here are 10 chores your early toddlers and preschoolers CAN do with some tips + tricks to make you and them more successful!

with 4 under 4, life is b u s y. messes are plenty and one of the jobs i take most seriously in this role as ‘mama’ is to raise children who will one day leave our house and be productive, happy, self-sufficient citizens…including in their own house. one of the many ways we teach responsibility as parents is with developmentally appropriate chores for each child’s age. kid’s actually love to have responsibility and oftentimes are capable of much more than we, as parents, realize. of course, like anything, kids require teaching, modeling and reinforcement with each new skill, but once kids understand the task, they thrive with repetition and reinforcement! i’m often asked from friends who know my background in education + behavior analysis where to start with chores and what is realistic to expect out of their kids to bring my top list of chores that even your 12-18 month old can start with!

// 1. make their beds \\
this is one we start as soon as the kids get into a toddler bed {you can see our triple bunk HERE!} with a pillow + sheet/blanket. now that we use beddy’s {a zip up bedding system}, this chore is significantly easier for these little hands to complete independently so i am less involved other than the verbal reminder that beds need to be made before we can watch a tv show or play outside…even mills can do this independently!

// 2. set the table \\
a fan favorite in our house… setting the table begins around 18 months with the simple task of giving each person at dinner a napkin. the girls, who are almost 4, are now able to set plates, napkins, cups {pre-filled} and silverware at each place setting and take pride in their ability to handle such a task!

// 3. clear the table \\
another chore we begin between 12 -18 months… each person is responsible for clearing their dishes at the table. if there is trash, they are responsible for throwing it in the trash can, then putting the dish right {minus the food!} into the dishwasher. this significantly cuts down on the time i spend doing dishes and this chore is part of the routine to being excused from the table! it’s now so ingrained in their heads, the kids rarely even need a reminder to complete this one!

// 4. load + unload the dishwasher \\
another fan favorite in the house… the kids LOVE the dishwasher. both loading and unloading and although i have to restrain myself from correcting their ‘work’ {let’s be honest, i rearrange even when zach loads it…}, they have learned to do a really great job at putting their dirty dishes in and unloading all of the silverware {sans knives!} and kids’ cups/plates.

// 5. fold the laundry \\
start slow with this one… miller is in a stage where he thinks its hilarious + super cool to destroy anything that looks tidy but the girls at his age were matching socks by now. i always start by matching socks, which they think is a really fun game, followed by folding washcloths. if you know me and have ever been to my house, you know laundry is my archenemy so i’m not exactly the greatest example when it comes to this…but socks + washcloths can be done! if you’re someone who is on top of laundry, first, i salute you. second, get those babes involved!

// 6. clean up their toys \\
this should really be #1 on this list… your kids can and will learn that their responsibility is to clean up their toys if you teach that. a few tips:
1. give each child one single task to be in charge of, for instance, ‘piper, you’re in charge of the legos.’, ‘lila, your job is the puzzle.’ , ‘miller, your job is the cars.’
2. if your kids are really young or new to this system, you will have to help them.
3. show them what that means and talk through each step.
it’s probably not shocking if you’re a parent to littles, but this doesn’t come naturally so you have to teach this skill, but i promise, it’s worth it.
4. sing a clean up song!
‘clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!’
or
‘miller is a helper, lila is a helper, piper is a helper, cleaning up our toys! ‘
kids love to hear their names in songs so if someone isn’t doing their job, i pass over them and they quickly will want to hear their name and usually jump right in.
5. kids can usually handle cleaning up 1 toy for every age they are {mills is in charge of 1 toy while the girls are in charge of 3}
6. pick your battles…if you’re 30 minutes late for nap time, that might not be the best time to be working on this skill…and of course, like anything, of course there are times when i throw in the towel because it’s easier to clean it all up when they’re down… show yourself some grace!

// 7. feed pet \\
if you have a pet in your house, this is usually the most exciting ‘chore’ to learn and quite frankly, we use it as a reward most of the time. the kids LOVE to feed the dogs and beg to do it! our only challenge is not over feeding!

// 8. put laundry away \\
with our crew, the girls are able to put their undies + socks away by themselves and then i am able to coach them where the other clothes go in the dresser. miller is in charge of his socks and helps me put his jams away. we try to work together as a team and i keep it short and sweet…. if it lasts too long, miller can empty a dresser in .5 seconds and then we’re back at square one! know your limits and start small!

// 9. get dressed/undressed \\
my number one tip for this is to let your child have a say when they can… of course that’s not always possible {hello, family pictures} but offer up 2-3 options that are appropriate for the weather and let them choose the night before… then lay out all of the clothes so that in the morning, you’re not fighting about what to wear and depending on the stage they can start doing it all by themselves! lila can complete this task 100% independently unless there are buttons, piper needs help to sometimes take her shirt off and miller is able to take his socks off, pants off {once unbuttoned} and then assist with putting clothes on. work with your kiddo where they’re at but always try to remember you’re working towards independence!

// 10. put dirty clothes away \\
i could spend a lot of time picking up after 4 babes when in reality, all 3 of the older kids are fully capable of putting their dirty clothes in the hamper. the first few times, you’ll have to walk with your child and say, ‘we’re putting our dirty clothes in the hamper!’ and then praise once they complete the task…but it’s amazing when they’re able to start doing that all on their own!

whether you’re starting with just one chore to introduce or you’re a pro at all of these, remember the goal is to work towards independence…but these are skills {and chores!} that have to be taught! it can be a process, but try to make it fun when you can! i promise it’s worth it…especially with a house full of babes, everyone can pull their weight and it will free up a little more of your time to spend doing the fun things! 

a huge thank you to ivory lamb photography for capturing our crazy crew!