10 Chores even Your 4 Year old can Do!
Want to give your kids something to do besides watch TV and tell you to “watch this!”. Here’s a list of 10 Chores even a four year old can handle.
Clean up their room.
Obviously I don’t mean doing the heavy duty cleaning, but tidying up? They can
totally 100% handle that. Don’t be fooled, they can definitely pick up their toys
and tidy up the place. They might make it take a year, just so you think they can’t but I’m telling you just leave ‘em in there and eventually it’ll get done. And you get a break. HA!
2. Doing laundry? Have your kid match up the socks.
I don’t know about you guys but I think this is my least favorite part of putting laundry away. Matching up all the socks. Let someone else freak out about how they can’t find that one last match for a change…
3. Speaking of laundry…
Have your kid put their clothes away. If your kid’s at the age where they dress themselves, chances are their drawers are a mess anyways. So stop worrying about all the unfolded teeny little jeggings and just let your kid put them into their place.
4. Dust.
Okay, I’m not a psycho who likes to live life on the edge. When I say dust, I mean anywhere without a breakable item in a one foot radius. Soooo is your entertainment center free of knick knacks? Have them dust it. End tables with super heavy lamps? They got this. Window sills (is that how you spell that word?), they totally got this. Also as a bonus, have them wipe down the baseboards with a baby wipe.
5. Help unload the dishwasher.
Again see above about not living life too close to the edge. Let them unload and put away their own dishes. Chances are these are already unbreakable being that your kid is four and a tiny little destructor of EVERYTHING, even when they aren’t trying. Let them help you unload anything unbreakable.
6. Feed the pets.
My daughter has LOVED to feed the dogs since she could hold things and walk at the same time without falling over. Our dog food is a bit too high up for her to reach on her own but most of the time she gets the bowls herself, we scoop the food, she pours it into the bowls, and she carries the bowls over to the pups. Totally manageable for a child.
7. Get themselves dressed and put their dirty clothes into the hamper.
I know getting dressed isn’t technically a chore, but if you think about it.. When YOU are the one who has to get the kid dressed, it is on.. For you. Pass this duty on over to your kid. They can totally handle this one. And while you’re at it teach them where the dirty clothes go once they get those off.
8. Help you with the laundry.
There are alot of laundry related chores on this list. Main reason: laundry cannot be broken you guys! *GASP* I know right! So let your kid help you toss dirty clothes into the washer, just keep those tiny little fingers away from the detergent. Your child can also help you move the wet clothes from the washer into the dryer. I know I know, this one doesn’t really sound like it’s making your life any easier because four year olds tend to make everything take FOUR-EVER! (See what I did there?) Anyways, still have them help you because it’s teaching them that the magical laundry fairy isn’t the one who replaces all their dirty clothes with clean ones at the end of the week, and that chores are a part of everyone’s lives.
9. Swiffer the floor.
Initially I had vacuum on the list, but we have a super awesome, light weight, cordless Dyson that my four year old can definitely manage. I realize this isn’t the case for all of us. SO… that being said, your kid can totally handle swiffering. They’ll probably even like it. Going back to the four year olds like to break stuff thing: just make sure anything breakable that can get bumped and knocked over isn’t in the war path. I mean swiffer path.
10. Make their bed.
Okay so if you’re anything like me you don’t always make your bed, so that means you may not want to enforce this one on your kiddo. BUT! It goes on the list because it’s still something they can do. Your kid is SO capable of laying out a blanket across the bed and tidying up any (or all 100 if it’s my kid) stuffed animals in their sleeping space.
I know the title says, chores a 4 year old can do, but really a few of these things are doable for toddlers as well. Choose things you think your littles are ready for and hand over some responsibilities! They can totally handle it. Good luck!