Chores for a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old together
Sharing chores between a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old: 52 jobs both can do alone, 9 the older one can lead, and what only the older child starts.
Jobs both can do alone (the 12-year-old's level)
- Put toys away
- Hang up their coat and put shoes away
- Make the bed
- Tidy their bedroom
- Pack their school bag the night before
- Clear out the school backpack
- Sort outgrown clothes and toys
- Wash fruit and vegetables
- Set the table
- Clear the table after meals
- Wipe the table and counters
- Put groceries away
- Unload the dishwasher
- Make their own breakfast
- Sweep the kitchen floor
- Load the dishwasher
- Pack their own lunch
- Take out the kitchen trash
- Wash dishes by hand
- Clean the microwave
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
- Match socks from the laundry
- Put clean clothes away
- Sort laundry by color
- Fold laundry
- Change the bed sheets
- Do a load of laundry
- Dust furniture
- Empty the small trash cans
- Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror
- Vacuum a room
- Take the bins out on collection day
- Clean windows and glass doors
- Mop the floor
- Clean the toilet
- Water the plants
- Refill the pet's water bowl
- Feed the pet
- Walk the dog
- Clean the litter box
- Clean the pet cage or tank
- Bring in the mail
- Pull weeds
- Rake leaves
- Wash the car
- Shovel snow
- Brush their teeth morning and night
- Get dressed by themselves
- Lay out clothes the night before
- Pack their own bag for a trip
- Keep track of their own homework
- Wake up with their own alarm
Jobs the 14-year-old can lead and the 12-year-old can join
- Clean the kitchen after dinner (older alone from 13, younger starts from 10)
- Cook a family dinner (older alone from 14, younger starts from 11)
- Clean out the fridge (older alone from 14, younger starts from 11)
- Do their own laundry start to finish (older alone from 14, younger starts from 12)
- Clean the bathtub and shower (older alone from 13, younger starts from 11)
- Mow the lawn (older alone from 14, younger starts from 12)
- Shop from a grocery list (older alone from 14, younger starts from 10)
- Change a light bulb (older alone from 13, younger starts from 10)
- Look after a younger sibling for a while (older alone from 14, younger starts from 12)
Jobs only the 14-year-old starts
- Do basic home repairs (starts with help around 13)
Suggested load for each
| At 12 | At 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily jobs | 3 or 4 | 3 to 5 |
| Weekly jobs | 2 | 2 or 3, including one they own start to finish |
| Time | 20 to 30 minutes a day | 30 to 45 minutes a day |
Jobs both can do alone: 9 more are alone-level for the 14-year-old but still need a helper for the 12-year-old.
TaskFamily rotates shared jobs fairly between brothers and sisters, and gives each child jobs that fit their own age on their own screen.
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.