Chores for 6 Year Old

My son loves to help wash the windows, especially if I give him his own spray bottle. I don't expect perfection, but it's a good start. My kids are both in charge of cleaning their rooms and putting away their toys daily. They "make" their bed by straightening the blankets. I also have my kids help outside in the garden with weeding and planting.

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Keeping his room clean, if you have animals he can feed them, he could take out the trash, if you have a dishwasher he can help you fill it and empty it. He can help you doing laundry, put the clothes in the dryer you can teach him to fold the laundry. Sweep the kitchen floor. Many things a 6yr old can help you with.

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Chores that I have my 7 y/o do are:
pick up his toys, make his bed (put the blanket mostly flat over his bed), unload the dishwasher & put the dishes away(I do the sharp knives), clean the dining room table (we use a solution of 1/2 vinegar & 1/2 water), some times he feeds the dog (most of the time I do it), some times he helps take trash out & some times he gets the mail (he really enjoys that!). He also enjoys helping me bake or cook.
My boys are 7 & 3. I just modify the same tasks for what my 3 y/o is capable of & he doesn't have as many 'chores' to do.

God bless!

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I would think he could "help" you with tons of things...dusting, straightening up, putting the dishes away, sorting laundry. I would look at it as a time to spend time together and make it a learning experience for him but one that is enjoyable. (As you sort clothes, discuss the colors or how you can tell what belongs to him and what belongs to his little brother/sister..teaching him the concept of big and small) He could also help you outside in the yard, picking up sticks before you mow,watering the garden,sweeping the sidewalk. There are tons of things, just use your imagination and let him guide you as to what is interesting to him. The most important thing is to build on the concept that all of us in a family have responsibilities, not because we are PAID to do them but just because we are all family. Think of the excellent example you will be setting for the younger sibling!!!
R. Ann

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My 6 year old daughter folds the washrags, matches the socks, sorts her and her sister's undies, and puts those things where they belong. Her little sister puts away the silverware from the dishwasher. I also bought a small broom and dustpan-on-a-stick combo thing and she sweeps under and around the table after dinner.

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Our daughter started clearing the table after meals when she was about five and a half. If for some reason my husband or I have used a steak knife we clear those ourself for safety reasons - but other than that she does really well with stacking the plates and getting them safely to the sink. She can also help put things like ketchup back into the fridge for us and just recently we are contemplating having her learn to load the dishwasher. Those are pretty easy for her to manage and she feels really important when she does a good job. We give her a really small allowance of a quarter every evening for her chores.

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Good Morning S., One thing your son could do is collect the trash from bathrooms, bedrooms office etc. He might be to small to take a really large bag outside. He could learn to clean bathroom, help dad outside with yard work, help you fold laundry. Keeping his room cleaned and bed made are just part of being a family so those wouldn't really count as chores. If you have a dish washer he could help load it or unload it, with your guidance. Corbin 4 likes to put the silverware away for me, I also let him put the small plastic kids bowls in the upper rack. Corbin loves to Vacuum also. I have a small upright shark vac that he uses, while I use the Hoover.

Just remember he is a little person and he won't get it right or do it just like you would like it, so be encouraging, words of Good Job Buddy always go a long way.
If you refold the towels he folded don't do it in front of him, do it later or just leave them as they are. He will get better with practice.

God Bless and best of luck to you as you start your new daycare.
K. Nana of 5

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Hi S., My 7 & 5 year olds bring in the big trash cans from the curb, make their own beds, pick up their play room and their rooms. They have to feed the dog and hamster (those we tell them to do and double check that it's done). They are also responsible for putting their clothes away after they have been washed and folded.

We looked for quick things that our girls could do that also helped the whole family. We explained to them that it took all of us to keep our house neat and everyone happy. We also made sure that we explained to them what we wanted them to do and showed them what to do. Make a big deal out of it so that he thinks that he's really doing something important and remember, when it all comes down to it it's not really the "chore" that is important but learning the responsibility. Good luck!

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I have 9,8,and a 7 yr old boys. They rotate the same chores every week. I give them about 2 chores a day along with their every day chores which are making their bed and picking up bedroom daily. Their chores that I have been giving to them are...
*vacuuming living room and hallway
*empty the dishwasher
*sweep kitchen floor
*get plates and cups out for dinner and help pass them out
*empty trash cans from the bedrooms into the kitchen one.
*clean off mirror and sink in main bathroom
*take dirty laundry to the laundry room
*put away their clothes
*clean the front and back door glass-tiny hand prints all over them:)
*pick up living room(it seems as though their toys always end up there...lol)
*we have a toy closet and weekly I have them "straighten" it up.
*It's not really considered a chore, but I always make them go outside w/ daddy when he tends to the yard and he puts them to work w/ whatever he's doing.

All 3 of my boys pretty much do the same chores they are just rotated throughout each week. At first you might need to show your son how to do some of the tasks, but he will pick them up fast and you will be so proud of him.

At the end of each week I will go through and see if they did their chores...if they did I will reward them with icecream from McDonald's or Sonic. As they get 'bigger' chores i will eventually pay them, but I think now they find the icecream more enjoyable at their ages.

I started my boys with chores around 5-6yrs of age. Even my 2 girls ages 4 & 2 help me out by walking out to the mailbox to get mail with me and help me walk the trash out so they feel like they are contributing to the family, and it is so cute to see their lil faces when I tell them what big helpers they are:)

You are your child's main teacher in life, and to teach them responsiblity is one of the greatest things you can teach.
Have fun~A.

Sounds awesome. I just recently started getting my 6 yr daughter into doing more chores. I have been letting her scrub the dishes to put in the dishwasher, no steak knives though, I set those aside. She just scrubs them and puts them in the other side of the sink and when she is done I load them in the dishwasher. She has also helped me a couple of times put some of them away. She has been asking me to try for a long time. I let her use a chair and gloves and even wear a child-size apron, she now asks me to do it every time she sees me at the sink. It takes her a lot longer, but I think it is good to get her involved and it also gives me the much-needed time to get some other things done. Good for you! Looks like you have some good ideas to get you started.

We started ours out with crushing the recycling cans, sweeping the floor, vacuuming, cleaning his room twice a week and cleaning his bathroom. We have to supervise the cleaning but it does help us out some! You might also try something outside during the summer like raking leaves or pulling weeds or watering flowers. We started it out with a sticker chart and that worked well.

Hi S.,

Here are some ideas:

1) Have him pick up toys/branches in yard before you mow
2) Have him set &/or clear the table after dinner
3) Have him start to fold socks...mine likes to at least match them for me which is half the battle! :)
4) Use the handipoint chore chart that is advertised on the mamasource website. I haven't used it yet but i'm registered, it looks really cool!
5) Make bed, put away toys
Hope this helps! ~B.

S.-
My son is five and my daughter just turned three, they have their chores. They make their beds, clean up their rooms, they both help set the table and get stuff out of the fridge, my son clears the table dishes and puts some stuff in the dishwasher. My daughter loves to play with the ice maker, so she makes drinks for everyone. They clear the table of the condiments, and put them in the fridge, big brother opens the door for her. My son carries the trash to the garage (after we tie up the bags), if they are the small bathroom bags, he can throw them in the trash cans outside. My daughter runs to get the mail when we get home from school. They pick out their clothes for school the next day and put them in their place for morning, and they get their jammies out before their baths at night!! I know this may seem like alot, but I feel like this teaches them to be responsbile for something and they are so proud when I tell them what a good job they have done! I have a chore chart if you would like a copy of it, send an email with an email address and I would be happy to send it. This may work better for older children (who may want to have some money to buy their own toys).
Hope this helps
Tks T.

Hi Sandy, when my kids were little I had them fold towels and washcloths, help set the table by placing the silverware where it's supposed to go, and sweep. My mom also bought them one of those kiddy vacuum cleaners and they vacuumed right along with me when I was doing it. Also dusting with a feather duster too. Good luck

My two older kids (5 & 7) both do some light chores, and its great for all of us! They both feed the dog once a day - one in the am and one pm. My 5yo clears the condiments from the dinner table and puts them in the fridge, and the 7yo takes the dirty dishes to the counter. On trash night, the 5 yo gathers up the trash cans from the bedrooms and bathrooms(5 cans). Once a week, the 7 yo puts away her (folded) laundry. Its not alot but seems good for their ages - hope you can get some good ideas.

6 is a Great age to start helping! A 6 year old can help set the table and also help clear the table, can help sweep the kitchen floor, can be responsible for putting his own clothes in a dirty hamper or start putting clothes away that are clean and folded, you can have him help you sort socks from the dryer, help fold wash cloths...if you start out when they are young it is so nice because as they get older it is just a fact instead of a battle. Put a positive spin on it, everyone helps out, the jobs get done faster which frees mom and dad up some so that you can all do more together and be happier. If it helps make a chore chart to go on the fridge you can use stickers to track or just mark X's or smiley faces = ) You can choose to give him an allowance I am more a fan of there are certain chores that are just part of the childs responsibility and extra chores that earn special treats over time like an extra hour of tv, or an extra book at bedtime ( little things that do not necesarily cost $$) Lots of luck! I think teaching kids from an early age to take responsibility and help out is a great thing! Oh they may not do an awesome job but they can also help make the bed tidy...it works as long as you as a mom can handle it not looking perfect ( hint...they get better with practice!)
B.

Good for you giving your Son chores, all children should have something to be responsible for. There are a lot things that he could do. Make his own bed is first on the list, Gather dirty clothes and bring to laundry room, or empty hamper, sweep garage, pull weeds, empty dishwasher, set the table for dinner every night, teach him how to clean bathroom sinks, keep his room tidy, vacuum, sort socks from laundry, water plants, etc. You might have to teach him to do a few things the way you want them, but give him some credit and let him try. Ask him what he wants to do. You might find that he has a real interest in something.

My daughter is only two, but she's already doing age-appropriate chores. She can clean up her toys, she clears her plate from the table and sometimes help to set the table. By that I mean I give her a fork and she puts at the appropriate spot...nothing major. I would imagine a 6 year old could help weed the yard, take out the trash, load his plate in the dishwasher. THose sorts of things. They want to help so maybe follow his lead by seeing what he's interested in. Good luck!

wash dishes, take out the trash, sweep and mop the floor (we call it swabbing the deck with little kids.. they love playing pirates while cleaning the floor) Put his clothes away, vacuum, there are probably a few others he would be able to do.

This is a good question! I have my 5, 6 and 8 year old doing these chores:
unload and load dishwasher, sort laundry, sweep kitchen floor. They are supposed to keep their room clean and make their beds.

Of course this stuff only gets done if I am totally all over them. That's the real chore about chores. The oldest is pretty good, but the others aren't too good about doing their chores. I know there will be a reward in this someday!

To add to everyone else, take a look around outside, picking up trash from the yard or helping in the garden, They need to know the outside needs attention also. Ask dad to pick out and work with him in the garage and yard.