Chores for 16, 17 and 18 year olds
Older teens can do nearly everything an adult does around the house. The most useful chores now are the ones they'll need when they move out: planning meals, a grocery budget, a bill paid on time, a car looked after.
Plan and shop for a week of dinners
With a grocery budget you agree on first.
Run errands
The pharmacy, the post office, a younger sibling to practice.
Pay a household bill with you
Sit together the first time; then it's theirs.
Basic car care
Tire pressure, washer fluid, when the oil change is due.
Make their own appointments
The dentist, a haircut, the DMV.
Deep-clean a bathroom
Tub, grout and the exhaust fan included.
Cook for the family
A full dinner, start to finish, cleanup included.
Help plan a trip or event
The packing list, the schedule, the rides.
What makes it stick at this age: Show them the numbers behind the chores: what the groceries cost, when the bills are due. It's the part of running a house nobody teaches.
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.