Health & Parenting

Children, Cleanliness, and Chores: Myths vs. Facts

Never Too Early to Begin Children’s Chores

No matter where in the house you’re cleaning, it’s never too early to start getting kids involved. If your child can walk, they can help out. Start early. Buy your child a set of small household cleaning tools, like a mini-broom or dustpan set.

“One mistake that parents often make is suddenly deciding that their child needs to help out around the house when he turns 12. This rarely goes over well,” says Young. “Most kids start to show an interest in chores by around 2 or 3 years of age. Children are natural imitators and they enjoy copying what the big people in their lives do. Parents need to capitalize on that.”