As-needed chores for 16-year-olds
As-needed chores at 16: 6 jobs, jobs done when the moment comes up, that a 16-year-old can do (5 alone) or start learning, about 145 minutes in all.
As-needed chores at 16
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack their own bag for a trip | On their own | 20 min | As needed | 15 |
| Change a light bulb | On their own | 5 min | As needed | 5 |
| Iron clothes | On their own | 15 min | As needed | 10 |
| Look after a younger sibling for a while | On their own | 60 min | As needed | 20 |
| Do basic home repairs | On their own | 30 min | As needed | 15 |
| Book their own appointments | With you | 15 min | As needed | 10 |
On their own means most children this age manage it alone; With you means they start it with a grown-up alongside. Points are on a 5-for-a-small-job scale.
Start together at 16
- Book their own appointments (alone from about 17)
Most 16-year-olds can do alone
- Iron clothes
- Pack their own bag for a trip
- Change a light bulb
- Look after a younger sibling for a while
- Do basic home repairs
How much time it adds up to
- Every job on this page
- 145 minutes
- Only the ones they do alone
- 130 minutes
- Suggested load at this age
- what an adult housemate would do
⚠️ Safety notes for these jobs: Iron clothes: Irons get hot enough to burn. Teach them to stand the iron upright, keep the cord out of the way and switch it off straight after. Change a light bulb: Switch off first and let the old bulb cool. Use a sturdy step stool, never a chair on wheels, and leave ladders and ceiling fittings to a grown-up. Look after a younger sibling for a while: Start with short stretches while you are nearby. Make sure they know how to reach you, your address and what to do in an emergency. Local rules on leaving children in a teen's care vary. Do basic home repairs: Nothing involving mains wiring, gas or roofs. Show them where the water shut-off and the breaker box are.
A day of jobs at 16
- Daily jobs
- a fair share of the household
- Weekly jobs
- whole areas they own, like their laundry and one family dinner
- Time
- what an adult housemate would do
What these jobs teach
- care with heat
- looking presentable
- patience
- working from a list
- thinking ahead
- independence
- basic home maintenance
- safety with electricity
In TaskFamily these become jobs on your 16-year-old's own screen, with points, repeat days and the Trust Ladder to move each job from "check every time" to spot checks.
Free for one household. Premium is $5.99 a month or $49 a year for the whole family, never per child.
Keep reading
Ages and times are typical, not rules: children develop at different speeds, and you know yours best. The chore library is TaskFamily's own. The guide text is drafted with AI from these numbers and checked automatically before it is published.