Life skills jobs for 17-year-olds
Life skills jobs at 17: 6 most children do alone and 1 to start with you, with the time, how often and points for each.
Life skills jobs at 17
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change a light bulb | On their own | 5 min | As needed | 5 |
| Manage their own weekly budget | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Shop from a grocery list | On their own | 45 min | Weekly | 20 |
| 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 | On their own | 15 min | As needed | 10 |
| Pay a bill or a subscription | With you | 15 min | Monthly | 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 17
- Pay a bill or a subscription (alone from about 18)
Most 17-year-olds can do alone
- Shop from a grocery list
- Manage their own weekly budget
- Change a light bulb
- Look after a younger sibling for a while
- Do basic home repairs
- Book their own appointments
⚠️ 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 17
- 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
- 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 17-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.