Inside: Chores for teenagers, favorite chore charts for teens & tips for creating habits
Teens are all about freedom and independence, so being told what to do may not be their favorite thing. Expect some resistance and a bit of annoyance at first, especially if your teen didn’t grow up doing things around the house regularly.
They might think of chores as tasks that take away from their free time, but they’ll understand soon that it’s for the best.
There will be times when your teen will try to get out of their chores by using the age-old, classic “Oops, I forgot” excuse.
The good thing is that you can prevent that from happening using certain tips, tricks, and creating a chore list you can all agree on.
Check out our favorite chores for teenagers and how you can make them a habit.
Tips for Teaching Teens to be Reliable with Chores
Here are a few ways to make sure the chores you assign your teenagers get done.
Create Printable Chore Charts for Teens – Finding a free printable chore list for teenagers to keep everyone on track.
Let Them Use a Chore App for Teens – Yes, these things exist, and they make tracking chores so much easier for everyone. You can look at Cozi, Homey, OurHome, S’mores Up, to name a few.
Teach Them How it’s Done First – If you want to make sure that your teen is doing their chores the right way, show them how it’s done! They can watch hundreds of videos online, but nothing beats seeing how things are done first-hand.
How Many Chores Should A Teenager Have?
With all the chores for teenagers, you may be wondering, “how many chores should a teenager have?”
In all honesty, there isn’t one correct answer for that question. The answer would depend on different factors like your teen’s age, whether they have other siblings who are also teens, their ability to carry out the chores successfully, and more.
How Much Should I Pay My Teenager for Chores?
One of our favorite methods is the $1 per year of age on a weekly basis, so a 10-year-old would earn $10 per week, a 14-year-old would earn $14 per week, and so on.
This is an easy way to make things easy without overcomplicating everything.
But ultimately the decision needs to be what is best for your family. And that could be paying them more or not at all to help around the house.
Chores for Teenagers
This first list of ideas are great chores for 13 + 14-year-olds.
Making Their Own Bed: This chore doesn’t only make your teen’s room look tidier, it also helps give them that feeling of getting their first accomplishment for the day done.
Keeping their private space (their bedroom) neat and tidy: If they tidy up their room, they’ll know where everything is. This will help eliminate the need for your teen to ask you or your partner where things are.
Changing Their Own Sheets: Help your teen prevent acne breakouts by teaching them how to change their sheets once a week!
Cleaning Their Room: From dusting and vacuuming to changing their sheets and pillowcases, this chore is something your teen should learn how to do by the age of 13. Make it a part of their weekly routine so they can incorporate it well into their adult years later.
Preparing their school stuff for the next day: This should be easy for your teen considering they decide on what to wear and what to bring to school every day anyway.
Chore Chart Ideas for Teenagers
These ideas are great chores for 15-year-olds and older.
Doing their own laundry: Having a washing machine is so convenient, especially when you have a teen in the house. Teach your teen how to use the washer and dryer so they can start taking care of their own laundry. One load every week shouldn’t take too much of their time.
Folding and putting their own (clean) clothes away: On the rare occasion you do their laundry for them; they should at least fold and put their own laundry away.
Keeping a list of what they need: Let your teen keep track of what they are almost or currently out of to make it easier for you on your next shopping trip—from deodorant and other personal care items to school supplies and snacks, making them come up with a list to submit before the next scheduled grocery trip is definitely an efficient way to go.
Preparing their own meals: Thirteen is a good age to start learning how to make simple meals. Pancakes, sandwiches, eggs — these are just some of the easiest meals you can teach your teen so they can start making it for themselves. Older or more experienced teens can also start packing their own lunches to bring to school.
Washing their dishes: Even if you have a dishwasher, your teen should still learn how to wash dishes by hand. Why not start with making your teen responsible for their plate after every meal?
Teenage Responsibility List
Cleaning their own bathroom: Having your own bathroom is a privilege, not all teens have, so it’s something your teen should be grateful for. And what better way to show gratitude than keeping it clean, right?
Putting things back where they belong: Weekdays can be hectic for your teen, so it’s understandable if they leave a few things lying around in their room. On the weekends, though, they should make time to go around their room and put things that are out-of-place where they should be.
Taking their own trash out: You don’t have to be the one going through every room of the house collecting all the trash from those little bins. Let them take their trash out, even if it’s just to put it in the main trash can.
Chores They Can Do Outside
Mowing the lawn: Make sure to teach your teen how to handle lawn-mowing equipment before giving them the task safely. It’s best to supervise them for the first few times they do this chore as well.
Blowing leaves off the driveway: If you have a blower it can actually be quite a fun task to blow the leaves off the driveway rather than sweeping them up.
Raking the lawn: Helping with any yard work is a great way for teens to contribute to house chores. If you have a blower it’s even easier.
Weeding the garden: During spring and early summer there will be quite a few weeds that need removing, so it’s a useful chore to add to their list.
Cleaning outdoor furniture: At the beginning of summer they can assist in cleaning the dust and cobwebs off stored winter furniture, and after summer the furniture needs to be cleaned again before being packed up and stored for winter.
Shoveling walkways: In winter you may have snow covering your walkways which needs to be cleared. If you have a shared walkway or elderly neighbor it’s also an opportunity for them to help them by clearing their side as well.
Cleaning snow off the car: If you live in a cold climate then you’ll probably need help removing snow off your car windows.
Chore Chart for 16-Year-Old
Washing the car – if you’re sharing a car with your teen, it only makes sense to share the responsibility of keeping it clean with them, too. Teach them how to wash the car, so when they finally get their own, you’ll know they’re capable of keeping it in good shape.
Clean the car interior – vacuuming the carpet, wiping the dust from surfaces, cleaning the seats are all car chores you can assign to your teen.
Refilling the windshield wiper fluid – here’s a straightforward chore for your teen and one that they can’t get wrong. Successfully doing this chore will also help boost their confidence about knowing how to maintain a car.
Getting the car ready for long trips – every time you have a long trip with the family, why not give your teen the chore of making sure the vehicle is in good condition before embarking on your journey? From checking the tire pressure and engine oil level to making sure that all the necessary tools for a road trip emergency are ready, this chore is something that they’ll be able to learn from and use well into their adult years.
More Ideas for Teenagers
If you like these chores for teenagers then check out a few more ideas for your teens.
- Teen Bathroom Ideas You’ll Love – What is the trick for designing a teen bathroom that kids will not outgrow within a few years? We think the secret is to create something that feels both youthful and grown-up. Functional features combined with fun colors or patterns are one way to get the job done. The following teen bathroom ideas share playful tips for designing a bathroom that the entire family would love using.
- Dinner Ideas for Teens – Teens quickly tire of the same old same old and want something new and exciting for dinner. When you are looking for family dinner ideas that will satisfy a teen’s taste preference it can be difficult. Not only that but, with the amount of hunger the average teenager experiences every day they require food that will keep them full longer. This is where these dinner ideas for teens will come in handy.
- Self Care Ideas for Teens To Combat Stress – Self-care refers to the deliberate activities we do in order to meet our physical, emotional and mental health needs. When we hear about self-care, it’s usually in reference to adults. However, let’s face it, teens are under a tremendous amount of pressure. They can also benefit from practicing regular self-care! Many teenagers are drowning in school assignments and extracurricular activities. They are preoccupied with getting good grades and joining enough clubs and teams to stand out when it comes time to submit college applications.
What is your favorite chores for teenagers in your house?
Mom to teens with lots of ideas and inspiration to share for travel, food, parties, school & fun!