Chores for 8 and 9 year olds
Eight- and nine-year-olds can take on real household jobs, the kind you'd otherwise do yourself. Show them once, do it together once, then let them do it their way.
Load the dishwasher
Show them your system once. Then their system is fine.
Fold and put away laundry
Towels and their own clothes to start.
Vacuum a room
Pick up the floor first; that's half the job.
Take out the trash and recycling
Including the bins to the curb on trash day.
Wipe the bathroom sink and counter
A spray and a cloth kept under that sink.
Make a simple breakfast
Cereal, toast, yogurt. Nothing on the stove yet.
Walk the dog
Around the block, with a grown-up nearby at first.
Add to the grocery list
When they finish something, it goes on the list.
What makes it stick at this age: Expect it done, not done perfectly. Redoing their work teaches them it doesn't count.
For the rest of the house
The printed list is yours to keep. Pitch In is a free app for the grown-ups and teenagers in the house: chores with names on them, a shared calendar, the grocery list and the bills, in one place everyone can see. It’s for 13 and up, so when your kids get there, they get their own list.