• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • FOOD
  • GAMES
  • LAUGHS

My Life and Kids

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Snacks
  • Desserts
  • Drinks
  • Feeding Teens
  • Freezer Meals
  • Copycat Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • FOOD
  • GAMES
  • LAUGHS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • FOOD
    • GAMES
    • LAUGHS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • Coffee with Honey in a glass mug with frothy hot milk on top and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
      Recipe: How to Make Hot Coffee with Honey (Cafe con Miel)
    • Tall glass filled with ice, cold brew, club soda and cold foam. Glass straw inside.
      Easy and Refreshing Iced Coffee Soda Recipe
    • Starbucks Copycat Sugar Cookie Latte in a glass mug with whipped cream and red and green sprinkles on top.
      Homemade Sugar Cookie Latte Starbucks Copycat Recipe
    • Fork breaking into Finished Plancha Grilled Chili Crisp Salmon on rice.
      Big Green Egg Plancha Grilled Chili Crisp Salmon Recipe
    • Starbucks Caramel Brulee Latte in a clear mug
      Easy Caramel Brulee Latte Starbucks Copycat Recipe
    • Copycat Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Recipe in a clear glass topped with whipped cream, red sprinkles and a candy cane.
      Easy Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino Starbucks Copycat Recipe
    • Starbucks Chestnut Praline Latte in a clear mug with whipped cream and pralines on top.
      Chestnut Praline Latte Starbucks Copycat Recipe
    • Box of grape uncrustables next to a plate of celery
      Do Uncrustables Need to be Refrigerated or Frozen?
    • Creamy tan colored coffee drink in clear mug with cold foam and cinnamon on top. Contains coffee, milk and ashwagandha.
      Easy Ashwagandha Coffee Recipe - Tasty Adaptogenic Latte
    • Two kids doing a crab walk in a kitchen, while playing Animal Workout on an Alexa Device
      More than 26 Games Kids Can Play With Alexa
    • Person wearing a black tanktop and holding a pink fabric tape measure to highlight how to measure your bust. White background.
      How to Take Your Clothing Measurements for Amazon
    • Boy on blue background holding stopwatch
      20 Awesome Back to School Games
    Home » Mom Life

    Published: Dec 27, 2014 · Modified: Jul 12, 2019 by Anna Luther · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    5 Simple Chores for Kids - That will Actually Help you!

    With three little kids, a nearly full-time job and a Big Hairy Dog, I need some serious help around my house.

    On the days or weeks when I'm staying up on the laundry load - the kitchen is piled with dishes - and someone needs to get to the grocery store.

    On the days or weeks when I'm staying on top of the kitchen and food situation - the laundry baskets are overflowing and my daughter is announcing to everyone in the grocery store that she didn't change her underwear that morning.

    Did I mention that I could use some help?

    Luckily, after scouring Pinterest and interviewing several of my friends, I've found a few cleaning shortcuts that my kids can help with.

    Five Simple Chores for Kids - That Actually Help!

    Clean the Shower

    Our showers are some of the last places to get clean in the house - primarily because visitors aren't using them, and I can pull the curtain closed.

    Pinterest to the rescue - I keep a kitchen scrub brush in each shower - filled with dish soap and a little bit of vinegar.

    When the kids take showers (which is pretty much every night), they spend their time scrubbing the walls. They're clean - and my showers are too!

    Laundry!

    My neighbor clued me into this little tip. Each kid gets a laundry basket in their room. When it's full of dirty clothes, it's their responsibility to take it to the washing machine and wash their own clothes.

    I walked each of them through it the first few times, and now they an fly solo. I used a dry-erase marker to draw arrows and numbers on the machine to help them remember what settings to choose.

    And the 6-year-old helps the 3-year-old with his load of laundry.

    And here's the secret tip that makes it all possible: we use the laundry pods - the ones that the kids can just toss in the machine.

    I don't have to worry about laundry powder overflowing in my machine - and the kids always know they have the right amount of detergent.

    So now at least the kids have clean underwear - even if I don't.

    Scrub the Floors

    I know - this sounds like a nightmare of giving my kids a bucket of soapy water and spending the next several hours of my life trying to de-suds my house.

    But we got an iRobot Braava - and it's the greatest thing on earth. This little machine does a quick sweep of my hard floors, then it pre-soaks them, scrubs them and squeegees them. All by itself.

    And it removes stuck-on messes.

    I'm not even kidding.

    My older two kids think it's pretty much the coolest thing on the face of the earth. They know exactly how to use it (because it's so simple), and now they beg me most mornings to please scrub the kitchen floor or the bathroom floor or the entryway.

    And I have no problem with that. Obviously.

    They can get everything set up themselves, my floors are squeaky clean - and my 3-year-old loves to watch the iRobot clean, which means I can focus on Facebook for awhile (or folding laundry).

    Dishwasher Duty

    My 5 and 6-year-olds have been unloading the dishwasher for me since they were four. At first, I was very hesitant to turn this task over to them. They can't reach where most of our dishes go. They're desperately slow. I thought it would be more of a pain than a help.

    But luckily another friend of mine clued me in. If they know where something goes, and they can reach it, then it gets put away (including silverware). Anything they can't reach gets stacked on the counter.

    I leave the kitchen while they're unloading the dishwasher so I'm not tempted to step in and take over for them.

    And can I just say how much easier it is to put dishes away when they're already clean and stacked on the counter for you? Seriously - it's a huge help to have the kids unloading the dishwasher - even if they can't put every single dish in the cupboard.

    Make Snacks and Water Bottles

    Do you feel like you spend your entire days in the kitchen because someone is always hungry or thirsty?

    Me too.

    Until I showed the 5 and 6-year-olds how to make a few simple snacks. Like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, oatmeal, pretzels and peanut butter, etc.

    Now - one of them is in charge of making up the water bottles for the day first thing in the morning.

    And they're all responsible for their own snacks all day long. They have to ask first, but then they're in charge of making them, eating them and cleaning up after them.

    Oh - and the older two have to help the 3-year-old.

    The kids love it - and I feel like I'm spending way less time in the kitchen - which makes me so much happier.

    Looking for some more chore ideas for kids?

    Nothing keeps kids on track with chores quite like a chore chart.

    Click here to download your free printable chore chart.

    Routine Cards for Kids

    These routine cards have made a huge difference in our lives. If your kids are able to read, you're going to want to make routine cards like this! Trust me.

    Click here for all the details on our DIY routine cards.

    21 Chore Chart Ideas for Kids

    Need more inspiration? Here are 21 chore charts for kids.

    More Mom Life

    • Teacher in front of colorful chalkboard
      280+ Fun Trivia Questions and Answers for 5th Graders
    • Cream and pink lunchbox with gold zippers
      Top Picks: More than 30 of the Best Lunch Bags for Nurses
    • Woman holding markers in one hand and food storage container with silicone lid in the other hand. She's wearing a blue apron. Lid has a joke written on it in sharpie.
      More than 150 lunch note ideas to make your kids smile
    • Blue and white insulated lunch box
      35 of The Very Best Lunch Boxes to Keep Food Warm 

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marina Silva-Opps says

      July 11, 2014 at 4:18 pm

      Excellent article! I love all the ideas. We are already using some of them with our boys with a 50/50 success. The idea of teaching them to make their snacks or cleaning the shower are great -- certainly, something to try with our boys.

    2. Alexandra says

      July 13, 2014 at 8:56 am

      How much hard floor so you have? Our open plan home is mostly tile ad pond I found our older model scooba didn't cut it. Then it started having issues with the cleaning.

    3. Eva Earnest says

      July 24, 2014 at 5:41 am

      Pretty smart ideas you have going here. I personally have had to come up with new ways to reward the kids for their chores all the time and sometimes it just gets to me! anyway here's a nice article you might find interesting. I think I might have found my peace with this app! lol
      http://www.confessionsoftiredmoms.com/featured/chores-for-kids

    4. Kelly @ Here Comes the Sun says

      July 28, 2014 at 9:07 am

      These are awesome tips! I love the laundry tip! My kids already bring their hampers to the washing machine but they just dump everything on the floor. I'm going to definitely try this with the laundry pods.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Anna! Raising families is hard, but keeping them fed makes it easier! I'm here to help you feed your crazy, messy, fabulous, funny family.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Glass bowl on a wooden board filled with Taco Bell copycat Red Sauce.
      Copycat Taco Bell Red Sauce Recipe
      Cook Time20 min
    • Bottom freezer open with casseroles wrapped in tin foil and labeled with sharpie advertising freezer casserole recipes.
      15 Casserole Recipes to Freeze
    • Hand holding a flour tortilla filled with refried beans, taco bell red sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
      Copycat Taco Bell Bean Burritos Recipe with Red Sauce
      Cook Time10 min
    • Metal pan filled with baked casserole with rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese.
      Freezer Taco Rice Casserole (Dairy Free and Gluten Free)
      Cook Time60 mins

    Summer Favorites

    • Glass pyrex dish with slices of zucchini, squash, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese.
      Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin Recipe
      Cook Time1 hour, 15 min
    • Bright, fresh salad in a wooden bowl with sliced strawberries, red lettuce, shaved coconut and slivered almonds on a white wooden table next to a glass jar of green lemonade basil salad dressing.
      Summer Salad with Lemonade Basil Dressing
      Cook Time10 min
    • Sheetpan of cooked fajitas with slices of seasoned chicken, sliced onions and red and orange bell peppers with a stack of flour tortillas on top. Bowls of shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and avocado on the side.
      Orange Juice Chicken Fajitas Recipe - Sheet Pan Dinner
      Cook Time35 min
    • Hand holding a small bowl of purple blackberry frozen whip.
      Lemonade with Blackberries Summer Whip Recipe
      Cook Time35 min

    Hi, I'm Anna! Raising families is hard, but keeping them fed makes it easier! I'm here to help you feed your crazy, messy, fabulous, funny family.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Glass bowl on a wooden board filled with Taco Bell copycat Red Sauce.
      Copycat Taco Bell Red Sauce Recipe
      Cook Time20 min
    • Bottom freezer open with casseroles wrapped in tin foil and labeled with sharpie advertising freezer casserole recipes.
      15 Casserole Recipes to Freeze
    • Hand holding a flour tortilla filled with refried beans, taco bell red sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
      Copycat Taco Bell Bean Burritos Recipe with Red Sauce
      Cook Time10 min
    • Metal pan filled with baked casserole with rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese.
      Freezer Taco Rice Casserole (Dairy Free and Gluten Free)
      Cook Time60 mins

    Summer Favorites

    • Glass pyrex dish with slices of zucchini, squash, tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese.
      Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin Recipe
      Cook Time1 hour, 15 min
    • Bright, fresh salad in a wooden bowl with sliced strawberries, red lettuce, shaved coconut and slivered almonds on a white wooden table next to a glass jar of green lemonade basil salad dressing.
      Summer Salad with Lemonade Basil Dressing
      Cook Time10 min
    • Sheetpan of cooked fajitas with slices of seasoned chicken, sliced onions and red and orange bell peppers with a stack of flour tortillas on top. Bowls of shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and avocado on the side.
      Orange Juice Chicken Fajitas Recipe - Sheet Pan Dinner
      Cook Time35 min
    • Hand holding a small bowl of purple blackberry frozen whip.
      Lemonade with Blackberries Summer Whip Recipe
      Cook Time35 min

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023