Why involve children in household chores?
Developmental psychology studies are unanimous: children who participate in household tasks develop better social skills, greater autonomy, and better self-esteem. Far from being a punishment, chores are a school of life that prepares your children to become responsible adults.
But how do you involve a 6-year-old differently from a 15-year-old teenager? And how do you make this participation fair and motivating? That's where FairChore's concerned members system makes all the difference.
The key principle: adapt tasks to age
Not all tasks are suitable for all ages. An 8-year-old child cannot cook a complete meal, but they can perfectly well clear the table or tidy their room.
With FairChore, you can select the concerned members for each type of task. This way, your children are only involved in tasks appropriate for their age and abilities.
Guide to tasks by age group
Ages 2 to 3: First steps
At this age, children love to imitate adults. Take advantage of it!
- Put away toys in a bin
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
- Throw trash in the garbage
- Wipe a surface with a cloth
FairChore Tip: These tasks only concern the child themselves. Create task types like "Put away toys" with the child as the only concerned member.
Ages 4 to 5: Developing autonomy
- Make their bed (even imperfectly)
- Set the table (with help)
- Put away their shoes
- Water the plants
- Feed pets
FairChore Tip: For "Feed the cat," you can involve only the children old enough to do it, while excluding the 2-year-old baby.
Ages 6 to 8: Real responsibilities
The child can now accomplish tasks that benefit the whole family.
- Set and clear the table
- Load and unload the dishwasher
- Fold and put away their laundry
- Vacuum their room
- Take out the trash
- Help prepare simple meals
FairChore Tip: "Clear the table" can now concern the whole family, including the 7-year-old. When they do this task, they earn points and everyone (parents included) loses them. It's fair and motivating!
Ages 9 to 12: Growing autonomy
- Vacuum the entire house
- Clean the bathroom (sink, mirror)
- Do their complete laundry
- Prepare their breakfast
- Do grocery shopping with a list
- Mow the lawn (with supervision)
FairChore Tip: At this age, the child can be concerned by more and more tasks. Add them progressively to routine household chores.
Teenagers (13 and up): Almost adults
- Prepare complete meals for the family
- Fully manage their laundry and ironing
- Deep clean the kitchen
- Do the weekly grocery shopping
- Babysit their siblings
- DIY and minor repairs
FairChore Tip: Teenagers can be concerned by practically all tasks. They earn and lose points like adults.
How FairChore makes chores fair for children
The problem with the traditional system
In a traditional point system, if Mom cooks and everyone loses points, it's unfair to the 6-year-old who couldn't do that task anyway.
The solution: concerned members
With FairChore, when you log "Prepare dinner," you only select the members capable of doing this task (the parents and the teen). The 6-year-old is not concerned: they don't lose points.
On the other hand, when the 6-year-old clears the table, everyone is concerned because it's a task that everyone benefits from since everyone eats! They earn points and others lose them, including Mom and Dad.
Result: each child is involved at their level, no more, no less.
Automatic memorization
Good news: you don't have to reconfigure the concerned members each time. FairChore automatically remembers your preferences. The next time you do "Prepare dinner," the right members will already be selected.
Making chores motivating
Points visualization
Children love seeing their progress. The FairChore dashboard clearly shows them their points. A child in the positive can be proud of their contribution!
Economic balance
If your child never wants to do a certain task, maybe it doesn't "pay" enough. Increase its points! Conversely, if all the children are fighting to water the plants, lower the points for that task.
Natural accountability
When a child sees that their points become negative (they benefited from others' work without contributing), it's a powerful visual signal. They naturally understand that they need to participate to rebalance.
Tips for success
- Start early: The younger you start, the more natural it will be
- Be patient: A child will do less well than an adult, that's normal
- Value the effort: The point system concretely shows the contribution
- Adapt progressively: Add tasks as they grow
- Make it a game: The point system naturally gamifies chores
- Lead by example: Children imitate what they see
Conclusion
Involving your children in household chores is not exploiting them: it's giving them the tools to become autonomous and responsible adults. With FairChore and its concerned members system, you can adapt each child's participation to their age and abilities, while ensuring perfect fairness.
Your children will concretely see their contribution and will be motivated to participate more. It's a win-win!
