What kind of chores are appropriate for a 9 and 13 year old?

Question

I am feeling overwhelmed and although my kids do chores on the weekends sometimes, I feel they can do much more now, like dishes, vacuuming, etc. what do your kids of similar ages do?

Answer 1

my parents had me on dishes and dusting and vacuuming, until i got older and then i started mowing the yard

Answer 2

Ah, this is a tough question. You want your kids to enjoy they childhood, but you want them to learn responsibility and work, am I right? Well you can do both. There should be some chores that children are expected to do (clearing the table and putting the dishes in the dishwasher, helping prepare meals and set table when asked, keeping their rooms clean and putting away their clean clothes, and putting dirty clothes in the hamper) And some that should be encouraged by -you guessed it- allowance. If oyur kids already get allowance, offer to add an additional few dollars if they help with laundry, vacuum the floor, sweep the porch, rake the bed, etc.
Or maybe if they DON'T do these things, take away from their allowance. If you provide organization they shouyld provide help. Beleive it or not, your kids probably want to help, just aren't sure where to start or would rather be playing video games. By using this system you can motivate your kids to help around the house and teach them responsibility. What could be better? :)

Answer 3

monday - scrub bathroom
tues - clean bedrooms
wed - scrub kitchen
thurs - one vacuums, one sweeps and mops
fri - yardwork [ lawn, leaves, etc. - kids under 100 pounds probably can't handle mower ]
Every day, they should clean up their dishes [ rinse and stack in dishwasher ], food, clothes, school stuff, toys and books. Don't leave a room without cleaning up what you used.
Home from school, snack, then chores. If they do them all the time, the longest one would take about 1/2 hr. Then play until dinnertime; homework after dinner.
In summer, I would have them do chores right after breakfast.
This way, you all have weekends free!
My kids started doing chores like toys when they could walk;
scrubbing toilets when 6, and could do everything but fix the car and clean the gutters by the time they were 12. They can cook, clean, and do laundry, and even minor sewing chores.

Answer 4

At about that age, my mom had me do the dishes (or help with most of the dishes), vacuum sometimes, clean windows, dust and scrub walls as chores. I broke a few plates and cups once in a while, so if you cherish your plates and cups overly- help with the higher pantries. My brothers mowed the lawn, took out trash and cleaned the bathrooms (including scrubbing toilets). My mom had four children and that is how she kept sane all those years. I recommend a few of those- but not everyday. Pick days and on that day of the week, they do that chore before dinner or something. Chore charts help. But what really helps to get them to do their chores- an allowance. Good luck :-)

Answer 5

My son is only 3 so he doesn't have any chores. . but I feel that vacuuming, taking out the trash, sweeping the floors, putting away laundry, dusting and feeding pets are appropriate chores for a 9 and 13 year old. You may not want them to do the dishes because you may end up rewashing them because they don't come out clean enough to cook on or eat off of again. =) Maybe they could loan and unload a dishwasher though. Or just put away the dishes once they're dry.

Answer 6

Your kids should have had regular chores since they were 4 or 5! They need to be taught that a family is a team and every team member has to help out! The 13 yr old is old enough to anything you do! The 9 yr old can do most anything, except I think it's a little young to mow the lawn! Get thoes kids having some responsibilities pronto! All you've been doing is teaching them that you are their maid! Any job you give them, make sure they do it right or do it over! There is NO EXCUSE for NOT DOING THE JOB RIGHT!

Answer 7

Have a chore list. One day is the 9 year olds day and have simple but helpful things like dishes or sweeping or dusting and the other on the next day. Have them do a little more and harder chores the other cannot do. Switch them out so they dont have to do the same everyday. The chore list comes in handy on the fridge. But I was able to do everything including laundry at 10. So size it up to their abaility. Please remember to reward them every now and then. Not many parents do this and they should. I know its a chore but if they do it right and on time reward them. They will feel like its punishment if not.

Answer 8

My children are 10 & 13. I have a chore chart on the fridge and alternate rooms for each day of the week. Monday: Bedrooms- Dust, Sweep, Straighten Tuesday: Bathrooms Wed: Living room & Dining Room - Sweep, Dust ect. ect.

By changing up the rooms for each day its not the same monotiny and the whole house seems to stay clean for my scrubdown on the weekends. At this age though they can empty dishwasher, start a load of laundry, dust , vacuum...

Answer 9

At that age, quite a bit! Anything to do with dishes (except wash pots) - handwash stuff, load and unlead d/w, set table, clear table, both can help with getting the meal ready by helping with prep. Both can vacuum and dust. Older one can run the washer and dryer, both can fold and hang up clothes. This should all be in addition to keeping their own rooms clean! Of course, you don't want them to do all of this all the time, but as part of a family, each member must help! And, don't tie chores to an allowance - they each need money "just because". They also can help with outdoor work, such as watering, raking, etc.

Answer 10

Im 13 and I have a brother who is 9! Our parents give us ann allowance but only if we do all our chores.... it gives me motivation. Some chores good for a 13 year old are once a month room cleans, bathroom cleaning, washing windows and dishes (every night). The bathroom cleaning and window washing could be done every saterday.
For the 9 year old. Monthly room cleaning, mopping, vacuming and dusting are good because they are quite simple and dont require a whole lot of skill. Thoese three things could also be done on Saterday (or another day) while you 13 year old is doing their chores.
I would reccomend doing the room cleaning on the first week of every month. That was it is easy to remember.
I you are planning on giving allowance on way to do it is 1$ fro every year old they are. Or around 10$ for the 13 year old and arounf 5$ for the 9 year old.
A way to encourage you kids to do their chores well is if they do a really good job they get a bonus on their allowance. Or if they do a bad job they get a decrease on their allowance for that week.
Hope I helped!

Answer 11

I think that kids that age should be responsible for making their bed and bringing their laundry to the laundry room, helping fold, and put it away. Each day after school they should have a chore that can be completed in 10 min, like putting away dishes and sweeping, ones tidies up the living room while one vaccuums,etc. The younger one may be too small for real cleaning like mopping or scrubbing.