What jobs does your five-year-old do around the house?

[RebeccaJames]

Hi all. My son wants (?!) to have jobs to do in the house that are his, which I have been meaning to get started for a while now.

I'm having trouble thinking what they should be. It doesn't help that I'm a bit OCD about tidying and some cleaning so when I want it done it needs to be done immediately!

What jobs does your similarly aged child do successfully but that are not too utterly boring and involve some kind of skill/learning (i.e. self-esteem-building)?

My four year old helps with everthing, the usual toys away, bed made, washing in the basket not the floor. but her only allocated job is to lay the table for dinner, she does put her own clothes away but this is again her helping me rather than an allocated job.

My nearly 5yo lays the table at dinner time.

She also helps change the beds.

She might help do other jobs as and when, same as the other dc.

My DS, almost 5, has a few jobs - he's in charge of making sure the dog's water bowl is full and will feed the dog too. He also strips all the beds when its bed sheet changing day and will put the clean pillow cases on. These are his only "allocated" tasks, but he will help when I clean the house by wiping tables, putting away his toys, sorting toys into the right containers, helping to load the dishwasher (cutlery only). He will also put his clean, folded clothes away if he's around when I'm folding laundry. I find that he is very pleased with the end result when he's done all his jobs.

General helping ( he's 4). He will put all his clothes in washing basket, lays the table for dinner, general keeping toys/ his stuff tidy, will help chop easy things for dinner ie mushrooms.

Mine clears up after himself so toys, dishes, clothes etc. He occasionally likes to hoover or clean windows. Loves washing the car.
His only actual job though is the recycling which he insists on doing anyway.

gosh my son does nothing! my daughter did practically nothing till she was 8 except tidy her toys in her room (maybe) i think i should get tougher with them? (maybe)

I think it's a good idea to have them doing little bits around the house:

• clothes in washing basket after his bath
• help tidy up bathroom toys after bath
• set his own place for dinner

And he helps put his toys away during the day

I think I should also get him to bring in the potty to his room at night (still struggling with nightime accidents), and choose his clothes for the morning too.

He likes helping with the washing but that's more fun than successful!

She lays the table for dinner, clears away her plate and puts it in the dishwasher after a meal. She helps fold laundry from time to time and always puts away her clean folded laundry. She feeds the dog and often asks if she can dust things. She also loves helping with cooking and cleaning her shoes. She's actually pretty helpful when you write it down!

Laying the table is a good one, as is making bed (even if it doesn't look great).

My ds2 who is 5 wanted a job to do and I gave him a micro fibre cloth which I had sprayed a tiny bit of dettol on, and asked him to wipe all the door handles in the house. He also puts his own clothes away, (him and ds1 do it together) he helps carry light bags of shopping, to and from the car or even from the shop if we are walking. He helps feed the guinea pigs. And likes to help passing things like laundry and shopping.

Cleaning her shoes and being 'energy monitor'- turning lights off if no-one is using them. She also has to help tidy and puts her dirty dishes in the kitchen.

Separating laundry and carrying it round the house. Chopping veg with a blunt knife. Wiping surfaces tho admittedly sometimes this is pointless make-work. Laying and clearing the table.

Oh and loads of cooking baking stuff which I don't count as housework because it makes so much mess.

Stubbornly unhelpful ds gets dressed and into pjs when asked and fetches things when asked, though often claims he can't find them. Now working on putting clean clothes away and tidying his room. He can't reach the cutlery drawer yet.

Stubbornly unhelpful ds gets dressed and into pjs when asked and fetches things when asked, though often claims he can't find them. Now working on putting clean clothes away and tidying his room. He can't reach the cutlery drawer yet.

Wow, thanks for these ideas. I have made a little list from them so next time he asks and my mind goes blank, I can have a quick squizz and come up with something.

Ooh separating laundry is a good idea :)