11 Year Old Chores for Tweens

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Chores your 11 year old can do. A complete list of chore ideas that your child can learn to do when your child is eleven years old. Find out what new chores they should already be able to do and what to add on this year.

11 year old making dinner

Teaching children to do chores has many great benefits. Not only does the family benefit since everyone is working together to keep things clean, but the child has individual benefits.

“Children who do chores may exhibit higher self-esteem, be more responsible, and be better equipped to deal with frustration, adversity, and delayed gratification. These skills can lead to greater success in school, work, and relationships.”

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Phychiatry

>>>Just getting started? Read A Beginner’s Guide to Teaching Kids To Do Chores

Chores Your 11 Year Old Should Already Do

There are chores a 11 year old should already be comfortable with. Before you add in new chores, make sure your child has all of the following down. These are chores that are recommended for younger ages. Here is the chore list:

  • Clean the inside of the toilet
  • Help meal plan and make grocery list
  • Help with shopping
  • Becoming 100% independent with personal hygiene
  • Wipe kitchen counters
  • Clean cabinet fronts
  • Wash windows
  • Make and work toward goals
  • Learn to play an instrument
  • Clean appliances
  • Wash dishes by hand, including drying dishes
  • Be a gopher
  • Help make dinner
  • Pull weeds
  • Help in the garden
  • Care for pets: food, water, and love
  • Pick up a room
  • Wipe down a sink
  • Clean a bathroom counter
  • Wipe the outside of a toilet
  • Empty trash cans
  • Wrap gifts
  • Bush hair
  • Shower independently (with the exception of washing hair if it is long)
  • Fold laundry and socks
  • Put laundry away
  • Dust
  • Sort laundry and dirty clothes
  • Set the table
  • Clear the table
  • Wipe the kitchen table
  • Clean own room
  • Yard work, including rake leaves
  • Dress self
  • Brush teeth
  • Pet care
  • Vacuum 
  • Make own bed
  • Make a sandwich
  • Warm up canned food
  • Unload the dishwasher
  • Load the empty dishwasher
  • Clean sinks
  • Sweep floors–if the broom is too big, consider getting a kid-sized broom
  • Use a dustpan
  • Empty garbages
  • Make own lunch, snack, or a simple meal
  • Base moldings or baseboards
  • Clean up and organize books
  • Learn to buy groceries
  • Mop floors and dry mop
  • Watch younger siblings
  • Organize toys
  • Take hamper to and from bedroom
  • Load washer and dryer
  • Groom nails independently
  • Wash own hair
  • Practice for hobbies and interests (musical instrument, sports, arts, etc.)
  • Clean mirrors
  • Clean outside furniture
  • Fully clean up after self
  • Help make dinner
  • Learn to bake
  • Wash the car
  • Dust pictures and wall hangings
  • Clean bathroom (most of it)

Previous Ages Chore Posts

For more details on the chores listed above, see following:

11-Year Old Age Appropriate Chores

Once your 11 year old is able to do the chores listed above, it is time to add new chores. Here is a list of age-appropriate chores.

Learn to Set Simple Appointments

Making an appointment has a lot of facets to it. You have to make sure the time works for the person going and the person taking them there. Help your child learn to make appointments, but make sure you stay involved enough that they don’t create a schedule nightmare for you.

Kids don’t talk on the phone much in our modern day, so calling to set up an appointment is even scarier than it was for us as preteens.

Organize and Declutter

This is a great age to learn to organize and declutter their room. This is a big transitional age from child to teen (thus the “tween” title). They are moving from being interested in toys for children and taking on “more mature” interests.

That will require some decluttering and parting ways with some things.

Organize Drawers

As they are learning to organize and declutter, keep them involved in going through drawers and getting rid of clothes that are too small or worn out.

Straighten Closet

Along the same line, help them learn to go through the clothes in their closet and anything else they keep in their closet.

It is a good time to talk about how they would like to organize their clothes. There are many ways to organize (by season, by color, by type, etc.). Let them choose a way they think they will like and go with it.

Clean Cupboards

Teach your 11-year-old to clean out cupboards and wipe down the inside of them.

Make a Few Meals Independently

Hopefully you have been involving your kiddo in helping make meals and have been working toward getting them to be able to make meals independently. Help them choose a few meals to learn to make from start to finish all alone without supervision.

Then every once in a while, they can be on dinner duty independently.

Prepare Own Snacks

Make sure your 11 year old can prepare their own snacks. Part of this is making wise and healthy choices and having a basic understanding of nutrition.

Set An Alarm Clock

This is a good age to teach your child how to set an alarm clock and wake up to it. It isn’t just about setting the alarm, but thinking through what time they have to leave and how long they need to get ready.

For my kids, middle school is an earlier start than elementary school. I want them to be able to wake up and get started independently before they have to start waking up earlier.

Do Own Laundry

This might be a good age for you to teach your child to do their own laundry completely independently. They should already be able to sort, fold, and put away clean clothes.

Because of that, it shouldn’t be too hard to make the transition to being fully independent. The only possible difficulty can be if your laundry detergent needs to be put in and is too high for your child to reach. That can be a simple problem to solve.

Ultimately, you might decide 12 is a better age for independent laundry. I would say to do this at 11 or 12 years old.

Improve on Chores

Think through chores your child does to help around the house and improve on them. Does your child empty garbages? What is the next step there? Maybe your child cleans out a garbage can if it is dirty.

Think about chores unique to your home, family, lifestyle, and culture and build on them.

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Tips for Adding New Chores

As you add chores and responsibilities, remember to add them slowly. These are things to add over the course of the year your child is 11, not thrown all upon your child the week of the 11th birthday.

When introducing a new chore or responsibility, it is wise to introduce it slowly:

  • Explain what the new chore or responsibility will be
  • Have your child observe you doing the job
  • Have your child try it out with your supervision
  • Have your child do the job independently. You check after it is done. Correct anything that needs to be corrected.
  • Move toward independence so your child does the job without you checking on it.

This process can take place over days, weeks, or even months.

Rotate Through Chores

Now that your child is 11, there is a very long age-appropriate chore list. I am not suggesting that your child do every one of these chores every week.

Rotate through chores. This will enable your child to learn to do a variety of chores. It will also keep things fresh and interesting for your child.

Conclusion

Teaching your child to do chores helps them learn to become independent and capable. As your tween gets older, they will become busier and actually require more of your time. It is helpful for them to be able to help at home so you have the time they need you to give them. Beyond that, they will grow up and move out someday. You want them to be confident and comfortable taking care of their own basic needs.

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