Big Jobs at Home
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Young children love to help out, but many times we don鈥檛 let them. Why? Because we think it鈥檚 easier鈥攁nd faster鈥攖o do everyday jobs ourselves. Your child might take 15 minutes to finish a job you can do in one minute. But in 15 minutes your child can learn a lot!
Big Jobs are indoor and outdoor jobs children do with their families (or others) that help the whole family. They include tasks like setting the table, planting flowers, and tidying up when visitors are coming. To adults they might seem like simple tasks, but Big Jobs carry big rewards鈥攆or your child and your entire family.
How are Big Jobs different from chores?
You assign chores. Children volunteer to do Big Jobs because they want to help out. Also, Big Jobs are done together with other family members. Teamwork is an important part of doing Big Jobs.
What do children learn from doing Big Jobs?
They learn to:
- work with other people
- solve problems
- compromise
- contribute to their family
What are some Big Jobs young children can do?
- Cooking and baking鈥攚ashing and peeling vegetables, stirring muffin batter, tearing lettuce leaves to make salad
- Gardening鈥攄igging holes, planting seeds, raking leaves, weeding, watering plants indoors and outdoors
- Doing laundry鈥攃arrying the laundry basket, sorting, folding, delivering clean clothes to each family member鈥檚 room
- Caring for pets鈥攆eeding, brushing, walking, cleaning the cage or aquarium
- Cleaning鈥攔insing dishes, dusting, emptying wastebaskets
Tips for doing Big Jobs at home
- Keep your child safe. Show your child how to safely use equipment like a rake or a vegetable peeler. Stay close by when it is his turn.
- Try to find child-size tools. They make jobs easier and safer.
- Have fun. Remember, your child chose to help out. Keep it enjoyable and she will want to do Big Jobs all the time.
- Talk while you work together. Chat about what you are doing and whatever else your child wants to discuss.
- Show your appreciation for the work family members have done. Say, 鈥淭hanks for setting the table, everyone. We are ready for dinner now, and the table looks beautiful.鈥�
Source: Adapted from the Message in a Backpack for N.P. Jones, 2007, "Big Jobs,"听Teaching Young Children听1 (1): 10鈥�12.