Chore Charts by Age, With Allowance Amounts

Most chore charts follow the same arc. A burst of enthusiasm, stickers bought, a laminated chart on the fridge. Week one is great. Week two is fine. By week three the chart is a historical document and you're doing the dishes again.

The chart wasn't the problem. Usually it was one of three things: the chores didn't match the kid's age, nobody checked whether they got done, or the money (if there was money) was vague. This guide fixes all three, with a chore list for every age from 3 to 17 and some honest numbers on allowance.

(Disclosure: I make FamSync, a family organizer app that includes a chore chart with allowance tracking. I'll mention it near the end. Everything here works with paper too.)

The quick principles

Before the list, four things that matter more than which chores you pick:

1. Make chores specific. "Clean your room" means nothing to a 7-year-old. "Clothes in the hamper, books on the shelf, bed made" is a job they can finish.
2. Teach first, then expect. Do it together a few times, then side by side, then they do it alone. The first month of any new chore is training, not labor.
3. Praise the effort, not the result. The American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance on chores makes this point directly: perfection isn't the goal, skills develop over time. A lumpy bed made by a 6-year-old is a win. (HealthyChildren.org, "Chores and Responsibility")
4. Someone has to check. The single biggest reason charts die is that nobody notices whether the chore happened. Build in a quick "parent OK" step.

Chores by age

These lists build on each other: an 8-year-old can do everything in the younger lists, plus their own. Every kid is different, so treat these as a menu, not a rulebook. The ages 5 to 12 ranges line up with the AAP's suggestions linked above; the toddler and teen lists are my own additions based on common practice.

Ages 3 to 4

Short tasks, done with you, mostly for the joy of helping.

• Put toys in a bin
• Put dirty clothes in the hamper
• Help feed a pet (you measure, they pour)
• Wipe up their own spills with a cloth
• Carry their plate to the counter
• Match socks (badly, happily)

Ages 5 to 7

They can start owning a few things on their own.

• Make their bed
• Set and clear the table
• Put toys and books away
• Sort laundry into lights and darks
• Feed pets
• Water plants
• Help pack their own lunch
• Sweep with a small broom
• Rake leaves or pull weeds alongside you

Ages 8 to 10

Real contributions start here. This is the best age to introduce allowance tied to chores.

• Vacuum a room
• Help make dinner (washing, measuring, stirring)
• Make their own simple snacks and breakfast
• Walk the dog
• Put away their own laundry
• Put away groceries
• Take out trash and recycling
• Empty small trash cans around the house
• Clean up the bathroom sink after themselves

Ages 11 to 12

Close to household-member level for many jobs.

• Unload the dishwasher
• Do a load of laundry, start to finish, and fold it
• Change their bed sheets
• Clean a bathroom, including the toilet
• Clean the kitchen after dinner
• Cook a simple meal with supervision
• Wash the car
• Mow the lawn (with training and the right mower)

Ages 13 to 17

Teens can do almost any household job. The goal shifts from "help" to "skills they'll need when they move out."

• Plan and cook one family dinner a week
• Do the grocery shopping from a list
• Do all of their own laundry
• Deep clean a bathroom or the kitchen
• Run errands (once they're driving)
• Help a younger sibling with homework or bedtime
• Handle a small household bill or budget task with you (this one is gold)

How much allowance by age?

There's no correct number, but there's a common rule of thumb that gives you a starting point: about $1 per week for each year of age. So a 6-year-old gets around $6 a week, a 10-year-old around $10.

Plenty of families go with half that, especially with more than one kid, and that's fine. What matters far more than the amount is that it's predictable and that kids know what it's meant to cover.

Here's a rough range you can adjust to your budget:

The jump in the teen years usually comes with handing over a real responsibility. If a 15-year-old gets $20 a week, maybe it's because they now buy their own snacks out and pay for movies with friends. That's the lesson: money with a job attached.

Three ways to connect chores and money

Families tend to fall into one of three models. None is right for everyone.

1. Allowance and chores are separate. Kids get a set allowance to learn money skills. Chores are done because you live in the house. Upside: no negotiating. Downside: chores need other motivation.

2. Pay per chore (commission). Each chore has a price. Make your bed: 50 cents. Mow the lawn: $5. Upside: very clear, kids see effort turn into money. Downside: kids may decline chores when they don't need cash. ("I'm good, I don't want the 50 cents.")

3. Hybrid. A small base allowance, plus a set of "family jobs" everyone does unpaid, plus extra paid jobs for kids who want to earn more. This is the one that tends to hold up best over time, because it covers both lessons: you help because you're family, and extra work earns extra money.

If you go with model 2 or 3, write the amounts down where kids can see them. Arguments about money almost always come from fuzzy amounts.

Streaks, not stickers

Sticker charts work for preschoolers. For older kids, a streak works better: "you've done your chores 9 days in a row." It turns consistency into the goal, which is really what you want.

A small bonus for a full week (an extra dollar, choosing Friday's dinner, staying up 15 minutes later) gives the streak a payoff without turning every chore into a transaction.

Why chore charts die, and how to keep yours alive

• Too many chores at once. Start with two or three per kid. Add more after a month.
• No check-in. Do a quick review once a week (the Sunday family meeting is perfect for this, see the 15-minute Sunday family meeting).
• Fuzzy money. If you pay, write down exactly what each chore earns and settle up on the same day every week. Keep a running total so nobody argues about whether you owe $7 or $11.
• The chart lives in one place. A fridge chart is invisible at a friend's house. If kids have phones or tablets, put the chart somewhere they'll actually see it.
• Parents do it "faster themselves." You will be tempted. Resist. A slow, imperfect chore is still a kid learning.

Where an app helps (and where it doesn't)

An app won't make a kid want to unload the dishwasher. What it can do is remove the bookkeeping that makes parents give up: who did what, did anyone check it, and how much is owed.

In FamSync's chore chart, you assign chores with due dates and an allowance amount. Kids tick them off, a parent gives the OK, and the app keeps the streaks and a running total of what's owed, so settling up on Sunday takes ten seconds instead of an argument. Younger kids without a phone still get a profile and a spot on the chart, so a 5-year-old can see their color next to "feed the cat." It's free for families of up to 4 people and there are no ads in any version.

But a paper chart and a jar of coins work too. What matters is the same in both: chores that fit the age, a clear amount, and somebody who checks.

The short version

• Pick two or three age-appropriate chores per kid to start.
• Teach, then expect. Praise effort.
• A rule of thumb for allowance: around $1 per year of age per week, adjusted to your budget.
• Choose a model (separate, per-chore, or hybrid) and write the amounts down.
• Check in weekly, settle up on the same day, celebrate streaks.

Reid is a parent and makes FamSync, a family organizer app, as a solo developer. Get FamSync on the App Store.