Chores for 13, 14 and 15 year olds
Young teens can run a whole job on their own schedule, and they do better with chores they're trusted to manage than chores they're reminded about. Give them a deadline, not a time, and let them choose when.
Mow the lawn
Push mower; the AAP says 16 and up for a riding one.
Cook dinner one night a week
They pick the meal and put what they need on the grocery list.
Deep-clean the kitchen
Inside the microwave, the fridge shelves, the stovetop.
Wash the car
Inside and out.
Do the grocery shopping from the list
With your card or cash, and the receipt back.
Watch younger siblings
An afternoon, with a number to call.
Clean their room on their own schedule
Done by Sunday night, however they like.
Take a share of the yard work
Weeding, raking, shoveling the walk.
What makes it stick at this age: Teens push back on being told and step up on being trusted. A list they can see on their own phone, and take jobs from, works better than a reminder from you.
Give them their own list
Pitch In is a free app for the whole household. A teenager gets their own sign-in and sees their chores for today, can take one that’s up for grabs, and ticks it off themselves, so nobody has to remind them.
You decide what they see of the money: their chores and one shared account, or nothing at all. The calendar, groceries and bills are in the same place.