Weekly chores for 13-year-olds
Weekly chores at 13: 28 jobs, jobs done once a week, that a 13-year-old can do (22 alone) or start learning, about 540 minutes in all.
Weekly chores at 13
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match socks from the laundry | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Water the plants | On their own | 5 min | Weekly | 5 |
| Dust furniture | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Put clean clothes away | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Put groceries away | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Empty the small trash cans | On their own | 5 min | Weekly | 5 |
| Fold laundry | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Pull weeds | On their own | 20 min | Weekly | 15 |
| Sort laundry by color | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Tidy their bedroom | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Sweep the kitchen floor | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clear out the school backpack | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Vacuum a room | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Change the bed sheets | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Take the bins out on collection day | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean the microwave | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean the pet cage or tank | On their own | 30 min | Weekly | 15 |
| Do a load of laundry | On their own | 20 min | Weekly | 15 |
| Mop the floor | On their own | 20 min | Weekly | 15 |
| Clean the toilet | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Manage their own weekly budget | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Shop from a grocery list | With you | 45 min | Weekly | 20 |
| Clean the bathtub and shower | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Cook a family dinner | With you | 60 min | Weekly | 20 |
| Do their own laundry start to finish | With you | 60 min | Weekly | 20 |
| Mow the lawn | With you | 45 min | Weekly | 20 |
| Plan the week's meals | With you | 30 min | Weekly | 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
- Cook a family dinner (alone from about 14)
- Plan the week's meals (alone from about 16)
- Do their own laundry start to finish (alone from about 14)
- Mow the lawn (alone from about 14)
- Shop from a grocery list (alone from about 14)
- Manage their own weekly budget (alone from about 15)
Most 13-year-olds can do alone
- Tidy their bedroom
- Clear out the school backpack
- Put groceries away
- Sweep the kitchen floor
- Clean the microwave
- 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
- Mop the floor
- Clean the toilet
- Clean the bathtub and shower
- Water the plants
- Clean the pet cage or tank
- Pull weeds
How much time it adds up to
- Every job on this page
- 540 minutes
- Only the ones they do alone
- 285 minutes
- Suggested load at this age
- 30 to 45 minutes a day
⚠️ Safety notes for these jobs: Clean the microwave: Let any steaming bowl cool before it comes out, and unplug or switch off before wiping inside. Cook a family dinner: Teach knife skills, pan handles turned inward and what to do with a pan fire before they cook alone. A grown-up stays nearby for the first several meals. Do a load of laundry: Keep laundry pods and detergent out of reach of younger brothers and sisters, and show older children how to measure rather than guess. Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror: Use a mild cleaner or a damp microfiber cloth. Keep strong cleaning products locked away from younger children. Mop the floor: Wet floors are slippery. Mop toward the door and keep younger children and pets out until it dries. Clean the toilet: Gloves on, and never mix cleaning products (bleach and other cleaners can give off dangerous fumes). Keep the window open or the fan on.
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
- breaking a big job into steps
- deciding what to keep
- working to a checklist
- handing over letters and forms on time
- keeping track of homework
- organization
- sorting and categorizing
- knowing where food is kept
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.
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.