Looking to start teaching your little one some responsibility and how to pick up after themselves? Grab a FREE printable chore chart for toddlers!
Toddlers are cute, but they can be a handful. Between potty training battles and teaching them how to be more independent, it can be a lot.
That’s why I love using printable chore charts! They help teach responsibility by giving your children clear expectations on what chores they should do each day or week. This helps them feel like big kids when it comes time to clean up after themselves or help out around the house.
If you’re new to using chore charts, this article will break down everything you need to know from how to use them to what chores are appropriate for young kids. Plus, you can grab a FREE printable chore chart for toddlers!
Let’s get to it!
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Why Chores are Important for Young Kids
Doing chores around the house is important for young kids because it teaches them personal responsibility and how to take care of their environment.
They learn how to:
- Be responsible and self-sufficient.
- Tidy up after themselves, which is a life skill that will come in handy for the rest of their lives.
- Help out around the house and contribute to the family.
Plus, chores teach kids how to be more confident in themselves because they can look around their room or drawers and know that it’s nice and clean after they did the work.
Toddlers are at the perfect age where they are more willing to learn these new skills. And, the earlier you teach the skills, the more ingrained they will be as they get older.
How to Get Your Kids to Do Chores
Printable chore charts sound great and all, but if your child is brand new to doing chores, you might be a little unsure of how to get started. Some kids can be a little resistant to anything that sounds like “work.”
And if they’re anything like my son, they are so used to everyone doing everything for them, the idea of them doing chores is a bit of a shock.
Here are some tips for how to get your kids to start doing chores:
Make them your assistant.
When your kids are young, the easiest way to get them on board with doing chores is to have them help you with your daily chores around the house. Make them your assistant!
Have them help you as you unload the dishwasher, switch over laundry, and things like that. Once they get used to helping you, it will be an easy transition to starting to do certain chores on their own.
Pick age-appropriate chores.
Make sure that the chores you’re assigning your child are appropriate for their age. If they’re too young for a certain chore, it’s going to be really hard for them to complete the chore.
You might end up spending so much time teaching them or fixing how they did it that both you and your child get frustrated.
As moms, it’s often easier for us to just do certain things ourselves rather than go through the struggle of teaching our kids. But when we do that, we lose out on a valuable opportunity to teach them some important life skills.
So make sure the chores you choose are ones that they will actually be able to perform. I’ve included a list of age-appropriate chores for toddlers further down in the article.
Clearly explain how to do the chore.
Before you start using the chore chart, make sure you clearly explain how to do each chore. Demonstrate what you want them to do and help them do it the first few times.
You might even have to supervise and assist them with their chores for the first week or two as they’re learning. The more you help them in the beginning, the smoother the process for everyone.
Lots of praise.
When it comes to learning any new habits or skills, positive reinforcement is the way to go. Make sure to include lots of praise and encouragement when your child successfully completes a chore.
Be as excited as they are when they get to check off each chore as being done.
Not only does this help motivate them to keep up with their chores, but it also makes them feel like they’re doing a great job and helping you out! Both of which will help create a positive attitude about doing chores around the house. (Read: less whining and drama when it’s time to pick up.)
Be patient.
If your child is new to doing chores, they probably aren’t going to pick it up overnight. First, they have to get used to doing chores, learn how to do them, and then learn how to master them.
It’s a process with some natural ups and downs. Using a chore chart will definitely help, but be patient for the first week or two as everyone adjusts to the new rules of the house.
Free Printable Chore Chart for Toddlers
To sign up for your free copy of the chore chart, simply click the image or the link below.
Grab your copy of the Printable Chore Chart for Toddlers HERE!
How to Use Chore Charts for Toddlers
For younger toddlers, a printable chore chart can be a great way to introduce chores in a fun and age-appropriate way. Your child can easily see what chores they need to do all by themselves.
Then they get the fun and satisfaction of marking them off the list after a job well done. Here are some different ways you can mark off your chore charts:
Dry erase markers
If you want to be able to reuse your chore chart without having to print off a new one every week, the best thing to do is laminate it. Here are some different methods for laminating:
- Use an actual laminator. I like this one here.
- Laminator sheets.
- Contact paper.
- Clear masking tape.
Once your paper is laminated, you can put it up on the wall or fridge, grab some dry erase markers and you’re ready to go.
Stickers
If you don’t mind printing out a new page each week, using stickers is another great way to use chore charts. My son LOVES using stickers on his.
We get different kinds that he likes and there’s always a lot of excitement about which sticker he’s going to choose on his chart. I make sure to save the stickers and use them only on his chore charts so it keeps them exciting for him.
Color them in
If your child likes to color, then you can always let them color in each box on the chore chart. They can grab a crayon, marker, or even stamps and mark off each box when their chore is completed.
This works well for kids who are really into arts and crafts.
Relevant Posts:
- 15 Quick Tips & Activities for Teaching Independence in Preschoolers
- 18 Good Habits for Kids: The Best Skills to Teach Your Children
- 9 Benefits of Using Chore Charts
- How to Create an Awesome Family Routine: My Best Tips
Age-Appropriate Chores
When teaching your toddler to do chores, it’s important to make sure that the chores are appropriate for their age. Trying to pick chores that are too difficult for them is just setting everyone up for disappointment.
Your child will get frustrated because they can’t do it and you’ll get frustrated because it feels like more trouble than it’s worth.
Here are some age-appropriate chores for toddlers:
2-Year-olds
- Putting toys away
- Helping make the bed
- Picking up clothes off the floor
- Feeding pets
- Watering plants
3-Year-olds
Everything listed under the 2-year-olds plus:
- Make bed by themselves
- Take dirty clothes to the laundry
- Put away clothes in drawers/closet
- Help set table
- Wipe off table
- Empty small garbage cans/put garbage in the big garbage can
4-Year-olds
Everything listed under the 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds plus:
- Empty the dishwasher
- Vacuum
- Pack bag for school
- Help sort laundry
- Wipe kitchen countertops and sinks
Different Way to Use Chore Charts with Toddlers
Not only can printable chore charts be a fun way to teach responsibility, but they can also be used for encouraging lots of different types of behavior.
Here are some ways you might want to use printable chore charts with your toddler:
Chore List
Make a list of daily chores your child needs to do. Every time they complete their chores, check it off on the chart.
Potty Training
Create a chart just for potty training. They can get a sticker/checkmark every time they go potty. Here are some ideas:
- Sit on the potty for 3-5 minutes.
- Go pee in the potty.
- Go poop in the potty.
- Wake up dry from sleeping.
- Go through the day with no accidents.
Morning Routine
Create a list of steps for your morning routine and add it to your chore chart. This will help your child learn their morning routine all on their own which will free up some much-needed time for you!
Bedtime Routine
Just like with the morning routine, you can use a chore chart to help your child learn their bedtime routine. Add the steps of their bedtime routine to the chore chart and help them check it off as they get ready for bed.
Trying New Foods
If you have a picky eater at home, chore charts are a great way to encourage them to try new foods. I did this with my son and it worked like a charm!
Every time he tried a new food or took a bite of food that he wasn’t sure about eating he got a sticker on his chart.
Good Behavior
Want to encourage your child to practice certain behaviors? Make a chore chart for it. Every time you catch them doing something good, give them a sticker or stamp on their chore chart.
Here are some ideas you can try:
- Say please or thank you.
- Offer to share a toy.
- Help out a friend or sibling.
- Listening. (Do something you asked them to do the first time.)
Want More Chore Charts?
If you’re looking for specialized chore charts or ones that you can customize just for your child, check out some of the chore charts from my Etsy shop.
Click here to shop these chore charts!
Conclusion
Now that you know all about chore charts and how they can help teach toddlers responsibility, it’s time to get your own free printable chore chart for toddlers.
Click here to download your FREE Printable Chore Chart for Toddlers!
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Candice is a mom of 3 who has been homeschooling since 2013. She has an A.A.S. in Early Childhood Studies and cares deeply about helping other parents get the information and resources they need to help them homeschool their children with confidence.