It’s an important lesson for children to learn that by working together, incredible things can be achieved with ease, which would have taken one individual person much more time and strength. Maintaining a household clean, can be one of those incredible things for which it is important to work together. However, everybody who has kids will know that sometimes it can be even more difficult to make your kids help out than to do the chore by yourself.
It’s important to find a way to show your kids that doing household chores together can be fun and that after having cleaned the kitchen or having mowed the lawn together, there will rise a sensation of having achieved something.
The following list is meant to give you ideas of what types of chores children of specific age groups can enjoy doing.
What Can They Do?
Ages 2-3
| CHORES IN ENGLISH | CHORES IN SPANISH |
|---|---|
| Clean their own plate. | Limpiar su propio plato. |
| Put away their toys. | Guardar sus juguetes. |
| Watering the plants. | Regar las plantas. |
| Put their dirty clothes in the washing machine. | Poner la ropa sucia en la lavadora. |
| Take out the trash. | Sacar la basura. |
Ages 4-5
| CHORES IN ENGLISH | CHORES IN SPANISH |
|---|---|
| Pick up their toys. | Recoger sus juguetes. |
| Feed their pets. | Alimentar a sus mascotas. |
| Dress themselves. | Vestirse solos. |
| Make their bed. | Tender su cama. |
| Fold their clothes. | Doblar su ropa. |
Ages 6-7
| CHORES IN ENGLISH | CHORES IN SPANISH |
|---|---|
| Tidy up their room. | Ordenar su habitación. |
| Fold the bathroom towels. | Doblar las toallas del baño. |
| Weeding a part of the garden. | Quitar hierbas malas de una parte del jardín. |
| Help to set the table. | Ayudar a poner la mesa. |
Ages 8-9
| CHORES IN ENGLISH | CHORES IN SPANISH |
|---|---|
| Sweep the front yard. | Barrer el patio. |
| Baking cookies with an adult. | Hornear galletas con un adulto. |
| Regar las plantas del jardín. | Water the plants in the garden. |
| Go for a walk with the dog. | Sacar su perro a pasear. |
Ages 10-11
| CHORES IN ENGLISH | CHORES IN SPANISH |
|---|---|
| Make their breakfast. | Preparar su desayuno. |
| Swipe the floor. | Trapear el piso. |
| Clean the kitchen. | Limpiar la cocina. |
| Wash their clothes in the washing machine | Lavar su ropa en la lavadora. |
Here are some tips on how to encourage your kids to help in the household:
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Start with easy chores and do them together.
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Try to assign specific tasks to your kids, so they get a direct emotion of satisfaction out of it, for example: Pick up your toys.
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The work will be more fun if you share it and turn it into a game or give them rewards for their collaboration.
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If your child doesn’t do well, don’t criticize, but praise his efforts to make him feel proud. It’s also not good to tell him that he’s fine and to correct him. He won’t see the point of what he’s done wrong or right, and he may not want to help next time.
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Do not use it as a punishment.
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Don’t divide tasks according to gender.
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Each household task requires a set of skills that will help your children in their adult future.
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When they are very young, they may be ready to pick up their toys but may not be able to get dressed because they have not yet fully developed coordination skills. So if you ask them to help you with a task they are not yet ready for, they are likely to become frustrated and lose confidence. To prevent this from happening, the tasks must be adjusted to their age.
Other Useful Sources:
At Lingua Linkup, we believe in reliable medical information, and we are dedicated to providing content that is accurate and up-to-date. We understand that medical content needs to be factual, unbiased and truthful – and this is why our sourcing guidelines are so strict.
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Chores and Children – The American Academy of Pediatrics (2018).
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Age-Appropriate Responsibilities and Chores for Kids – Dr. Laura Markham (n.d.).
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Divide and Conquer Household Chores – WebMD (2022).
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Age Appropriate Chores for Children – Psychology Today (2014).
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Pitching In: Age-Appropriate Chores for Toddlers, Kids, and Teens.- Healthline (2021)
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How Can I Get My Kids to Do Chores? – Child Mind Institute (2022)
About the Author:
Specializations: Spanish Tutors on Zoom
Bio: Hello! My name is Daniela Cardona from Bogotá, Colombia. I've been having fun for more than 8 years, teaching students from ages 2 to 80. I have a certification in TESOL, and I've traveled around the world finding different ways to approach languages from its roots. All my classes are focused on my students' needs and that's how I developed, over the years, my approach to methodology. First, you're going to acquire excellent conversational skills. Second, we will establish precise grammar rules through clear and real examples during our sessions, and third, but not least, we're going to have a lot of fun while nourishing your vocabulary, everyday expressions, and approaching real-life situations to strengthen your communication. I hope we can be in touch soon!
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