Chore List for a 3-Year-Old

By the time a child is 3 years old, she can learn to be part of her family team. Teach your 3-year-old how to do simple chores and how to read a chore list. Parenting sites such as the Center for Effective Parenting encourage parents to start teaching children to do chores when they are toddlers. Keep your expectation level low. Your child may not do a chore to an adult's idea of perfection. But your child will learn how to understand what you expect and gain a sense of accomplishment.

  1. Chore List

    • Draw a toothbrush to show a child an expected chore.

      A 3-year-old cannot read complex instructions and cannot achieve complex tasks. Sit with your child and devise a chore list he can understand. Draw a chart with seven rows across the top and as many chores as you want him to do down the side of the page. Draw lines with colored markers, writing each day of the week in a different color. Draw or paste pictures that depict the chores you want your child to do. In one box, for example, place an image of a toothbrush. Draw a picture of his made bed in another box. Write a caption for each image to encourage his reading skills. Post the list in a central area of your home, such as on the refrigerator.

    Personal Hygeine

    • Teach children to pick out their own clothes.

      Your 3-year-old can learn basic hygiene and learn to do chores. Give him daily hygiene chores, such as brushing his teeth and picking out clean clothes. Show your child how to brush her teeth when you brush yours. Then stand with her as she brushes her teeth. Be sure to praise your child when he accomplishes a task. Add a star to your child's chore chart for each chore she accomplishes. Make yourself available for a few days as your child picks out her clean clothes for the day.

    Housekeeping

    • You would not expect your child to make a bed you can bounce a quarter on, nor would you ask him to fold laundry. Give your child housekeeping tasks equal to his coordination skills. Ask your child to put his fresh clothes in his drawers. Tell him he should make his bed every morning before he comes to breakfast. Place a star on his chore chart every time your child accomplishes a chore.

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