How to help your Child develop Healthy Habits by using a Chart

Getting back to school and work routine can be quite a challenge for Children and Families after a long summer break. But routine is also an opportunity to help your Family develop healthy habits for life, through daily responsibilities. At Little Harvard Crèche & After School Clubs we like to use Charts with age appropriate tasks to support children’s life skills development. You can use the same chart at Home – Little Harvard Chores Chart available to download & print here – and make daily routine easier for the whole Family, while helping with your child’s personal development.

It is important to keep in mind that every child matures at a different pace, so adjust and fill this chart to what you know about your children’s skills and talents. You can mix tasks based on life skills improvements and daily chorus to help Family life. Below is a list of suggestions for age appropriate chorus:

Ages 4 and 5

• Get dressed with minimal parental help

• Make their bed with minimal parental help

• Bring their things from the car to the house

• Pick up their toys

• Wash hands

• Set the table with supervision

• Clear the table with supervision

• Help a parent prepare food

• Help a parent carry in the lighter groceries

• Sort colors for the laundry

• Match socks after clothing is washed

• Be responsible for a pet’s food and water bowl

Ages 6 and 7

• Make their bed every day

• Brush teeth

• Comb hair

• Try to do homework with minimal help

• Choose what to wear and get dressed

• Write thank you notes with supervision

• Read few pages of an age appropriate book daily

• Be responsible for a pet’s food, water and exercise

• Vacuum individual rooms

• Wet mop individual rooms

• Put their laundry in their drawers and closets

• Put away dishes from the dishwasher

• Help prepare food with supervision

• Answer the phone with supervision

Ages 8 to 11

• Take care of personal hygiene

• Keep bedroom clean

• Be responsible for homework

• Be responsible for belongings

• Write thank you notes for gifts

• Wake up using an alarm clock

• Read few pages of a book

• Wash dishes

• Wash the family car with supervision

• Prepare a few easy meals on their own

• Clean the bathroom with supervision

• Learn to use the washer and dryer

• Put all laundry away with supervision