8 Things Your Teen Can Clean Themselves

Raising a teenager is tough but your teen is more capable than you think.

We’ve compiled 8 chores you can take off your to-do list and slowly transfer to theirs!

Keep in mind that it may be easier for your teenager to keep track of just one or two of the bigger tasks below rather than taking on many at once.

What are the benefits of your teen taking on chores?

Getting your teenager to cooperate with the cleaning may be harder than it was when they were younger. But it’s worth persevering. Here are some reasons why.

• It will teach them to care for their belongings

• Chipping in on chore work will help teenagers feel valued and competent, which will enhance self-confidence.

• It will show your teenager that you trust them, especially if the chore involves looking after a sibling or pet or cleaning common areas of the house.

• The skills they'll develop will serve them well throughout their adult lives

• Complain as they may, some experts say that teenagers want to be needed and amongst all of the adolescent self-doubt, a teenager likes that you are counting on them and have trust in their capabilities.

8 Chores Your Teen Can Do

1. Doing laundry

Think about it. Clothes go into the machine, you press a few buttons (you may need to provide them with advice on this) and an hour later, the clothes go on a line or in the dryer. Easy!

Make it their responsibility to put at least one load on of a weekend. With any luck, they’ll grab it off the line for you as well.

2. Folding and putting away clothes

Piles of laundry can be overwhelming … wouldn’t a little help be great?

Fold with your teen to show them how it’s done or give them the task of putting everyone’s clothes away – ensure they know which drawers things go into, otherwise you may as well do it yourself!

3. Cleaning their room

At their age, a teenager should be cleaning their room and maintaining an agreed to level of cleanliness.

Have a discussion and negotiate together a few things that should be getting done to maintain at least the semblance of a clean room. Things like a made bed, no food or drinks left in there, dirty clothes in the laundry basket, a clear floor etc.

4. Vacuuming

Vacuum cleaners have come a long way – they’re effective, convenient and so simple to use.

Even if it’s just a couple of rooms, it’ll be a 10-minute job that an adolescent is more than capable of doing.

5. Looking after siblings

This is a great one that teaches responsibility and helps your teenager feel like they’re an integral part of a functioning family unit.

Whether it is making lunch for them, babysitting or assisting their sibling with their own chores or activities such as homework, looking after another family member teaches a sense of community and the importance of caring for others, two very significant life values.

6. Pet care

This can include feeding or walking them, picking up waste or cleaning out the litter box, as well as keeping the animal’s toy area clean.

A pet is part of the family, so it makes sense that every member should be pitching in.

7. Cooking dinner

Pick a night a week that your teen can choose what the family is having for dinner, and they can prepare it themselves.

One great idea is to have a cooking day together, where you prepare a couple of meals together (something like spaghetti bolognese or tacos is a good place to start) to give them guidance. Any leftover meals can be put in the freezer to have at a later date.

Your teen may surprise you with their creativity once they start getting confident in the kitchen.

Teaching the life skill of cooking plus one less night you have to cook dinner yourself equals a win in my book!

8. Washing the family car

This should be a relatively easy task to take on but feel free to participate during the first wash to make sure it is getting done properly.

If they’re doing well, include the interior in this task as well.

This is a great chore for a teenager to start doing themselves as chances are, they’ll be learning to drive the car sometime in the future. It may already be happening! It’s an easy way to teach the importance of having a little pride in their belongings.

Tips to Getting Your Teen to Clean Without A Struggle

• Make your expectations clear and demonstrate how you'd like a chore to be done

• A chore chart can be a great tool for your teen to keep track.

• A cash or activity reward (such as time with friends or extra screen time) can be a good incentive. Be careful with this one; chores are a part of family life, so you shouldn’t be rewarding your teen with money after a simple task. Provide a reward if they go above and beyond on something or take on a task or two without being asked.

• Be mindful of safety. Ensure that they are aware which household chemicals to use and how, as well as how to use equipment properly.

• Be realistic with how many chores you want done. With school, homework and after school activities, balancing chores with their schedule is important.