Chores for a 5 Year Old

Hello D..
I have used a wonderful chart that I purchased ($5.50) from Door Posts that allows the child to pick & choose their own "service opportunities".
You can ck it out here:
http://www.doorposts.net/details.aspx?id=25
It has helped our family of 8 (6 children: ages ranging from 5mos - 15yrs).
The best to you & your family!
~D.

My children (3 and 5) help with setting the table (anything not breakable), putting their laundry away, sometimes even helping me fold laundry (things like washcloths, underwear, etc.). The key with these is teaching them how to do it, but also being ok if it's not done perfectly. Often the forks are on the "wrong" side, or the pile of washcloths is a little lopsided, but I figure they are learning how to contribute and I'm not going to start criticizing their efforts. As they get older, I will continue to train them how to do the jobs correctly.

My 5 year old mops, folds his own laundry, dusts, pulls accumulated trash out of the car, makes an effort at cleaning the bathroom (I show him how and how it can be done better, then I wait and clean it a couple of days later so he doesn't think he did a lousy job and give up trying) and can empty the dishwasher (putting the dishes on the counter that go in the top cabinet). My kids enjoy helping especially when they have a job to do every week rather than on a whim.

i asked that question 10 years ago to a counselor and was told to only assign 1 chore, that that is all you can expect him to handle. too young.
can't remember if it comes from the "love & Logic" theory or the "1,2,3 Magic theory.
i'm old now, and didn't assign any chores and really wish i did (mainly because with 3 teenagers the garbage still doesn't make it out every week)

so you've got the right idea.

I switched all the dishes and cups from the upper cabinets to the middle shelves of the pantry so that my kids could help set the table and unload the dishwasher. I just put all the food from those pantry shelves into the upper cabinets. In addition to cleaning-type chores, I wanted them to help with something that was daily.

I started my 5 and 8 year old sons on chores this year also. I put up an erase board with various chores, Feeding the dog, giving the dog water, taking out the trash and cleaning their rooms. I have an "extra box" that I write in if they do extra things like wipe down the sink in the bathroom or clean up the backyard. They get 25 cents to do each of these chores every day and they put their initials in the box for the day that they did it. I then keep a tally of how much allowance they get. Once they reach $20 I let them go to target and pick out a toy, or they save up for a video game. This has taught them to manage their money plus, I don't have to buy them something every time we go to the store.
I hope this gives you a few ideas.

Flylady has a great program called "Giving your children wings". She talks about it on her internet radio show and has daily "Riley challenges" with chores for your kids daily. She makes it fun. She says to never punish your children with chores because it sets up a negative association with house work for life. She teaches ways to may it fun for you and your kids. You can check it out at www.flylady.net.

Good luck!