Taking care of their bedrooms is a good place to start; making beds; cleaning floor; taking out dirty washing. Move on to other jobs; setting the table; helping with dishes/kitchen; dusting.

I have an 11 yr old and 4.5 yr old- they have the same chores – make beds, tidy rooms, sweep leaves off balcony, put washing away, keep bathroom tidy. Water plants, vacuum, help with dinner, do the dishes.

Your children are definitely old enough to help out around the house. They could make their own beds, put toys away, and so on. With my three children, I introduced a colour coded system for some items in the home. Each child had a specific colour (Blue/green/pink, as were their choices). I got a small basket for each into which I placed their folded clothes for them to put away. Each had a coloured towel/bathmat/facewasher so that it was clear who had hung their towels up or put them in the laundry basket. Each had a coloured bowl/plate/cup so they could wash up their own items after snacks. It worked really well, and now I have teenagers who don’t leave towels on the floor, or plates around the house, and who I don’t have to organise washing into drawers and so on.

Now that they’re older, they earn their allowance by completing weekly chores on a list on the fridge. If the weekly chores are done consistently they have the opportunity to earn bonus money on weekends by doing extras such as washing the car, mowing the lawn.

You will have to judge what is appropriate for your children’s developmental stages, but I would suggest drying dishes or unpacking the dishwasher, taking the laundry basket to the laundry for you, watering the plants, feeding pets, taking out garbage, dusting, tidying lounge room, returning dvds to their cases, unpacking groceries, calculating cost of groceries with a calculator while you shop, cleaning the bathroom sink.

my boys main jobs have always been putting their dirty washing in the laundry, keeping rooms clean, feeding the dog and setting or clearing the table.

Making the bed, recycling stuff, feed the dog, emptying the washing machine, watering plants, setting the table…

Take out the rubbish, empty dishwasher, older ones can vacuum, set the table, help preparing/cooking dinner, make their beds, keep their rooms tidy…

My kids (aged between 5 & 12) all take turns to check the mail, take the bins out, set the table, clear the table, unpack the dishwasher, put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, dirty washing in the laundry.. they also help with the mowing & getting the washing off the line. I invested in a camping clothes line ($20 from Aldi) to make the job easier for the 5 year old. Kids are usually keen to do chores when they are younger and if you start them young they then know how helping around the house helps & then they understand why it is an expectation that they will help contribute making everyone’s life easier & allows us more fun time with them.

Whatever they use, play, eat, touch should be there responsibility to deal with those situations.

My Niece 4 and Nephew have to make their beds, fold their PJ’s under their pillow and they must put back their toys. 20 cents a day for making their bed. One dollar a week for keeping their room tidy. Popping the things in the big bin out doors is a part of living at home as is unpacking the table after meal time. The kids are been taught to work together as a family. Big brother reads to little sister whilst Mum cooks dinner. That’s family time and Mum enjoys the story too.

Making their beds, folding their clothes, taking their used dishes to the sink/ dishwasher, keeping their rooms reasonably clean, helping with cooking and clearing up little messes with a dust pan and broom are currently on my kids list. I usually reward them with an outing, toy, clothing or treat when they perform their chores consistently over 1 month.

Keeping their rooms tidy, putting their things away when they have finished with them, making their beds.

Folding washing, sweeping the floors, unloading/loading dishwasher, vacuuming, washing windows, washing the car, dusting.