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If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a huge fan of giving children age-appropriate chores. It teaches them that a clean and organized home doesn’t magically. It requires hard work. At our home, everyone is expected to do their part. In this article, we will focus on creating a comprehensive list of Fall chores for teens.
Top reasons to have chores for teens
- Develop life skills: As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children a variety of skills that will be important for them to take on in the future.
- Be a good human: Teenagers are generally self-centered. Having to do chores helps them grow into humble and appreciative adults.
- Learn respect: Whether they agree or not, your teens have to operate under your set of rules while they live under your roof. Teaching them to care for things, even those that aren’t theirs is crucial.
- Become responsible and accountable: Giving teenagers gradual responsibilities at home helps develop accountability.
- Build a strong work ethic: Doing work, even the work they don’t want to do, helps them learn and enjoy the satisfaction of completing hard work.
- Foster their self-confidence: When assigning chores to your teenagers, you are teaching them that they are capable of accomplishing complex tasks, which in turn helps to boost their self-esteem.
How to get your teens to embrace chores
The first step is to explain why you are assigning them chores. It’s important to share the reasons behind the ask. Explain the why, but make it clear this is non-negotiable. Tell them chores are important because:
- Doing their part in the household
- Learning life skills
- Develop independence and autonomy
Next, it is crucial to clearly set expectations by being specific about tasks, frequency, and expected results. It’s essential to provide detailed instructions for tasks, even if they seem basic.
If you don’t specify that cleaning the toilet includes both the inside and outside, it may not meet your expectations.
If you tie an allowance to a chore, clarify which results deserve the reward.
In my experience, you must also be specific about the timing of when the chore needs to be completed. If I tell my teens to do it “this week”, it will likely be done in the last 15 minutes of the week. If I really mean once a week on the same day, it needs to be specified.
It’s important to examine your teen’s work and provide constructive feedback. Make sure to acknowledge their successes and find a balance between helpful feedback and being overly critical.
Best Fall chores for teens
In addition to the regular chores my children are responsible for, we like to assign them seasonal chores.
Outdoor chores:
- Rake and bag leaves
- Clean patio/outdoor furniture
- Dust Cobb webs off
- Wash windows
- Tear down the garden
- Trim flowers and bushes for the winter
- Wash their car (or your car)
Indoor chores:
- Sort summer clothes (donation versus keeping for next year)
- Vacuum inside of closet
- Heavy dusting (remove items from shelves)
- Sort through belongings for unwanted items to sell or donate
- Clean their room’s blinds and curtains
- Wash their mattress cover and comforter
- Dust baseboards
How to create a chore schedule
The best way to keep track of chores in my opinion is a personal preference.
- Old school paper list or calendar: it doesn’t get much easier, it’s easy to display in the house and you can cross-off items as they are completed.
- Use a list application: easy to update as you think of new chores (even if you are not home), visible to everyone at any time, and easy to keep the list from year to year.
- Create a family calendar on your phone: You can get very specific on when each chore is due and update from anywhere and review the calendar year after year. On the flip side, it might be harder to keep track of what they didn’t do.
Here are some popular apps to consider: greenlight, Chore Checklist (free on IOS), and ourHome (free).
In conclusion
As a parent, it’s a great idea to assign fall chores to your teenagers. It’s your responsibility to help them develop skills that will set them up for success in the future. Even though your teens might not be thrilled with the added responsibilities initially, they’ll surely appreciate it someday. Top reasons to have chores for teens: It teaches them that a clean and organized home requires hard work.
I hope this was helpful, thanks for reading.
Cat xx