Have you ever been in the kitchen washing the dishes and thought to yourself, “I just washed these!” Or perhaps when you are folding the laundry you get a sense of déjà vu? Don’t worry, it’s not just you. Sometimes as parents we get so used to doing everything for our kids, that we forget that they can help too! We can indeed teach kids to clean right along with us.

Right now you’re probably thinking, “I wouldn’t exactly call it “helping”’. Any parent who has let their child sweep the floor or fold the laundry knows this to be true. But the truth is they have to start somewhere, right? If we teach kids to clean early on, they will get better at it over time. 

Kids naturally want to help clean and do the things they see their parents doing. Teach kids to clean by giving them age appropriate chores and they can help significantly around the house. This will not only lessen the load for you as the workhorse (I mean parent) but it will also equip your child to do things for themselves in the future. Isn’t that our job as parents anyways—to teach kids to clean on their own so they can learn to care for themselves? Let’s start with chores around the house that even the littlest of helpers can do.


Toddler Stage (Ages 2-3)

Small Child Picking Up Toys

We call this the bucket and washcloth phase. Toddlers are great at learning to sort things at this age, so if you have a job with a bin or bucket (like a laundry hamper or a toy box) this is a job a toddler can do! They can put dirty clothes in the laundry hamper & put toys away in a toy box.  They also are able to wipe the table clean or wash the handprints off the sliding glass door! If you let them use the squirt bottle you’ll be guaranteed to have an excited toddler.

Pro Tip: Teach kids to clean by singing the clean up song! This is a great way to signal to your child that it is time to clean up!


Pre-k (Ages 4-5)

Child Cleaning The Window

At this age, kids can do all of the things listed above along with the following. Start the day off with having them make their own bed. They’ll be so proud when they do this by themselves for the first time! Give them praise! At meal time, they can help set and clear the table. They can wash dishes in the sink (maybe start with the less breakable items), as well as help load and unload the dishwasher! If you have a small handheld vacuum, let them vacuum the stairs. If you have a fun feather duster let them dust the book shelf. Easy peasy. Play match the socks and whoever has the most matches wins! 


Young elementary (ages 6-8)

Girl Making Her Bed

Now we’re making some progress. Kids this age can do all of the previously listed tasks as well as the following. Let’s start with laundry. Laundry seems to be the most daunting of chores to keep up with. Imagine if you had some help! If your kids know their colors, then they can sort some laundry! Whites go in one basket, darks go in the other basket. All of a sudden there’s order to the mess. They can even help fold and hang their own clean clothes. 

At this age, they should have mastered the art of wiping down surfaces. Teach kids to clean the countertops and sinks or sweep the floors. They know the kitchen well enough now, they can help put away the groceries too. 


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Upper Elementary (ages 9+)

Child Dusting Toys

By age nine and up, you’ll have a pretty self sufficient little helper who can do all of the things listed above as well as the following. No more messy bathrooms. Your child is more than able to tidy up and clean their own bathroom now. With all their experience of wiping surfaces and sweeping floors, they’ve graduated to a new level. 

Perhaps if you frame it that way to them they will be more excited about it. Mopping and vacuuming can now be added to their resume. They’ve had years of experience sorting their laundry, now they can do the full job of washing and drying. Amazing!! Is your trash overflowing? Your child can assist with taking out the trash now too as well as walking it out to the street. 


How to Teach Kids to Clean: Summary

Father Teaching His Child To Clean

Sometimes part of the struggle in allowing your child to help you, is allowing things to be done in a way that is perhaps not as well as you would have preferred. This is a very real struggle. Parents, if you can give yourself the freedom to breathe and let your children help you, you will not regret it. Even if the windows are still streaky, the dishes are not loaded properly, or the laundry is folded haphazardly, it did not have to  be done by you and that is what matters! 

After you successfully teach kids to clean, you may suddenly find yourself with spare time to read that book that has been collecting dust on your nightstand, or to start your own creative project that’s been shelved for years. Good luck and happy (not) cleaning!