Life skills jobs for 13-year-olds
Life skills jobs at 13: 1 most children do alone and 4 to start with you, with the time, how often and points for each.
Life skills jobs at 13
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change a light bulb | On their own | 5 min | As needed | 5 |
| Manage their own weekly budget | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Shop from a grocery list | With you | 45 min | Weekly | 20 |
| Look after a younger sibling for a while | With you | 60 min | As needed | 20 |
| Do basic home repairs | With you | 30 min | As needed | 15 |
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 13
- Shop from a grocery list (alone from about 14)
- Manage their own weekly budget (alone from about 15)
- Look after a younger sibling for a while (alone from about 14)
- Do basic home repairs (alone from about 16)
Most 13-year-olds can do alone
- Change a light bulb
Coming next in this area
- Book their own appointments (starts with help around 15)
- Pay a bill or a subscription (starts with help around 16)
⚠️ Safety notes for these jobs: 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 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
What these jobs teach
- comparing prices
- sticking to a budget
- checking change
- spending, saving and giving
- waiting for things
- living with choices
- basic home maintenance
- safety with electricity
In TaskFamily these become jobs on your 13-year-old's own screen, with points, repeat days and the Trust Ladder to move each job from "check every time" to spot checks.
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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.