Change a light bulb at 13: ready to do it alone
At 13, most children can change a light bulb on their own: about 5 minutes, as needed, alone around 13.
Change a light bulb at 13, at a glance
- Stage
- On their own
- What they do
- doing the whole job without being shown, to a decent standard for the age
- How you check
- spot-check now and then, and hand over the job for good
- Time it takes
- about 5 minutes
- How often
- As needed
- Points
- 5 (5 for a small job, 10 for a bigger one)
- Starts with help
- around 10
- Alone
- around 13
⚠️ Safety: 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.
Other life skills jobs at 13
- Shop from a grocery list (with help)
- Manage their own weekly budget (with help)
- Look after a younger sibling for a while (with help)
- Do basic home repairs (with help)
A day of jobs at 13
- Daily jobs
- 3 to 5
- Weekly jobs
- 2 or 3, including one they own start to finish
- Time
- 30 to 45 minutes a day
In TaskFamily, "Change a light bulb" becomes a job on your 13-year-old's own screen. The Trust Ladder moves each job from "check every time" to spot checks to full trust as they prove they can do it.
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.