Chores for Kindergarteners

From toddler forwards, all my kids can...

Sort laundry by color
Remove laundry from dryer and fold.
Transfer wet laundry into dryer, and add dryer sheet.
Set the table
Clear the table
Tear lettuce leaves into the salad spinner
Pick up toys and put away on shelves or into tubs.
Sweep the floor.
Fill the dogs water bowl

GL!

I have just read the responses ! They are great !

As a parent educator for 17 yrs, I have seen the outcome of children who have not been given any family responsibilities. For example: It's much easier for both of you if she begins small tasks now. Try asking a teenager w/ an "I am entitled" attitude to do chores.

She can "set" the table and be responsible for clearing her dish (daily). If not, she has "chosen" not to have playtime before bed. Be consistent.

On the weekends, she can do some of the chores the other Moms have listed. To make her feel responsible, read a list of 6 chores and ask her to pick 3 while you are doing the other 3. When my daughter was little, I would put on a certain music tape when we cleaned.

Explain to her that she is going to help out w/ chores when the next weekend comes OR when the calendar changes to April. Again, be consistent, unless you are away for the weekend, etc...

my kids all had chores by this age. the following are the ones that they did by themselves and then below that are a couple that they "helped" with.

make bed (really just pulling up comforter)
empty trashcans (use plastic groc bags to make this a little easier)
set and clear table for dinner (plates and utencils and napkins)
feed the dog and or cat
now for the ones they help with
folding laundry
sorting laundry
unloading grocery's and put away
lawn work (this is pretty much just picking up sticks etc at that age)
pulling empty garbage cans up from the street
cooking (mostly just washing veggies and fruit and measuring things

She can dust, make sure that there is tp in the bathrooms, wipe down the baseboards with a damp cloth, help set the table, put away the silverware from the dishwasher (and anything else at her level), clean her bedroom floor, pick up her toys, make her bed. She can help you prepare dinner (mixing, stirring, peeling carrots with supervision, etc.), mop the kitchen floor with a wet rag. Of course, you wouldn't have her do all of these everyday. But these are things my Kindergartener does in our home. She also washes the window sills. She loves working with us, and feels so vital in the role of keeping our house running smoothly. She is needed just as much as the rest of us are, and she thrives in helping us. She's right there in the center of whatever work we are doing. It's a team effort.

We started off when our kids were 4. They set the napkins on the table, washed the breakfest dishes and cleared the plastic dishes and glasses from the table.

Each year we added more responsibility.

Good luck to you and yours.

By Kindergarten my daughter was pretty much "responsible" for herself and her environment. so, clearing her own plate after dinner, schoolwork, self-care (brushing her own teeth, getting herself dressed inwashing her own hair etc), sorting her own laundry (with my help), cleaning her own room (with multiple simple instructions from me), cleaning up any mess she made.
She also "helped" me with dinner (ripping up lettuce, selecting the veggie and putting it in the strainer to wash etc) and "helped" me with other chores "wiping off tables, limited vaccuum etc".

It wasn't really all that much - but I focues on the 'lesson' of getting the 'responsiblity stuff' done BEFORE any play would happen. Teaching THAT lesson is more important than the list of chores. Also, Just making sure she understands that SHE is responsible for herself.

Hi! She can set the table, load the dishwasher, feed the dog, cat, fish fold towels, help in the garden, most anything that she can safely reach and not get hurt. My son could handle the vacuum, he was big, my daughter couldn't, it was way bigger than she was. Remember none of the things she does are going to be done perfectly but it is all about being a helpful part of the family and all she needs to do is try her best.

Until recently my kindergartner was in charge of clearing the dishes after dinner. This week our three year old started that chore and my kindergartner uses a step stool and empties the dishwasher (I get the heavy stuff) .

My son also helps sweep the grass off the sidewalk when the yard gets mowed...we have a kid sized push broom that he uses. He's not terrific at this task, which is why we do it together.

And both of my kids have to put their own clothes away in the dresser after I wash them. And once a week they help clean up the bathrooms.

My niece is also a kindergartner and it's her job to feed their dog.

My girls are 4 and 5. They always clear off their own dinner dishes and help out with other basic chores. We try to make a game out of things on days when they aren't in the greatest moods. For example, we count the number of forks we are putting away when unloading the dishwasher. Sometimes we try to guess the number beforehand. They also feed the dog and cat, and love to use the dry swiffer.
They also help with sorting laundry and are getting pretty darn good at folding quite a few things. The youngest was helping fold towels the other day and so proud of herself for doing it. They weren't perfect, but we made a big deal of putting them in the cabinet (as is) and then telling/showing daddy what a great job she did. The positive reinforcement makes them want to help out more. They will ask me what they can do because they say that they love being helpers.
I would suggest to not push your daughter too much at first...start out slow with little things and lots of praise for a job well done. Hopefully that way it won't be a fight, but become more just part of normal every day life.

She could help you by setting the table for dinner, help clear the table when dinner is done and sweep the floor. My youngest is 4 and these are her responsibilities. The older ones feed the dogs, take out the garbages/recycling, etc. My daughter is actually very excited about helping and gets upset if someone else tries to do it for her. :)

Setting the table, folding laundry, putting shoes away, emptying wastebaskets, unloading dishwasher.

At our home, my son comes home from preschool and puts together a 'job train' I created for him. These are simple tasks arranged on "cars" to be taken care of. I'm adding a link in here as to why/how I do this-- It works for my son and for the families I used this for as a nanny.

http://skyteahouse.blogspot.com/2011/09/all-aboard-job-tr...

The other posts all had great suggestions. I am adding in my two cents about visual cues because I find that this can really take the onus (nagging) off of us when we refer them to something else, like the chart/train on the fridge. "Go see what you need to do" works well and lets them decide what they want to do next.

My son helps with making dinner (veggie prep), setting the table, and any number of little things I need him to do. (Putting away his clothes; cleaning his room with some help/direction if need be, getting himself ready for school, bringing me things I need...)He's very proud that he's learned how to fold his pants and now he won't let me do it. The best piece of advice I can offer is to *model the attitude* you want them to have while doing chores, even if they're being snippy or griping. Ignore what you can and if they're digging their heels in, have them sit in a chair until they're ready to do it. Consider offering to trade tasks, sometimes, if possible. Chores should just be a 'matter of fact' "it's time to do X" part of life, not a punishment. And let them know how pleased you are by noticing "Wow! The table looks very nice. Thank you." or "You peeled all those carrots. That was a big help for me. Thanks."

My 3 year old is in "charge" of cleaning up her own room (minus making her own bed), and throwing away her own trash and putting her dishes in the sink, and putting her laundry in her hamper, brushing her own teeth, and doing schoolwork with my help. By school time our goal is to have her pretty independent in taking care of herself (by then I want her to be able to collect her laundry and take it to the laundry room... put dishes in the dishwasher, set the table etc. when I am cleaning house I give her a wet rag and have her scrub down the fireplace or the tile floor... I don't worry if it gets really clean, but it keeps her busy so no new messes are made, and it lays the foundation for her to help REALLY clean later on. Last, if she spills something, she is expected to get her own rag and clean it up. We also want to get her a dust devil vacuum and teach her to vacuum her own room (right now she always pretends to vacuum with her push 'ball popper')

It sounds like a lot I guess, but we operate by the "work as you go" theory, so the messes and work don't USUALLY get too out of hand. If she is coloring, the crayons and coloring book go away BEFORE more toys come out, for example. now, I am at home with her... but I would still expect the same if she was in school... basically, if I am doing chores... so is she! Lots of praise and some fun music to work to takes some of the drudgery out of it!

Good Luck!
-M.

I have 2 kids and they are (7.5 year old and 5 year old). They both help with setting the table, put dishes in the dishwasher. They both clean up their rooms before bed, make the beds in the morning. They both have weekly chores they get paid for. My 5 year old swiffers under furniture, cleans the doorknobs with a disinfectant wipe. My 7.5 year old takes the garbage/recycling out as needed. Then on cleaning day the do any little thing I ask them to do.

So maybe you can have her help with dinner, setting table cleaning up. Also keeping her room clean. Maybe just a few minutes each night.

For my kids, right after dinner, they have to go pick up their rooms or family room (or both, dependingon how messy it's got) before they can play anymore. If I'm the one who gets lazy on this, then obviously my kids won't lift a finger, so it's more me that has to stay consistent. Also, on the weekends when we do our weekly "fold-a-thon", each child is in charge of sorting. My oldest is in charge of pulling out all the towels, my 5yo is in charge of finding all the socks and my 3yo is in charge of finding all the dryer sheets and throwing them in the garbage. Then, when everything is folded, all my kids, including the 3yo (with my help of course) have to take their stacks and put them in their drawers. We also rotate who has to sweep up under the kitchen table after dinner each night. I bought a couple of cute, kid brooms and dustpans so they enjoy using them. It's never perfect, but the fact they try is what I reward:)