Where does it go?Everything has somewhere to go.It did not pile up overnight. One thing at a time.

Family tasks

Chores by age

The short answer

Children can help from about two, and the job grows with them: toys into one basket at two to three, setting the table at four to five, one job that is theirs at six to eight, bins and the dishwasher at nine to twelve, running parts of the house from thirteen. Pick the age; every job is three steps.

What they can genuinely manage at each age, each job in three steps a child can follow, and how to make it stick past the second week. Age bands aligned with Raising Children Network (raisingchildren.net.au), the Australian government-funded parenting service. Household chores for kids, Raising Children Network

What chores can a 2 to 3 year old do?

Helping is a game. They genuinely want to help at this age, and it will cost you time rather than save it. Let them anyway — this is when the habit is cheapest to build. Jobs that work: put toys back in one basket; clothes into the washing basket; carry their plate to the bench; wipe a spill with a cloth; fill the pet's bowl with you.

Put toys back in one basket

  1. Pick one toy up
  2. Drop it in the basket
  3. Go again until the floor is clear

Clothes into the washing basket

  1. Take the clothes off
  2. Carry them to the basket
  3. Drop them in, lid on

Carry their plate to the bench

  1. Two hands on the plate
  2. Walk slowly to the bench
  3. Put it down, not in the sink

Wipe a spill with a cloth

  1. Get the cloth
  2. Wipe until it is dry
  3. Cloth back on the hook

Fill the pet's bowl with you

  1. Hold the scoop together
  2. Pour into the bowl
  3. Put the scoop back

What chores can a 4 to 5 year old do?

Can finish one job. They can see a task through now, as long as it's genuinely one task with a visible end. Jobs that work: make their bed, badly; set the table; sort the washing into colours; water the pots; put their own shoes and bag away; match socks.

Make their bed, badly

  1. Pull the sheet up
  2. Pull the doona up
  3. Pillow on top

Set the table

  1. Count the people
  2. A plate and a fork each
  3. Cups last

Sort the washing into colours

  1. Darks in one pile
  2. Lights in another
  3. Anything you are not sure about, ask

Water the pots

  1. Fill the small can
  2. Water each pot until the soil goes dark
  3. Can back by the tap

Put their own shoes and bag away

  1. Shoes together by the door
  2. Bag on its hook
  3. Lunchbox out of the bag and on the bench

Match socks

  1. Tip the socks out
  2. Find its twin
  3. Fold the pair in half

What chores can a 6 to 8 year old do?

Ready to own something. Old enough to be responsible for a job that's theirs alone, every week, without being asked twice. Jobs that work: pack their own school bag; empty the small bins; fold the flat things — tea towels, face washers; feed the pets on their own; sweep a floor; help unpack the shopping.

Pack their own school bag

  1. Lunchbox and drink bottle in
  2. Hat and reader in
  3. Check the list on the fridge

Empty the small bins

  1. Tie the bag
  2. Carry it to the big bin outside
  3. New bag in

Fold the flat things — tea towels, face washers

  1. Lay it flat
  2. Fold in half, then half again
  3. Stack it in the drawer

Feed the pets on their own

  1. One scoop, level
  2. Fresh water
  3. Wash your hands

Sweep a floor

  1. Start in the far corner
  2. Sweep towards the door
  3. Into the dustpan, into the bin

Help unpack the shopping

  1. Cold things first
  2. Tins and packets to the pantry
  3. Bags folded and put away

What chores can a 9 to 12 year old do?

Usually under-asked. Capable of real work, and this is the age most often underestimated. They can do considerably more than they're given. Jobs that work: load and unload the dishwasher; take the bins to the kerb; vacuum a room properly; make their own lunch; change their own sheets; wipe down the bathroom basin.

Load and unload the dishwasher

  1. Scrape plates, no rinsing needed
  2. Plates down, cups up
  3. Unload when it is dry, sharp things last

Take the bins to the kerb

  1. Check which bins go out this week
  2. Wheel them to the kerb the night before
  3. Bring them in the next day

Vacuum a room properly

  1. Pick up everything off the floor first
  2. Edges and under the furniture
  3. Empty the vacuum when it is full

Make their own lunch

  1. Something main, something fruit, something else
  2. Wrap it so it survives the bag
  3. Wipe the bench after

Change their own sheets

  1. Strip the bed, sheets to the laundry
  2. Fitted sheet first, then the top
  3. Pillowcases last

Wipe down the bathroom basin

  1. Spray once
  2. Wipe basin, taps and the bench
  3. Rinse the cloth and hang it

What chores can a 13 plus year old do?

Running parts of the house. The goal now isn't help around the house. It's that they can run one when they leave. Jobs that work: a load of washing start to finish, including putting it away; cook a family meal once a week; clean their own bathroom; mow the lawn; add to the shopping list and do part of the shop; book and keep their own appointments.

A load of washing start to finish, including putting it away

  1. Sort, load, right cycle
  2. Hang or dry it the same day
  3. Folded and put away, not left in the basket

Cook a family meal once a week

  1. Pick the meal and check the ingredients on Sunday
  2. Start early enough to eat on time
  3. Clean up as you go

Clean their own bathroom

  1. Toilet, inside and out
  2. Shower and basin
  3. Floor last, bin emptied

Mow the lawn

  1. Walk it first for sticks and toys
  2. Edges after the middle
  3. Clippings to the green bin, mower away

Add to the shopping list and do part of the shop

  1. Write what is running low as you notice it
  2. Take the list and a budget
  3. Put it away when you get home

Book and keep their own appointments

  1. Ring or book online yourself
  2. Put it in the calendar
  3. Turn up early with what you need

What makes chores stick?

Do it with them firstNobody learns a job by being told to go and do it. Work alongside them until they've done it three or four times, then step back.
Accept their standardRedoing it in front of them ends the arrangement immediately. If it truly has to be redone, do it later and out of sight.
Same job, same timeA fixed rhythm beats reminders. "Bins on Tuesday after dinner" works. "Help out more around here" has never worked once.
Name the job exactly"Tidy up" isn't a job, it's a mood. "Put the shoes in the basket" is a job, and it has a visible finish.
Decide about money onceSome families pay, some don't, some pay only for extras beyond the basics. All three work. Changing the rules halfway doesn't.
Let them choose what goesWhen it's their own things, control is the whole game. A child who picks what to donate stays on side; one whose toys quietly vanish learns to hide things.

Is there a version for the fridge?

The same lists as one A4 sheet with a blank weekly chart: family tasks, chores by age. The Sunday family reset puts everyone's job into forty-five minutes. Decluttering their room is different diplomacy: the kids' rooms guide.