Hellobee Boards

That's amazing! Even at four, the task of getting peanut butter and jelly out of the jars and onto bread is really difficult for my daughter. But you've inspired me to let her practice. Maybe we'll start with deli sandwiches and work up from there.

We have a Dyson v3 vacuum, so it's lightweight enough for her to vacuum with. Is she thorough? Not at all. But she has fun and it's good habits training.

It's her job to help me unload the dishwasher every morning. I give her the silverware rack and she puts the utensils away. Then she stacks the plates and bowls on the counter, so I can put them in the cupboard (if we didn't have a one year old, I'd put them in a lower cabinet so she could do it herself).

I've started asking her to put the recycling in our bin that we keep in the garage.

It's her job to keep her room clean, and before bed every night, we put on music and tidy up the living room together.

I'm going to start having her move the laundry over from the washer to the dryer and turn it on. When she's a little older, I'll have her put the clothes in the washer, throw in a Tide pod, and turn it on.

I should also probably start teaching her to load the dishwasher, but she hates getting her hands dirty, and the tetris skills needed for loading it might be beyond her.

DD is 3.5, and she:

Feeds the cats twice a day (we watch to make sure she puts the right amount in but at this point she is quite accurate)

Takes recycling from the kitchen to our entryway

Assists with emptying the dishwasher (she can do the silverware on her own and she hands us the rest)

Brings plates/cups/utensils to/from the table

Using the small handheld vacuum to clean the floor around her seat after meals (we have to tell her when it's necessary)

She's in charge of turning off lights when we leave the house

If I put laundry detergent in the machine and cue it up she will put her clothes in and turn it on. She also brings clean clothes back to her room.

She loves to dust. Though I typically touch up some areas.

Cleans up her toys everyday before nap and before bed. We will help and still have to redirect her but she does 75%

General assistance - if I am cooking she will get things out and put them away for me. She will go grab a new roll of paper towel if needed. Helps put away groceries. When I vacuum she will go around to collect the cat toys first.

My kids are 7 and 4. They don't really have established chores, but they are almost always willing to help with tasks when I ask. Also, when things need to be done, I will tell them that X chore needs to happen before Y activity. Some things they do:

Help hang wet laundry
Put away a pile of folded laundry
Vacuum with the cordless vac or dust buster
Water the plants
Get their own snacks
Take trash/recycling to the trash room (in the hallway)
Usually clean up toys/put away books without too much trouble
They love to help cook, but I often find that stressful , so I will let them help when we aren't in a hurry.
My older LO will wash his plate/cup when I ask, but he wastes so much water! Neither can reach the cabinets for putting away dishes or food.
They also help put away random objects, like new toiletries, toilet paper, toys that belong in their rooms, etc.

My daughter is not quite 3, so most of her chores still involve straightening up her things. She can pick up her toys and put them away, although she needs a little oversight to tell her what to do. If her dad or I have left our things out, she can help pick those up too. She can throw away her trash and put her dishes in the sink. When I'm cleaning, I often give her a wipe and let her "dust" the furniture. She only gets the edges and isn't very thorough, but she loves feeling like she's helping. She also helps me put clothes in the washer or dryer, and I'll let her help press the start button. She hasn't gotten the hang of folding laundry yet, but I'll let her help find the matching socks. If I'm baking (which I don't do very often anymore) she loves to help stir.

This thread has lots of good ideas. I haven't let her help with the dishes yet, because I'm paranoid she'll accidentally grab a knife or something sharp. I guess other people don't put their knives in the dishwasher, but we totally do.

I’m impressed your 3 yr old can make sandwiches!

My 26 month old likes to help with the laundry. It would be faster if we just sorted ourselves and moved clothes from the washer to dryer and pressed all the buttons, but we encourage his participation.

He likes to throw stuff in the trash especially his own diapers. He will wipe up spills. Sometimes I will let him participate in meal prep. As long as he can see what I’m doing he’s okay not being 100% hands on.

He’s great at locating things and putting things back where they belong or reminding us where they belong. Honestly, this kid can sleuth our lost keys and we haven’t lost our fan remotes.

@Iced Tea: I was going to mention that article before I saw you beat me to it at the end of your post! It really resonated with me and I’m working hard to encourage better habits in my daughter. Basically right now I am letting her help with anything she asks even if it is not convenient. We were just on a family vacation and she was having a snack and hanging with her uncle and then I heard her ask him to help her put the bowl in the dishwasher! It was amazing (for her ). She’s 3 yrs 4 months.

We are so inconsistent with things, she doesn’t really have any set chores. I try to remember to have her bring her plates to the dishwasher. I discovered a good way to have her help transfer clothes from washer (top loader) to dryer is to throw the items in the hamper on the ground and then she transfers to the dryer. I’m just hoping by always saying yes when she can safely help she’ll get better about doing things I ask bc she frequently says no if asked and I don’t want to make everything into a battle.