I know what you are thinking!
Chore list for 17 to 18yr olds?
Well, I wanted to stress that just because our kids are getting to be young adults doesn’t mean they don’t need to be responsible for housework.
They won’t need chores charts and stickers but they do need to be reminded they are part of the family and still need to continue to work as one.
As a matter of fact, I often hear moms complain more about this age group than any other.
Once a child gets a job or goes to college they don’t help around the house anymore OR worse they have no school or job and just become couch potatoes.
We are seeing more and more in our culture where our young people don’t want to move out of their parent’s home until they are in their mid-20s or even 30s!!
I’m not talking about children that are working businesses with their families and/or special needs; I’m talking about children (young adults) that feel like it is their right to laze around in young adult life!
We do them no favors by allowing this.
Once our children reach 17 we want them to be able to run a household.
They should be doing:
All of the chores mentioned in the other age groups: Toddler/Preschooler, 6-8 Years Old, 9-12 Years old 13-16 yrs old
Their Own Laundry
Should be able to Cook whole meals and clean up
Mow the lawn & Other Yard Work
Do basic car maintenance (like checking the oil and tires)
They should keep up their room and their personal space!
They should be able to organize a budget for themselves!
They should be able to keep up with their work, activities (sports, etc), and job schedules
If your teen struggles it is ok, work with them on it! Your job at teaching them hasn’t ended yet; they need YOU to help them become the adult they are meant to be! These things will help them out so much in their adult lives and they will be grateful for the knowledge, maybe not right away but eventually!
WANT TO REMEMBER THIS? SAVE THIS CHORE LIST TO YOUR PARENTING PINTEREST BOARD!
My niece is 17, in fact she will soon be 18. Her home life had always been a mess and with many sisters permission she had decided to switch schools for her senior year and move in to many home with my husband and our four ( much younger) children. Or family is actually closing on a new home in mid July and so my three oldest children will actually be starting new schools as well. My neice had had very little structure or responsibilities up too this point and I’m wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions on ways to make this transition a little less stressful for everyone. I’ll take any advice i can get. She’s very smart, part of the honor society, and a good kid over all, but she to be lazy and will do as little as she can get away with in the way of chores or extra curricular activities.
Hi Shannon, Thanks so much for the visit! It is so loving of you to take in your niece and it sounds like you have a ton of new changes in your family coming soon! I would suggest starting really slow. I would have a family meeting where you just announce that the family is going to be talking about the new house and new living situations! I would start out by telling your niece how happy and excited you are abut having her! Make her feel like she truly belongs and is truly loved. Nothing is worse for a teen than feeling like they are somewhere they are not wanted! Once you do this I would just have list for all the kids ready, things they need to accomplish each day in order to have their privileges and in our house everything is a privilege. Everything from the internet, to phone time, to tv or going out with friends. Everything!! The list needs to be completed before those privileges happen everyday! The list would include their daily hygiene stuff, their chore list and their school work. On your nieces chores I would start with my younger lists that are mentioned above. The 17-18 yr old list would be way too overwhelming for a child who hasn’t done many chores. Start easy, there is no hurry. Have her feed the pets, empty the dishwasher, dry the clothes. Start with a few and just let everyone know you will be changing chores up each month and work your way up to this list! Whatever you do with your children do with her, nothing will cause family angst more than when I child feels things are unfair, she will be especially sensitive to this because she is not your daughter! Make time to have fun and love her before you throw down a bunch of rules. This is wonderful opportunity for you to make a difference in a child’s life for the better! I hope this helps!