Assigning your 3-year-old age-appropriate household chores is a great way to help them be more independent and develop skills that will help them as they grow.

My kids are always so eager to help around the home. At first, I would get really frustrated when I tried to clean and they’d be there touching things. Or while cooking, they’d come around and try to help.

However, I realized that they were just expressing their interest in helping with certain tasks. Toddlers love to be independent and helpful, so instead of getting frustrated the next time your child is trying to help, assign them chores they can do on their own.

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Benefits of Household Chores for Toddlers

Before diving into the fabulous list of chores, let’s chat about why it’s a grand idea to introduce your kiddos to chores early on. Research suggests that children who start doing chores at a young age are:

1. More Responsible: Yep, they get the drill. Things need doing, and someone’s gotta do them.
2. Better Team Players: Working together to keep the home clean fosters a sense of unity. Siblings or not, everyone is part of Team Family!
3. Future Ready: Basic life skills, anyone? They won’t be calling you in college asking how to use a vacuum cleaner. Trust me on this one.
4. Boosts Self-Esteem: Accomplishing tasks, no matter how small, gives them a sense of achievement. Who doesn’t love a confidence booster?

Enough chit-chat, let’s cut to the chase. Here’s a list of ten tried-and-true, parent-approved chores that are age-appropriate for your tiny tots.

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10 Household Chores Your Toddler Can Help With

Here are some chores your toddler can help you with:

Personal Chores

These are chores your toddler can do to take care of themselves and promote better self-esteem.

1. Brush Their Own Teeth: You can have them brush their teeth by themselves and then you can reinforce and make sure they are properly done.
2. Dress Themselves: Lay out clothes for your toddler and encourage them to dress by themselves. Or you can give them the option of picking their own clothes.
3. Make their Own Snacks: Using age-appropriate knives, your child can cut their own fruits, put together a sandwich, and wash their own fruits. You can lay out the ingredients and have them put together.
4. Help Setup Bathtime: Have your toddler start the water for the bath and pour in bubbles. They can also bring in their toys.

Family Chores

Family chores can be done with others. They help your toddler feel involved and that they are viewed as an integral part of the family.

1. Help with Groceries

My kids love helping with groceries! They’re always eager to help bring them in when we come back from the store. 

I also let them help put the groceries away. They usually transfer the eggs to the storage container. They also will put away small groceries that are within their reach. 

You can have your toddler put away their snacks or help with washing fruits. 

To avoid tantrums, I sometimes will let my kids out of the cart and allow them to help me pick out items that were bought. This can go south quickly because they will scream if you don’t purchase what they want so you have to set rules for this to work.

2. Putting Away Toys and Books 

Start with the basics. At the end of playtime, ask them to put their toys back where they belong. Make a game out of it; whoever puts away the most toys in 2 minutes wins! It’s a win-win: they get to play a game, and you don’t step on a rogue Lego.

3. Help with Laundry

Okay, it’s a bit like playing Tetris, but with socks and underwear. Match the colors, sort them into bins, and let the toddler feel like they’ve solved a puzzle. Who knows? Maybe you’ll finally find that missing sock.

4. Watering Plants or Feeding Pets

Give them a small watering can and watch their eyes light up as they water your houseplants. It’s like the magic of keeping something alive suddenly becomes real—plus it introduces an early respect for nature.

If you’ve got a furry friend, let your tot take charge of feeding them. It’s an easy task, and it’s a step towards teaching them to care for another living being.

5. Setting and Clearing The Table

Your toddler can help set the table during meal times and they can also help you clean up after dinner. 

I always remind my kids to take their plates away when they’re done eating, we’re still getting into the habit of doing it every time but they’re getting the hang of it.

6. Make Their Beds

Have your kids help with making their beds each morning. They can do simple tasks like placing the pillow on the bed once you finish making it or helping you with the covers.

Start by having them watch how you do it and then show them how they can do it themselves. 

7. Loading and Unloading the Dishwasher

Your toddler can help you load the dishwasher. Safety is always a top priority so have them help with items that are not dangerous to them.

You can have them put away their own dishes, this will give them pride and help them be more independent.

8. Small Clean Up

Your kids can help with vacuuming or wiping down the table. They may also be able to help with sweeping or cleaning up small messes.

9. Help Make Dinner

Involve your kids during dinner time. They can help with pouring or cutting veggies using toddler-safe knives.

10. Wash The Car

Your toddler can help you wash the car. This can be a fun family activity for them.

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Wrapping Up…

So there you have it, folks! Your toddler’s guide to becoming a helpful member of the household. Of course, every kid is different. Adapt these chores to fit your family’s needs and, most importantly, make it fun! A chore chart, stickers, or simple high-fives can go a long way in making chores an activity to look forward to. Remember, you’re not just asking them to do chores. You’re teaching life lessons and creating fond memories.

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