Teenagers learn responsibility, discipline, and hard work through chores. If you’ve done everything for your teenager up to this point, choosing chores for them may not be easy. Take into account what they’re good at, their personality, the season, and their schedule. Get your teen on a solid chore schedule with these helpful lists and printables.
Chores List for Teenagers
Teenagers can do pretty much anything you know they can handle. Give them only a few tasks at first so that they won’t get overwhelmed. How many chores should a teenager have? Start your preteen off with one or two chores per week.
Once they’re ready and willing to accept more chores, and as they age, increase the number. Your teenager can start working on the following household chores by browsing the following list:
- The bedroom should be clean
- Laundry
- Maintain a clean bathroom
- Do dishes in the sink or unload and load the dishwasher
- Lunch or dinner should be prepared
- Clear the dinner table or set it
- Floors should be swept, vacuumed, or mopped
- Each room should be dusted
- Make sure the fridge is clean
- Recycle and take out the trash
- Tables and counters should be cleaned
- Papers should be shredded
- Screens, remotes, computers, and keyboards of household electronic devices should be cleaned
Seasonal Teen Chore List
Your teen may also be able to help with seasonal chores, depending on where you live. Adolescents have a lot of potential. Don’t underestimate them. Consider chores that involve your daughter’s mechanical skills or your son’s landscaping skills.
- Snow should be shoveled
- Leaf rake
- Lawn mowing, weed pulling, and other yard work
- Vehicles that are clean inside and out
- Routine maintenance should be performed on the car
- Garage cleaning
- Seasonal items should be put away or taken out
- Gutter cleaning
- Screens and windows should be cleaned
- Outside, clean the rugs
- (Fences, decks) Painting
- Decorate for the holidays and take them down
- Decks and siding can be power washed
- Help with gardening (planting, harvesting)
- Pool cleaning (vacuuming, skimming)
Deep Cleaning Chores
Alternatively, your teen can clean those hard-to-reach, hidden, or otherwise neglected areas that need a deep clean every now and then. Deep cleaning is a great way to keep your kids busy after they’ve completed their regular chores.
- Under the couch cushions, vacuum
- Cleaning carpets with shampoo
- Clean mattresses thoroughly
- Walls that are clean
- Drains should be cleaned of hair
- Donate clothes from your closet
- Under beds and couches, clean them
- Light switches, handles, and door knobs should be disinfected
- Kitchen cabinets should be cleaned
- Make sure the oven/stove is clean
- Curtains should be taken down and washed
- Ceiling fans should be cleaned
- Organize the pantry
Unique Chores for Teens
Here are a few more unique tasks you can assign to your teenager. While these might not be applicable to every teen, they can be fun tasks to switch up the usual household chores.
- Renovation chores: removing wallpaper, painting, ripping up carpets, etc.
- Make your neighborhood a cleaner place by picking up trash
- Cans and bottles can be returned (if your state pays for recycling)
- Assist neighbors with outdoor chores
- Pets need to be fed, exercised, or groomed
- Fish tank that is clean
- Sibling care and assistance
- Pick up needed items and run errands
Printable Teen Chore Resources
Making sure your adolescent understands the chores he or she is responsible for can help make them a reality. You may want to make a chore chart for teens if there are a lot of chores to do each week.
You can print out a chart or calendar and list the chores for each day, or you can make a chart with poster board and check off each task as you complete it. You can download, customize, and print the document by clicking on it. If you have trouble accessing the printables, check out the Adobe Guide.
Free Printable Chore List for Teens
Keeping your teen accountable is easier when they are given a printable chore list. Teen chore lists include sections for each task, when your teen plans to complete the task, when the chore is complete, and for any notes about why it didn’t get done.
Blank Chore List for Teens
A simple, printable contract can help you and your teen define what is expected of them regarding chores. Having this information in writing acts as a contract that outlines your teen’s responsibilities and the overall agreement.
Motivating Your Teen to Do Chores
Motivating your teenager requires them to know they have exceeded your expectations and made you proud. It’s best to start with just one or two chores; this gives them a chance to excel. Their motivation will increase when they succeed.
Compensating With Money
Money is the biggest motivator for teenagers. Each chore your teen completes throughout the week is worth a specific amount of money. As their first job, this teaches them that if they do what you expect, they will continue to earn rewards and opportunities to earn more.
Compensating With Privileges
Rather than paying your teenager for doing household chores, you can reward him or her with another reward that fits into your budget if money is tight. When all chores are done for a week or a month, you can promise something they really want. If the rewards are too far apart, your teen may lose motivation and focus.
Helping Your Teen With Chores
If necessary, assist your teenager with chores at first. Allow them to complete chores independently with some supervision once they understand the concept. As soon as your teen has everything under control, you can let them do the chores on their own. If your child needs help, let them know you’re available.
Adjusting Your Teenager’s Chore Schedule
Teenagers often have busy schedules due to extracurricular activities, so removing some chores may help them avoid becoming overwhelmed. You don’t want to scale back too much, though, because then you lose the benefits. Assess your teen’s performance to determine if their chores need to be adjusted.
Dealing With Incomplete Chores
You may need to give your teen more time to complete chores or cut out certain chores if he or she is having trouble completing them on time. It makes sense to cut pay if you take away chores.
However, it’s up to you, as the parent, to decide whether to do that or just reduce their allowance a bit. Your teen should understand that less work means less pay, since that is what is expected in the workplace.
You Are Your Teen’s First Boss
When you assign chores to your teenager, you are giving them a job. As their first boss, you decide how stringent you will be about how and when duties are performed. You are the parent and know your teen better than an employer.
When making decisions about what your teenager does and what to do when they don’t follow through, remember that. Making a chore chart or creating a special list of chores for teens will help them stay on track with their chore duties.