Moms and dads have an endless list of housework to do daily. Unless you have a nanny, you and the missus will surely have to do some type of chores during any particular day. So, why not get your little one involved with weekly chores? There are several chores for 5-year-olds to do, it basically depends on the home and location. We can always use some extra help!

As you might know by now, I’m in South Korea, and most of the 51 million people here live in apartments. So here, picking up leaves in the backyard, shoveling the snow, or picking tomatoes from the garden will not work as a chore for a young one. If you’re in a larger home in the West with carpets(Korean homes have zero carpets) you might incorporate a vacuum in your chore list for younger kids.

So I’ll be mixing my list from my Canadian & Korean perspectives.

List of Chores galore!

Doing chores as an adult is the same as kids having homework…nobody likes the idea of having some unwanted ‘work’ at home.

So what now? You’re tired after a long day at work and might be enjoying a cold one, but there are things to do around the house. Who’s gonna help you? That little bundle of joy, relaxing in his recliner chair, could!

Doing housework can help your child learn about cooperating with others and build a good work ethic. You should make it clear to every family member that duties are necessary and expected for a household to be successful and orderly.

Yes, he’s only 5, but these little dynamites are smart and they will usually follow the leader…So lead! It’s the best way to get the family chores done and even maybe(maybe) have a good time along the way.

Assigning tasks to your child can help create a sense of unity and family. Parents must be careful about how they allocate chores so it does not lead to any tension or disagreements. We have only 3 members in our home, so things are pretty straightforward. You’ll have to improvise for those reading with a large family, but it can be done, maybe even quicker as you have extra hands.

Let’em Choose

Let your kid have a choice on which tasks they have to do. He might choose something that no one likes doing, if the child is ok doing it, the more power to him. Like dusting! Let him dust, it’s easy, safe, and prevents ‘daddy’ from doing it.

The following list of simple chores are easy tasks that younger children might like to do. I don’t have middle schoolers running around the house so it’s up to you to assess the right chores for the older kids and use my ideas as general guidelines.

++Easy List Of Chores for Kids 5 ++

1. Load dirty clothes in the washing machine
2. Unload the clothes from the washing machine–easy safe and usually straightforward
3. Unload the dryer machine–easy and safe too
4. Help fold laundry: Young kids can fold towels, socks, PJs, and some shirts–some clothes are trickier to fold.
5. Of course, the ‘pick up your toys’ phrase, on repeat every day, is a given. Especially those Hello Carbots in the living room!
6. Vacuuming–Kids love the humming of the vac. Just make sure there are no stairs around
7. Make some toast or butter our bread
8. Depending on height, a few dishes could be done too
9. Dusting-Using one of those Swiffers you can purchase online is great. The kids can only reach so high, so you’ll have to lend a hand
10. Setting the table for meals
11. Bring the dishes to the sink when the meal is done
12. Wipe down the dinner table after eating
13. Write Grocery List
14. Go Grocery shopping with Dad
15. Help put groceries away
16. Arranging the shoe area
17. Making his bed! This is a biggie because it’s the first chore of the day. Teach ’em young! It’ll pay dividends later
18. Pick up after himself if he’s cutting papers, using glue or crayons, etc…
19. Water plants(my son’s favorite)
20. Trimming the branches/leaves on plants(carefully and supervised)
21. Change the batteries of his toys with a screwdriver
22. Bring the recycling outside–alone or with a parent
23. Bring the compost outside–alone or with a parent
24. Yard Work
25. Extra Chores
26. Make Your Own Chore System…
27. (Many of these should start as early as possible)

Here’s your free printable chore chart===

It’s education! Teach ’em

Remember to set clear guidelines on how the chore should be carried out correctly. It’s easy to give chores for 5-year-olds to do, but doing them correctly is a whole other ballgame. They may not be great at it initially, but show them where they need to improve with some positive reinforcement. Make sure your child knows they will need to redo it all over again if he doesn’t do a good job, but keep a good attitude about it.

Tell the kids about the importance of the chore being done properly. Not ‘half-assing’ everything. (Don’t use that word FYI, the wifey might get pissed if you use that in front of your kid). The child will want to, get it over with, but it’s important to emphasize the importance of having a clean home because that’s where the family spends most of its time. Most importantly, teach them that chores are a part of life. 

Lead By Example…

Monkey see, monkey do! Lead well

Parents should work together and be a good example for their children by doing their work every day. Do not let your kid challenge you over a particular chore. Be firm and highlight the problem that an unfinished chore has on the family. It’s a good idea to give young children simple tasks at first to build their sense of responsibility.

Also, keep an open mind when a child wants to share their views about the tasks. Make sure the conversation stays constructive and on topic. But stay firm with their ‘job’ at hand. No ifs or buts

Conclusion

We all want to raise our kids to be productive and happy part of society. One of the ways to do this is by having them help out with household tasks to build life skills. Kids who do chores are found to be much more successful as adults. And they will also be more likely to do better in school and get into employment once they become adults.

Domestic duties are a great way to build a good foundation and a sense of accomplishment as well as understanding that in the long run, these duties will help them in the ‘real world.’

Kids Love to Help Out…

Household chores provide a wonderful opportunity for children to learn about responsibility, effective time management, patience, and teamwork. Many people are under the misconception that kids should not help out with chores.

However, research has found that kids who complete household chores improve their understanding of time and money and can handle their social life better once they get older. If you’re parenting older kids in their teen years, you’ll have to give them some challenging chores: Wash the Car(in and out), Mow the lawn, Get Dinner ready or basic meals, and so on. I’m not in that boat yet… Make a list of chores for them too!

If you are a parent and you would like to implement housework in your child’s daily routine, begin by finding out what the child likes to do or is good at. You can then build a list of chores around that. Then make sure that the child has the patience, equipment, and skills he needs to do the task.

You can also take inspiration from this post to create a fun and meaningful activity based on what your child loves to do, for example, who can fold the towels, socks, and shirts the fastest(FAST RULE)…I do this and it’s a simple way to keep a specific task interesting.

Enjoy your kids! They are only young once!

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