if you post a vacuuming chore, print out a basic image of a vacuum and stick it on the chart.

Do Not Change Schedules Too Often

Kids thrive on consistency. They need to know what to expect from their daily lives. A consistent schedule of chores can help your child become an expert in handling that particular duty. It can allow your child to become good at a particular chore rather than trying to learn a new one every week.

Avoid Becoming a Perfectionist

No one is perfect, and that's the message you must instill in your child. If you insist on perfectionism, your child will rebel against doing chores. When a child finishes a chore that's less than acceptable in your eyes, turn it into a teaching moment and gently show them the correct way.

Do Not Use Lists to Control Kids

Chores are boring, but they are not meant to torture or control kids. The point of a chore list is to help kids learn to become accountable and responsible as they grow older. The fix? Help them become excited about chores by using small, simple rewards as an incentive to adhere to the chore chart.

Large and complicated rewards will confuse kids (and yourself), so keep it super easy with coins or small rewards, such as staying up a half hour later to complete a specific chore.

Do Not Forget to Say Thanks

Giving your child a genuine smile and a verbal thank you goes a long way. It shows how much you appreciate your child's efforts. By expressing thanks to them, your kids will feel more capable of accomplishing everyday tasks, and encourage them to be part of the family, a team, and the community.

Assigning chores to children teaches them responsibility, instills self-confidence, and helps them grow and learn how to care for themselves and the family home. Research shows that it prepares them for being grown-ups and on their own and has an overall positive impact on their well-being.

Start giving them small chores when they're toddlers. Have them help put away their toys and pick up clothes. Kids between the ages of two and three love helping their parents and siblings.

Using stickers and chore charts visually shows your kids what they've accomplished. A sticker chart is a great motivator for children ages two to five, while a chore chart might work better for ages six to nine.

This topic is frequently debated; however, according to a recent survey by T. Rowe Price, 69% of American children get an allowance, averaging $20 a week. Some parents state it instills a healthy work ethic, while others suggest that as members of the household, everyone should pitch in to help the family and not expect a "reward."

Chores and Children . American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

White EM, DeBoer MD, Scharf RJ. Associations Between Household Chores and Childhood Self-Competency . J Dev Behav Pediatr. , no. 40, vol. 3, 2019, pp. 176-182. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000637

14th Annual Parents, Kids, & Money Survey . T. Rowe Price.

Age-Appropriate Curriculum

Nurturing Growth: Designing an Age-Appropriate Curriculum for Preschoolers

Preschool is a critical phase in a child’s development, where they embark on a journey of exploration, discovery, and learning. It is during this formative period that preschoolers develop fundamental skills and lay the foundation for future academic success. A well-designed and age-appropriate curriculum is essential to support their holistic growth and provide them with the tools they need to thrive. In this article, we will delve into the key components of an effective preschool curriculum, focusing on cognitive development, social-emotional learning, physical development, and creative expression.

Preschoolers possess remarkable cognitive potential, and it is crucial to provide them with stimulating and developmentally appropriate activities that promote their cognitive growth.

Preschoolers have an innate curiosity about the world around them. Providing opportunities for hands-on scientific exploration, such as observing plants and animals, conducting simple experiments, and exploring the properties of materials, nurtures their scientific thinking and fosters a sense of wonder and discovery.

Preschool is a critical period for the development of social and emotional skills. A well-rounded curriculum must prioritize the promotion of positive relationships, emotional regulation, and empathy.

Developing empathy is crucial for preschoolers as they learn to understand and respect the feelings and perspectives of others. Engaging in discussions about empathy, encouraging acts of kindness, and teaching conflict resolution skills promote a caring and inclusive classroom environment.

Preschoolers are bundles of energy, and a curriculum that incorporates physical development activities not only promotes their physical health but also enhances their cognitive abilities.

Promoting healthy habits, such as proper nutrition, hygiene, and rest, is integral to a preschooler’s physical development. Incorporating lessons and activities on healthy eating, personal hygiene, and the importance of regular exercise cultivates lifelong habits that contribute to their overall well-being.

Preschoolers are naturally creative beings, and a curriculum that encourages their artistic expression nurtures their imagination and self-expression.

An age-appropriate curriculum for preschoolers should encompass a holistic approach that addresses their cognitive, social-emotional, physical, and creative needs. By fostering their love for learning, promoting positive relationships, and providing stimulating and engaging experiences, we set the stage for their future academic success and personal development. Let us embrace the responsibility of designing and implementing a curriculum that nurtures the unique potential of every preschooler, ensuring they embark on a lifelong journey of growth and discovery.

Preschoolers come from diverse backgrounds, each with their own strengths, interests, and learning styles. An effective age-appropriate curriculum recognizes and celebrates this diversity, providing opportunities for individualized learning and personalized instruction.

Collaborating with families is essential for understanding a child’s background, culture, and learning experiences outside of the classroom. Regular communication, parent-teacher conferences, and involving families in decision-making processes ensure that the curriculum reflects the values, traditions, and aspirations of each child’s family. This partnership between educators and families promotes a holistic approach to a preschooler’s development.

Play is a natural and powerful way for preschoolers to learn, make sense of the world, and develop essential skills. An age-appropriate curriculum embraces the importance of play-based learning, providing a balance between structured activities and free play.

Play and academics need not be separate entities. An effective curriculum integrates play into academic subjects, creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences. For example, using blocks or manipulatives to explore mathematical concepts, incorporating dramatic play to learn about historical events, or engaging in storytelling to enhance language and literacy skills.

In today’s digital age, technology plays a significant role in our lives. When appropriately integrated into an age-appropriate curriculum, technology can enhance learning experiences and prepare preschoolers for the digital world they will inhabit.

As the early years are a crucial time for preschoolers’ development, it is essential to design an age-appropriate curriculum that caters to their specific needs and abilities. Let us delve deeper into the key components of an effective preschool curriculum and explore additional areas of focus.

An inclusive preschool curriculum should celebrate and value diversity, fostering an understanding and appreciation for different cultures, traditions, and perspectives.

Nurturing a sense of global citizenship in preschoolers can be achieved through activities that explore different countries, continents, and languages. Learning about world landmarks, exploring maps, and engaging in pen pal projects or virtual exchanges with preschoolers from other countries broaden their horizons and cultivate a global perspective.

Encouraging preschoolers to think critically and solve problems from an early age equips them with valuable skills for lifelong learning.

Allowing preschoolers to make choices and decisions within a structured environment empowers them and helps develop their decision-making skills. Providing opportunities for them to choose activities, make group decisions, and reflect on the outcomes fosters their independence and critical thinking abilities.

In today’s technology-driven world, it is important to introduce preschoolers to age-appropriate technology and develop their digital literacy skills.

As preschoolers are exposed to various forms of media, teaching them media literacy skills empowers them to be critical consumers of information. Engaging in discussions about media messages, identifying age-appropriate content, and promoting healthy media choices foster their ability to analyze and interpret media effectively.

By incorporating these additional areas of focus into the preschool curriculum, we can provide a comprehensive and well-rounded educational experience for preschoolers, addressing their cognitive, social-emotional, physical, cultural, problem-solving, and digital literacy needs.

Designing an age-appropriate curriculum for preschoolers is a multifaceted and crucial task. By recognizing and addressing the diverse needs and abilities of preschoolers, we can create a learning environment that promotes their holistic growth and development. From cognitive stimulation and social-emotional learning to physical development, creative expression, cultural awareness, problem-solving, and digital literacy, each component plays a vital role in nurturing preschoolers’ potential.

As educators, caregivers, and society, let us embrace the responsibility of designing and implementing curriculum that empowers preschoolers to flourish. By providing them with a strong foundation in their early years, we equip them with the tools and skills they need to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Let us foster a love for learning, celebrate diversity, encourage critical thinking, and nurture their innate curiosity, ensuring that every preschooler has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Happy Housewife™ :: Home Management

Where Martha Meets Real Life

Age Appropriate Chores for Kids: Printable

by Toni Herrbach

Teaching your kids to do chores at a young age is the key to developing a good habits in your children. Last year I shared age appropriate chores for kids based on my own family’s experience. Summer is a great time to get kids into the habit of doing chores. With more free time in the morning and evening good habits can take hold before the school year begins again. This year I have a printable available for those who want to use it as a resource in their home.

Download the FREE Age Appropriate Chores for Kids printable here .

Melissa and Doug Chore Responsbility Chart

A few of my favorite Chore Charts for Kids:

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magnetic Responsibility Chart
Magnetic Dry Erase Rewards Chore Chart with Marker and Magnets
Chore Charts & Stickers

Katena says

This is a really good guide. Also take into accout if you have developmentally delayed children. You just moved the chores backyards. Great guide thanks for sharing

Thank you. I was just thinking I need to get my 3 and 5 year olds into some chores. How many would you give to a child? Do you have a good chore chart printable?

Amanda says

Not sure if anyone has responded to you (I just stumbled on this website looking for more ideas for my six children), the rule of thumb for how many chores to give to your children is 1 for every year of their age.

Christine says

Thanks for sharing! I have a 3 year old and have been looking for ways for her to help out… good to have a guide 🙂

Thank you!!!

Ashley says

Thank you so much for this!! My 3 year old already helps me with several things on this list. It’s nice to add a few more that I didn’t think of. Of course at his age we make it a game and he thinks its fun! In fact he loves to feed our dog (with supervision). Thanks again!

Rachel says

This looks like a really good list! Thanks so much!

I’m all for teaching kids about chores, but some of the toddler and preschool chores seem like a stretch to me, unless they are merely helping. A 4 year old washing dishes? I find it hilarious that that is the only one on that list that says “with supervision.”

romney says

Yeah, how many dishes are you prepared to lose for the sake of getting them involved and learning life skills? Nice idea. More trouble than its worth though.

I used to be more concerned with material items then the lessons my kids learned from me also. But then I realized that was me being a selfish parent. I seemed more concerned how their accidents would inconvience me rather then the lessons they needed to learn.

We just put away the breakables & got stainless steel & plastics! It was so freeing to let so some of my perfectionism go for the sake of my kids. I encourage you to try that also. Besides, you are making great memories with them when you interact with them.

poshmina says

Thumbs up! Great way to look at it (:

Momindahizhouse says

Read a little , romney… she said plastic cups, silverware, and tupperware FYI thats practically indestructible.

Olivia says

When taught early that dishes are to be respected and not thrown, children will be careful. Yes, you may end up losing one or two, but in my house my husband breaks more dishes than the children ever have. Montessori & Waldorf schools teach this–all dishes used for snacks, meals and kitchen play are glass–no dumbing it down.

Actually, my children at this age do these chores. They may not do it to a mom’s standard, but its getting them used to doing chores so that one day they can meet moms standard.

sandra says

Agreed. I believe this list is expecting too much from kiddos. One chore for every year of a child’s age is what is recommended.

Toni Anderson says

Sandra, the printable is a list of chore suggestions according to age. It is not expected that a child that age does all of the chores. 🙂

I’ve been looking for one – this is great, thank you:-)

Joybell74 says

Yes, a 4 yr old can wash dishes. My dad put me on a chair at the sink and had me washing dishes @ 2 years old! He also did not tolerate dirty dishes. When my younger brother turned 2, he got to start rinsing while I washed, by that time I was 4.

I did not start that young with my kids, but now I wish I had! maybe they would be used to doing it and not whine so much!

i am concerned about 2 of the items. Only children who are older should clean windows, especially if it some height above the ground such as an apartment! Wiping toilets also best for the next age group , they tend to have a better understanding of bacteria and hygiene, which is vital for this activity, irrespective of maturity for their age. my now adult children needed to do chores.they did all these listed. We had a saying in our home, that not just one person made a mess, so not only one person needed to help look after the home. The whole family chipped in for chores, so it was everyone’s responsibility. It is important for children to learn to be self efficient adults, able to do basic housework.I disagree with Romney, my kids learnt to wash dishes by doing safe items initially (plasticware,cutlery besides knives).It is gradual increases to what they can do. If you do it for them, they won’t learn

Jennifer says

My almost 2 y/o can already do over half of the 2-3 yr things 🙂 It’s so fun watching them ENJOY helping you!! (and watching them learn to be more help than their dad, LOL)

busy kids=happy mom says

Thanks so much for sharing this! I’m all about teaching my kids responsibility so they can be successful adults. I love that you have “big kid” jobs for little kids too. The little ones are the one anxious to take part and WANT to help! I’m trying to take advantage of that now… these are also “life skills” the ones they don’t teach in school. Great post – pinned it! thank you!

Stephanie says

I’m sorry but I just think this list is absurd. I’m all for kids doing chores but you also need to let kids be kids and not to adult things like clean a toilet. I had a strict dad growing up and always had chores to do but never did I have to clean a toilet. I have been looking for a chore chart and was very excited when I saw a friend post this, then I read it and am absolutely against it!

Roberta says

Then only do the ones you agree with… there are a lot of good things on this list. And they don’t need to be done everyday. My kids (3 and 5) do alot of these already – clean their places off after dinner everyday(put away plates, cups, throw away their napkins) and other things like make their beds once a week. They can still be kids, but they are also learning to be responsible for themselves and learning to be part of a family and part of a society. My kids still have lots of fun and play often and yet they know that Mommy is not a maid and our house is easier to get cleaned because they are learning to clean up after themselves. it seems like you are against the whole list because of the toilet thing- she is giving you ideas- not saying you have to follow it exactly.

stacey says

My kids are 18m and 3. The 3 yr old has done the ones on his list, and a few more, since he was 2. The 18mo is just starting, but can already clean up her own messes.

They LOVE to help, and are so pleased and proud of themselves when they do any of these tasks. They are part of the household, and as such, should contribute. Please know that this is not punishment, it is responsibility.

My chore growing up was cleaning the bathrooms and toilets- never did I once think as a child that it was un-childlike. I may not have enjoyed it, but it taught me responsibility. My mom was no-nonsense and worked full-time- so we all pitched in to make the house flow- toilets included.

Bronwyn says

Agree totally. This has been doing the rounds at work and no one believes it’s for real. I searched its source and was amazed to see it was genuine. Quite unnecessary…and yes I have children, all grown up now who ‘helped’ from a young age and learnt as they went. They aren’t bonsai trees!

Good luck getting a toddler to do anything to a decent standard! Trying to pressgang a small child into service makes twice as much work if you ask me – firstly as you have to supervise them and secondly when you sneak back and do the job again properly. The things I’ve found in the laundry basket already…and thats without encouraging him to put stuff in there.

If you think it isn’t worth it to take the time to supervise a child and then “do it right” if it isn’t good enough, I think you are a lazy parent. How can a kid learn if you don’t care to teach them? My kids do stuff like this all the time, and I don’t care if it isn’t perfect.I’d rather them learn to start to contribute and clean up. And the big deal from people about cleaning toilets? Why is it such a big deal like its the worst job ever? It takes all of five minutes, its not like you have to spend an hour with your arm inside the stupid toilet. My 2 yr old has been clearing the table and helped unload and load the dishwasher- and he’s never broken anything. Guess you’d be shocked to know that he uses glass mugs,cups, and plates too! And can you guess how many he’s broken? Absolutely zero. He’s been using glass entirely at dinner ever since he was out of babyhood enough to know not to throw his plate to the ground. The only reason he ever uses plastic “kid” dishes at snacks and stuff is because he likes the Buzz Lightyear and Cars dishes his grandmother got him for Christmas. Learn to trust your kids a touch more, supervise them, and you will be amazed at what they can do.

Kimberlee says

No, toddlers won’t do things to your standards, but letting them help at the stage when they are eager to do so makes training them later so much easier. I had my toddlers folding washcloths and towels starting around 2. Of course, they were ridiculous by adult standards, but I was more concerned with my children’s development and character than how my linen closet looked. 🙂

And now they all do their own laundry. 🙂

Katie H says

I like this list. My kids may not be able to do all the things listed (and I may not have time everyday to suffer through it 😉 but it’s a great list to aim toward. I forget how capable kids can be if given the chance.

Thank you for posting your ideas for age appropriate chores! It’s so nice to have another resource to consult so I don’t have to start from scratch. I think that’s key here. It is a resource. Some people may want to use it as is. Others may want to use only some of the ideas. Every home is different, and every child is different. That’s why I loved teaching. I was able to experience so many different styles that the kids would bring into one classroom. I now have a 7 month old, a 4-year-old, and a 7-year-old. They each have chores to do, and this list just gave me some more ideas. I think that if we simply say “Thank you” to someone for sharing their ideas, and be the parent that our own kids need us to be, there is no need to criticize.

I used to teach pre-k3 & heard from parents so many times “My child can’t do that.” Um, yes they can & will if you give them the chance. & who cares if something isn’t done perfectly? I am anal about the way I fold the towels & put them into the cabinet. If my kids do it & it’s not the way I do it, who cares? The towels are still folded & put away.

It’s always amazing to me when people are against children learning how to help out. Do we really need to raise a generation of kids who can’t take care of themselves? Children should learn how to do all of these things before they leave home. I always had chores growing up and never felt like I missed out on anything. I’d come home from school, do my homework and a couple of chores and I still had plenty of time to play with my friends or whatever. Kids don’t need to spend all day cleaning to do a couple of chores each day. My kids probably don’t average any more than 20 minutes a day on chores and picking up after themselves. I am not worried about them ending up on some therapist’s couch complaining about how that deprived them of their childhood. I’d be more worried if I raised kids who were completely helpless and expected other people to clean up after them. Years ago, when I went to college I was amazed at how many kids could not do so many basic things like cook an egg or clean a toilet. I am grateful that my mom gave me chores and taught me to be self-sufficient as opposed to raising a spoiled, over-grown child.

Smockity Frocks says

I LOVE this list!

My 8 children have all had chores like these from an early age and they are very capable, helpful, and secure in their abilities.

I can always tell kids who have THOSE parents who think they can’t expect their little precious to lift a finger. Their kids are the ones that are 8 or 9 years old and whining, “MOM! I’m thirrrrrrsty!” while my 2 year old is getting her own cup out of the cup drawer (which I purposely put low down) and, using a stool, filling it up from the fridge water dispenser.

Amen! Jackjack has been helping set the table since he was old enough to count how many plates we needed.

It always amazes me when kids can’t do basic stuff for themselves.

momstheword says

I think chores are great for children. It’s a great way to teach them a work ethic and they beg to help when they’re little, lol!

By age seven mine were cleaning bathrooms, mopping floors, dusting, sorting laundry, folding laundry, dishes. They could do pretty much anything and loved to help. I have to say that I had my seven year old use a baby wipe to clean the bathroom with (even three year olds can do that with a wipe).

I started teaching them how to pick up their toys when they were just babies/toddlers and old enough to take a toy out of the toy box. I figured if they were old enough to take it out, they were old enough to put it back. So at “clean up” time I would take their hand and gently pick up their toys with it, while singing a clean up song.

My boys are college age now (one in college and one has graduated). They both have jobs work or worked their way through college and have a good work ethic. I still have them do stuff around the house, lol!

Rachele says

I love this! I always make my kids do their chores. My 3year old loves helping with his chores n more! My teens have way more responsibility! We need to have our kids learn to take care or where they live. Or else I do not want to see what their own place will look like as adults! I bet the people who disagree either don’t have kids or are OCD! Just my opinion

That is awesome! Thankyou so much – this will give me a really good guide.

Man my 3 and 5 year old do some of the 12-14 year old stuff. Really, you can get your kids involved wherever you can to help out.

A word of caution. I have read various books about getting kids to do chores. One recommended NOT having young children near an open dishwasher. This was based on a friends experience of having a child fall into the dishwasher, and a prong pierced the eye, going into the brain and killed the child. I would also recommend that you not ask a child to do a chore that they cannot do standing from a stable place. If they have to climb up on something to do the task, they are too unstable. However, if you can set things up at a lower level where they can work, by all means. I rearranged my kitchen so that the plates and bowls were at a lower level to make taking them out and putting them back feasible.

MOMof7 says

We have our kids start early doing chores. They even have a tiny vacuum of their own. They like to help and the older ones understand that they are part of a family and families work and play together. We get so many compliments about how smart and well-behaved they are. I agree with Smockity Frocks, you can always tell. I even have a friend who wishes her mom had her do more chores because she had to learn how to do a lot of things as an adult and look like an idiot while learning.

Love it!! Thanks a bunch!!

I believe kids should do “chores” trust me. I own apartments and am appalled at the cleaning skills of the ADULTS that live there. However, I find a lot of flaws in this list. It does not account for physical strength and size of a child. I have two girls who love to help, but how can a 49 lb 9 year old lift a bag of garbage into a tote? Many communities do not leave bags at the “curb” anymore. I appreciate the “guideline” of this list and have improved my chore chart at home. IMHO, it definitely needs tweaking to get with the times.

This is an awesome list. When my 10 yr old was 2, I started him out with some chores. Things got off track quickly. He became very easily frustrated by the things on the toddler list. It took until he was 7 for me to find the right eye doctor (a developmental optometrist) to figure out his vision problems (he got glasses at 2 1/2 for severe farsightedness). At age 7, he had double vision and could not see well up close, even with his glasses on because they were prescribed for the chart at 20 ft. I had long given up on chores for him because of the severe frustration overload he constantly had. He did vision therapy to learn vision skills he had not previously learned. A year later, he explained to me that he used to see in 2D but had learned to see in 3D through therapy. Now he IS one of those kids who whines too much, and he is NOT self sufficient enough. He also required OT, after vision therapy. Now that he has graduated from all therapy and has the skills to do all the things listed up to his age, he does not want to. It is hard to change those habits, and I regret that he developed a desire to do nothing for himself. It was not due to lazy parenting, though. If you start your children out trying chores at a young age, and they can’t do the things easily that are on their list, please take them to a developmental optometrist and an occupational therapist for evaluation. The earlier you find out and work on delays, if there are any present, the easier they are to overcome, and you can avoid a lot of the behaviors my son has due to years of compensating for skills he did not have. I’ve tried chore charts several times in the past, and we’ve always given up on them. I have new hope that this time around, we are going to achieve success. Thanks for giving me the list of ideas.

Leslie Coates says

Our job as parents is to teach our kids to become independent of us, gradually. It is a big, tough world out there, so the earlier they learn to take care of themselves and participate in meeting the routine needs of all of the members of a family, the easier it is for them when they leave the nest. Chores teach kids that they are not the center of the universe; that it is about the family, not just them. Chores also give kids a chance to experience success in small things, which leads to success in larger things. Being responsible for specific, age-appropriate chores is a good tool for this learning-to-become-independent process. It produces capable, responsible adults who do not expect other people to do for them what they should do for themselves. It easier not to teach your kids to do chores, because teaching is very time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, but if you fail to do it, you fail as a parent in this very important area.

Rubiena Duarte says

I agree that kids do need to do chores as it teaches them responsibility. Your list is great, especially the age break-down. I have shared it on my website http://www.supermomadventures.com today with a link bank to your page. My blog is more about parenting and balance for moms but I think this ties in great on giving parents some tips to guide their kids on appropriate chores.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Hannah says

Love the suggestions. I do believe some people need to lighten up with some of their comments. They are suggestions for each age group. My 2.5 yr old is asked to bring me his dishes from the table so that I amy wash them. My 5 yr old washes (has been since 4) and my 4 yr old rinses. She has been helping her sister since she was 3. She is allowed to wash too, but mainly due to how their ages fall …. the oldest washes, then middle one rinses and the little one clears the table. This is not an everyday deal… but only 2-3 times a week. I learn to slow down and they learn to help out. Oh and they are not paid to do chores. I don’t get paid to make my bed or take out trash.

no-one says

I’m all for kids doing some chores, but this is like a how to train your mini slave list! Let your kids enjoy being a child and not your personal house cleaner. Uncool!

momof5 says

really?? It’s a list of suggestions for their ages, not “hey, have your 2 year old do all this in a day”. My guess would be your little darling will be the child that at age 10 still can not fix their own breakfast, get their own drink or wipe their own butt. Sorry, but I like to raise successful children who can function on their own once they start school. Im going to take a wild guess and say you also don’t believe in spankings and are still breast feeding a ten year old?? Good grief, my 16 month old loves to help me unload the dishwasher! takes twice as long, but she has fun and guess what… it is teaching her at an early age to HELP. she also throws away her own diapers. (call CPS, she touched the trash can) she even helps puts laundry into the dryer. Amazing what these little slaves can do! And she enjoys every min of it

First off, lady up top #12, really?! Nobody asked you for your opinion. This is a fun neat teaching technique for children of different ages and every parent has their own way and thoughts on raising their children. Teachingour children responsibility and hygiene Should certainly be at the top of the list. and if it’s too difficult for you to take the time to teach thembecause you’re too concerned about a dish breaking or because you have to fix something after you should stop being lazy! Have a great Day!

I think this is trash.First of all children are not slaves for your use. Second a child will have many years of hard labor when there older why not give them a break when there young. Think about how many years a person is in the work force compared to thier childhood. Let them be children before they have all the responsibilities of life when older!

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[…] they turn 2, in December, we will officially start using The Happy Housewife’s Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids printable list in the form of a picture-based sticker chore chart. In the meantime, this less structured […]

[…] family dog. Your 8 year old can bring in the mail after school. The Happy Housewife has a great printable chart for age appropriate chores for kids. Not only does it help you out, but you’re also teaching your kids valuable […]

[…] teach children important values, such as responsibility and teamwork. Even young children can do simple chores to develop these characteristics. Here are some ways your children can help […]

[…] you need more ideas, here is an age-appropriate chore list and some chore chart […]

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Age Appropriate Pre-K Homework for the ENTIRE School Year by Apples to
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Age Appropriate Pre-K Homework for the ENTIRE School Year by Apples to
Kindergarten Homework Choice Boards
The Value of Age-Appropriate Homework
Age Appropriate Pre-K Homework for the ENTIRE School Year by Apples to

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Homework: Kyrgyz Stone age one day life
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Letters
13. If the recommended adult dosage for a drug is D (in mg), then to determine the appropriate
12 Holiday homework worksheets/summer vacation worksheets for lkg class
Six tips to help kids with their homework

COMMENTS

What is the appropriate age for children to start getting homework
The best homework assignments are meaningful and authentic and are connected to classroom learning. Homework can be used to teach time management and organization, to broaden experiences and to reinforce classroom skills. Parents are not expected to play the role of the teacher or introduce new skills. Homework can certainly benefit students.
What's the Right Amount of Homework?
By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn't overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006; Marzano & Pickering, 2007). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up ...
Your Age-by-Age Guide to Homework
From day one, homework is important in developing good study skills. In order to encourage your child to complete their homework and take it seriously, you need to establish a proper homework environment. Here are some tips for setting your child up for homework success: Set a regular homework time.
Is Homework Useful for Kids? If So, What Age Should It Start?
Homework could be one way students bring their stories, histories, cultures, and identities into the classroom space to support their learning and participation. The very notion of "homework" creates a somewhat false distinction in how learning and relationships transcend the spaces of one's life—school might feel different for students ...
How much homework is too much?
After these initial asks, start to consider factors like age, as elementary students are much different than high schoolers. Many districts follow the guideline of 10 minutes per grade level. ... In reflecting on how much homework is appropriate, consider how much time is it taking your students, their age, what your purpose and goals are, and ...
How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?
Time spent on homework should be appropriate to the child's grade level. ... At this age, the primarily goal of homework is to help your child develop the independent work and learning skills that will become critical in the higher grades. In the upper grades, the more time spent on homework the greater the achievement gains. ...
An Age-By-Age Guide to Helping Kids Manage Homework
King said in her experience as a child psychologist, the amount of homework support a child needs is determined by their individual abilities and skills more than their age or grade level.
How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask
In 1st grade, children should have 10 minutes of daily homework; in 2nd grade, 20 minutes; and so on to the 12th grade, when on average they should have 120 minutes of homework each day, which is ...
The Age-by-Age Guide to Teaching Kids Time Management
Discover more do's and don't for helping your child with homework. Time Management for Children in Grades 3 to 5. Homework and extracurriculars increase at this age so it's even more important that kids learn how to set goals, prioritize, organize, and think flexibly, says Dr. Meltzer.
How do you know if your kid's homework is appropriate?
The amount of homework depends on the child's age. A guidepoint recommended by the Parent-Teacher's Association is 10 minutes for every grade level. For instance, first grade gets 10 minutes, second grade gets 20 minutes and so on. ... Appropriate homework doesn't cause undue frustration. A little frustration is good, but if homework ...
Homework for young children: Is it justified?
Some schools assign homework to children as young as 5 or 6. But there isn't any compelling research that homework for young children is helpful. ... Assignments that are fun, brief, age-appropriate, and attuned to the attention spans of children who've already spent the day at school? ... Kids don't begin elementary school until the age of ...
Is Homework Good for Kids? Here's What the Research Says
For decades, the homework standard has been a "10-minute rule," which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 ...
Kids Chores List by Age: The Ultimate List of Age-Appropriate Chores
The following is an ultimate age-appropriate list of chores for children ages two to eighteen: Toddlers (Ages 2-3) Toddlers can complete simple tasks around the home. Toddlers are also at an age where they find the idea of helping their parents, caretakers, or older siblings as one of the most exciting things they can do.
When Should Children Start Doing Homework?
In Finland, a country that consistently tops global education rankings, children start school at age seven and the homework they receive is minimal, and in some schools, they don't get any at all. In the New York private system (a city famed for being enslaved to the rat race) homework also starts much later.
Age Appropriate Study Habits
Age Appropriate Study Habits. ... This has a lot to do with the messages we send them around "homework" and other tasks that might not necessarily be their first choice. Lots of kids eventually develop the mindset that homework is a chore and something to dread. ... the more likely students are to have that intrinsic motivation you worked ...
At what age is forcing to do homework appropriate? : r/toddlers
Your child's preschool is pretending to be academic and it's not really age appropriate. My 3.75 year old goes to JK and the only homework he will have until the 2nd grade is 15 minutes of reading done by the parent or child. There is a lot of evidence that homework at an early age is not beneficial.
Age-Appropriate Chores for Children
Some age-appropriate chores for kids: 5-7 years: old Make their own beds, set and clear the table for mealtimes, weed and rake leaves, make and pack school lunches, ... Routines of other activities—including meals, homework, play and bedtime—also can teach organization and help them develop responsibility.
A List of Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids 2 to 18
A List of Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids 2 to 18. Even young kids can help around the household with simple chores for every year . By. Sarah Aguirre. Sarah Aguirre. Sarah Aguirre is a housekeeping expert with over 20 years of experience cleaning residentially and commercially. Over that time, she has been writing about tips and tricks for ...
Age-Appropriate Curriculum
Preschool Homework; Age-Appropriate Curriculum; Age-Appropriate Curriculum. Nurturing Growth: Designing an Age-Appropriate Curriculum for Preschoolers . Preschool is a critical phase in a child's development, where they embark on a journey of exploration, discovery, and learning. It is during this formative period that preschoolers develop ...
Age Appropriate Chores for Kids: Printable
Teaching your kids to do chores at a young age is the key to developing a good habits in your children. Last year I shared age appropriate chores for kids based on my own family's experience. Summer is a great time to get kids into the habit of doing chores. With more free time in […]

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