by Rachel Fahnel

Created on: December 18, 2010   Last Updated: December 20, 2010

The chores a child can help with vary by the age and abilities of the child, but from toddler all the way up to a teen, the tasks are similar.

It is wise to begin early, as a very young child is usually quite eager to help and love being given a simple task that makes them feel like a "big kid." Five tasks a child can begin helping with fairly early on include cleaning up after themselves, retrieving needed objects, putting things away, simple pet care tasks, and, although it won't seem like it at first, simple food preparation activities.

It is easy to get a young child to place an object in a designated area if much fuss is made when the task is completed as desired. Handing a one year old a piece of scrap paper and telling him to put it in the trash, while aiding the child the first few times, will soon create a lovely new game for the child and a new little helper for you. Remember that failure will be the norm, but this will gradually subside-although it is wise to remember that a child isn't a puppy that can be trained to do tricks.

As the child gets older, picking up after himself and members of the family can be made into a game that a child will enjoy playing if there is plenty of praise forthcoming for a job well done. Encouragement to be "just like mommy (or daddy)" while going about normal housework will also aid in training the child to be willing and able to carry out the chore of helping to pick up.

Retrieving needed objects can also begin to be taught early on. An older baby, if you place them in an easily accessible location, can be taught to bring a diaper and wipes when he needs a change. As the child grows, this ability can be utilized for such chores as helping to carry in things from the car, retrieving dinnerware from a drawer to set a table, and bringing wanted and needed objects from the child's room before leaving on a trip.

Putting things away is another favorite for making a small child feel like a big kid. Do you buy sealed cups of fruit or some other relatively sturdy, lighter-weight items? Employing the child to help with putting them away, followed by plenty of praise, can give this necessary activity in life a pleasant beginning. Opportunities to practice this task arise countless times everyday and as the child gets older he can be assigned the duty of always putting away certain things, as well as always putting away his toys when he is finished.

A slightly older child can be given simple pet care tasks, such as dropping the pinch or sprinkle of food in the fish bowl or perhaps pouring a small cup of food into the animal's bowl. As the child gets older, of course, eventually he will be able to take over the task completely depending on the level of maturity.

When a child is old enough to be in the kitchen without wreaking havoc, you can begin teaching simple food preparation tasks as well. It may be a few years before this actually lightens your workload, but even a school-age child will be able to concoct a peanut butter sandwich or pour his own glass of milk. Of course, for this to truly lighten your workload the child must understand the necessity of cleaning up after himself.

As a child ages, the tasks he is assigned can grow as well. A teenager that can pick up after himself and help around the house not only lightens his parent's workload, but he lightens his own as well. When he moves out on his own he will be able to care for himself much more proficiently and thus save himself time and work by having only to deal with a space that has been kept clean rather than a space that needs heavy period cleaning.

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