At what age is a child too young for responsibilities? Realistically, under the age of 3 for any daily chore type responsibilities.
However, a child between 1-3 years old can in fact display some responsible behaviors by mirroring simple tasks with their parent or guardian. Some age appropriate responsibilities might include the following:
- Picking out which toys to play with
- Putting the toys away when finished
- Cleaning up spills
- Dusting baseboards with a dust rag or sock on their hand
- Picking out the book they would like read to them
Since a lot of Martial Arts schools start their classes at age 3, let’s take a look at some age appropriate responsibilities for children ages 3 and up.
Ages 3-6
- All of the tasks listed above
- Make their bed
- Help set the table for meals
- Help clear the table after meals
- Vacuum crumbs from the floor with a hand-held vacuum
- Match socks
- Light dusting with a cloth
- Help feed family pets
- Participate in Martial Arts classes
- Remind parent to sign them in when they arrive for class
Ages 7-13
- All of the tasks above
- Sweep floors
- Clean their bedrooms
- Help put groceries away
- Help load the dishwasher
- Vacuum
- Help an adult with cooking
- Get their own snacks/pack lunch for school
- Empty indoor trash bins
- Take trash bins to the curb
- Babysit younger siblings with parents at home
- Sign themselves in for Martial Arts class
- Get themselves dressed in the proper uniform for class
- Tie their belt
- Carry their own gear needed for class
- Throw away trash (empty water cups) after class
- Help a younger student with tying their belt
Ages 14+
Not every child is ready to move out of the family home at eighteen. However, the day will come when they are ready. The more life skills we teach them when they are still living with us, the better prepared they will be when on their own.
The high school years are the perfect ages to start working with them and showing them the various tasks they’ll need to know when they live on their own. If your child chooses to live at home while attending college or embarking on their first real job, they can continue to help out around the home with any task that you yourself are doing.
- All of the tasks above
- Laundry from start to finish
- Mow the lawn
- Wash the family car
- Cook independently
- Babysit siblings independently
- Learn to iron clothing
- Learn to sew
- Help parents with simple home or auto repairs
- Prepare to get a learner’s permit
- Attend Driver’s Education
- Learn good money management habits:
- Saving each paycheck
- Responsible/limited use of credit cards
- Avoiding impulse buying
- Only buying what you have cash for
- Learning why credit cards can be dangerous
- Learning about compounding interest, etc
These are just some of the examples of age appropriate responsibilities that children can work on. Giving children responsibilities helps build confidence, self-reliance, a strong work ethic, and teaches essential life skills.