15 Chores Your 7-Year-Old Can Do On Their Own

Chores are a necessary part of family life and a big part of ours, especially with 5 children. In this series, I am going to offer some advice on chores for kids and what are the best ones to assign them, based on age and ability. You can check out the first post for 5-year-olds here. Read on to find out what chores a 7-year-old can do all on their own…

 

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 I’ve gone over the reasons why our kids do chores before, but the biggest is that a family of seven makes a lot of mess. And it helps to have seven people cleaning it up.

Some of the mess is unintentional (it’s hard to eat without dirtying a plate), and some is intentional (I name no names, but you know who you are, dirty-socks-in-the-living-room-guy). No one sets out to make a mess, but we don’t always have the time or focus to realize that we are. And so, we clean.

My 7-year-old is a big help in this department. At this age, he is able to assist with bigger and more delicate jobs that his younger siblings cannot. I can delegate to him (and his older sister) things that would be on my cleaning to-do list. It’s a huge relief and saves me a bunch of time.

I want to point out that when you have younger children doing housework, be conscious of what they use to clean and the jobs they do. If possible, use natural cleaners that you buy or make. Try to avoid exposing them to harmful and noxious sprays and smells.

Also, be aware of any allergy issues. My son is allergic to dust like I am. We are not the family dusters for this reason. To avoid later headaches and itches, we let someone else handle that task, or we play defense and wear a mask for protection.

If your family is allergy-free, then go ahead and dish out any of these 15 chores that a 7-year-old can do on their own (be sure to always show your kids how to do something the right way before sending them off on their own though).

 

1. Clean kitchen counters – Unlike younger kids, I can trust my 7-year-old to do a thorough job of cleaning the counter. Using the vinegar solution we made, he carefully wipes everything, moving the coffee maker and other appliances, rather than just going around them (and missing crumbs). Your child can also arrange things back on the counter in a logical, organized way.

 

2. Vacuuming – Your 7-year-old should be strong enough to push your vacuum and be able to follow a back-and-forth pattern that gets the entire carpet. You may have to help with any stairs, or carrying the vacuum up or down, but this is otherwise perfect for a child this age. (By the way, this is one of those mask-tasks for my son because of the dust, especially when emptying the canister.)

 

3. 

   Mopping – Like vacuuming, your child should have the strength and ability to follow a multi-step process to mop the floor. If you have a Swiffer Wet Jet, this is super easy. If you use a mop and bucket, your child should still be able to mop, rinse, and dump the water — although I would probably hover (just in case) for the dumping part.

 

4. Toy organization – If your kids’ toys look anything like my kids’ toys, you may feel like a team of experts should be called in to organize that mess! But barring that, send in the next best thing. Your 7-year-old knows these toys better than even you do, most likely, so they should be able to organize them. This bin system was a great help because we had so many little things, like Shopkins, Legos, and trains.

 

5. Cleaning windows – All of my kids like to clean the windows, but the extra height on my son helps get the fingerprints and smears that weren’t left by the family shorties. He also doesn’t do the haphazard wiping of his younger siblings, so I prefer when he does this job. They say newspaper is best for avoiding streaks, but I think the paper towels and rags we use are doing a fine job.

 

6. 

   Cleaning bathroom sinks – Your child should be able to clean the sink and replace everything that was there. We tend to have a lot of stuff on our bathroom counters, from lotions to toothbrushes to pictures, so being able to wipe things down and then replace them is a huge timesaver for me.

 

7. Toilets – I hate doing toilets, and ironically, it’s why I don’t want my kids to do them. What if they touch something?! BUT… your 7-year-old is perfectly capable of adding cleaner, swishing and scrubbing, and wiping down the seat and whatnot. Added bonus: this may also inspire any toilet-missers in your family to be a little more conscientious when doing their business.

 

8. Loading and unloading the dishwasher – My son likes doing this. He can load the dishwasher from the sink, add the soap, and start it. He knows how to unload and organize the dishes before putting them away. Depending on the setup of your kitchen, this may be something your 7-year-old needs help with (such as if your dinner plates are on a top shelf and you want them all to survive until he/she is eight).

 

9. Yard work – Raking, shoveling snow, clearing old branches, and pulling weeds. These are just some of the tasks that a 7-year-old can do without assistance, once they are shown the what, where, and how. This is also a great way for kids to see the general maintenance of a home, how gardens are cared for to produce flowers and food, and the hard work that goes into making that yard they play in beautiful.

 

10. Laundry – Your child should be able to gather clothes baskets, sort the laundry, put it in the washer, add soap, and start it up. They can also switch the loads, fold, and put away clothes. My son has to stand on something to reach the buttons, but he knows which ones to use. I have yet to have my clothes shrunk or a white t-shirt turn pink. This task is spread out over several hours, so I sometimes divide the stages up among the other kids, based on what they’re best at.

 

11. Food prep – I haven’t been brave enough to hand my son a knife and some carrots and ask for a julienne, but that doesn’t mean he can’t, or your child either. If you’re comfortable, let your 7-year-old help with basic dinner preparations. Stirring, pouring, and plating are great, and even easy meals, like PBJ and microwave oatmeal, can be done by your child at this age — you know, if they’re not ready for Iron Chef yet.

 

12. Setting and clearing the table – Your child can get the dishes and utensils, fold napkins, get cups, and set the table while you’re making dinner. After everyone is done, if you don’t have them clear their own places, your 7-year-old can then scrape the plates, rinse them, and load the dishwasher. You can have them wash the table and sweep, too. Now all you have to wash are the pots…

 

13. Babysitting – To be clear, I don’t mean you can head out to dinner and a movie while your 7-year-old is in charge of the baby. What I do mean is that while you are doing something else in the house, you can let your 7-year-old sit and color with their younger siblings. When I do my morning workout, we are all in the same room, but the older kids are entertaining the younger ones while I sweat my way to mediocrity.

 

14. Changing out seasonal clothes – Your 7-year-old can help you change out the clothes when the seasons change. They can already fold and organize, and can switch out the piles and label them for you. Such a help when there are seven people who need this done twice a year!

 

15. Read to younger siblings – This isn’t really a chore, but it is a huge help. When I don’t have time to sit and read a book to my little ones, my son, who is working on his read aloud skills in school, can do his reading and theirs while fine-tuning his pronunciation and fluency.

 

I know this post was long and I appreciate you hanging in there until the end. Remember that your kids get a lot out of being productive, needed members of your family. Helping others and being part of the team are wonderful values to instill in any child. May God bless your guiding hand.

 

What chores do you give your 7-year-old? Let me know in the comments below!

 

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