7 Kid-Friendly Tasks That Will Teach Your Kids Responsibility — And Actually Help You Out

If we had to put money on the top parenting goals, getting kids to help around the house would be right up there with cutting down on screen time and making them eat at least one food per day that isn’t made entirely of corn syrup. Call it “doing chores,” call it “being mommy’s special helper”... no matter how you sell it, giving children age-appropriate responsibilities can help boost their self-esteem, teach them valuable life skills, and make them better equipped to handle the many (LOL, oh so many) frustrations they’ll experience as they grow. Here are seven tasks that even the most chore-averse child can master:

Making Their Own Lunch

Food prep is a great way to get kids of all ages involved in “cooking,” and making lunches is an ideal way to introduce new skills to even the littlest learners. We love Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat for this task, since it’s delicious and kid-friendly, easy to prep, and comes in an air-tight reusable container with a double seal for freshness.

Younger kids (2 and up) can easily place the conveniently pre-folded turkey or ham slices into a lunch box or onto a slice of bread, while older kids can build their own sandwiches with their favorite fixins.

Feeding The Pet(s)

Since pet food tends to be low to the ground, this can be a job for kids as young as two, provided they don’t try to eat the kibble themselves (always a risk at that age). Scooping out dry food and pouring water into a bowl hits lots of educational and developmental areas — sensory play, hand-eye coordination, measurement skills--but more importantly, it checks something off of your to-do list… which is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Setting and Clearing the Table

Can we call this one “playing restaurant”? Sure we can! Your Type A child will love carefully setting out evenly-spaced placemats, folding napkins, and placing the utensils just so, while your more chaotic child may enjoy unleashing their animal instincts through bussing at the end of the meal — although it’s easy to put away leftovers with the reusable, kid-friendly containers that had Hillshire Farm Lunch Meat in them. Other fun, artistic tasks around special meal times could include making place cards or a centerpiece, plating “fancy” hors d’ouevres (Hillshire Farm turkey and ham charcuterie, anyone?) or designing a menu.

Picking Up Toys

This one’s a classic, but as any parent who has limped across a carpet full of sharp plastic tchotchkes knows, much easier said than done! Whether you have your kids pick up right after they’ve finished playing (incredible) or once a week when the house looks like it’s been hit by a hurricane (relatable), there are ways to make it feel like a game in and of itself. Put out baskets and have your kids throw the toys in like they’re making a three-point shot, or put on a favorite pop song and challenge them to clean up as much as possible before it ends.

Sweeping or Vacuuming

Is there anything cuter than a kid trying to sweep with a broom that’s taller than they are? Yup: clean floors! Watch in wonder as your normally messy child delights in running all over the house leaving a pristine trail in their wake (just watch the framed photos on the walls, which can easily be knocked askew by an overzealous tidier). A cordless vacuum, especially one with smaller handheld parts, is also perfect for little hands to manage.

Sorting and Folding Laundry

Laundry is a truly Sisyphean task: as soon as you’re done, it starts again. And again. And again. It can be a lot for one person to manage, especially in a household with multiple kids, so the sooner you can get your little ones on laundry duty, the better. Kids five and under can sort the clothes into piles for different family members, while older children can learn the art of the perfect (or, you know, just OK) T-shirt fold. Word of warning: balled-up pairs of socks will be used as projectiles, but at least they’re clean.

Emptying the Dishwasher

Let’s be honest: sometimes we can’t even trust other adults (side-eye, spouse, ahem) to load the dishwasher, but pretty much anyone can empty it, assuming they aren’t in a developmental stage that involves throwing breakable things. Letting kids empty the dishwasher is not only real household help, but it means they can never again claim that they “don’t know” where the cups are when you ask them to pour themselves a glass of water.

*Except for those naturally occurring in celery juice powder and sea salt