Real-life examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18)

Everyday examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18)

Let’s start with the everyday stuff—the chores that keep a household from slowly sliding into chaos. These are the best examples of chores that most teens can handle with a little guidance, even during a busy school week.

Most families find it helpful to give teens ownership over entire tasks rather than tiny pieces. Instead of “rinse your own plate,” think “you’re in charge of the dishwasher on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.” That gives a clear start and finish, which teenagers tend to respond to better.

Some everyday examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) include:

• Kitchen reset after dinner: Loading and running the dishwasher, hand-washing non-dishwasher items, wiping counters and table, and taking out the kitchen trash if it’s full. This is a great example of a chore that teaches responsibility and time management—especially on nights when they’d rather sprint back to their phone.

• Laundry from start to finish: Washing, drying, folding, and putting away their own clothes. By high school, many parents also add towels and sheets. Teens heading toward college absolutely need this skill; even the U.S. Department of Education encourages building independent daily living skills during the teen years.

• Bathroom upkeep: Cleaning the sink, mirror, and toilet, wiping down counters, replacing toilet paper, and emptying the bathroom trash once a week. This doesn’t have to be perfect, just consistent.

• Bedroom responsibility: Keeping their room reasonably tidy, making the bed, putting dirty clothes in a hamper, and doing a quick 5–10 minute reset each day. You can negotiate how strict you want to be here, but having some standard matters.

• Pet care: Feeding pets on a schedule, refilling water bowls, brushing dogs or cats, cleaning litter boxes, or walking the dog. Pet chores are one of the best examples of chores that build empathy and reliability—animals notice when you slack off.

These everyday examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) fit easily into most homes and can be adjusted based on how many kids you have and how big your space is.

Real examples of chores that build life skills

Chores aren’t just about a cleaner house; they’re quiet training for adulthood. The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that regular responsibilities help kids build self-esteem and competence over time (healthychildren.org). The best examples of chores for teens are the ones that look suspiciously like “adulting.”

Here are some real examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) that build long-term life skills:

• Weekly meal planning and cooking: Have your teen choose one dinner a week, check what’s already in the pantry, add missing ingredients to the shopping list, and cook the meal. This teaches planning, budgeting awareness, and basic nutrition. By 16–17, many teens can handle a full meal—from defrosting meat safely to timing side dishes.

• Grocery support: For younger teens, that might mean unloading groceries and organizing the pantry. Older teens can be sent with a short list and a budget, then asked to compare prices and stick to the limit. This is a real example of a chore that quietly teaches financial literacy.

• Household scheduling: Adding family events to a shared calendar, reminding younger siblings of practice times, or texting a parent when it’s time to renew a prescription. It sounds small, but it introduces them to the mental load of running a household.

• Basic home maintenance: Learning how to reset a tripped breaker, change a lightbulb, check smoke detector batteries, or swap out HVAC filters. These are the kinds of practical skills many first-year college students wish they had.

• Yard care and outdoor upkeep: Mowing the lawn, raking leaves, watering plants, shoveling snow, or sweeping porches and walkways. These chores are good for physical activity too, a nice counterbalance to screen-heavy school days.

These examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) don’t just help you today—they’re an investment in your teen’s future independence.

Tech-era examples include digital and online chores

Teens live online, so it makes sense to include a few tech-related chores. In 2024–2025, many families are adding digital responsibilities to their chore charts, especially as more homes rely on smart devices and online accounts.

Here are some examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) that fit our tech-heavy world:

• Managing family tech updates: Installing software updates on shared devices (with permission), checking for low storage on tablets used by younger siblings, or helping troubleshoot the Wi-Fi when it’s acting up.

• Organizing digital photos: Backing up family photos to cloud storage, creating folders by year or event, and deleting obvious duplicates. This is an example of a chore that’s oddly satisfying and genuinely helpful.

• Online bill reminders: For older, responsible teens, you might involve them in checking due dates for certain household bills on a shared online calendar (without giving them full account access). It teaches how due dates and automatic payments work.

• Household communication hub: Updating the family group chat with schedule changes, posting weekly chores in a shared app, or keeping a shared to-do list current.

• Research helper: Looking up options for things like local sports programs, summer camps, or repair services, then sharing the top 3–5 choices with pros and cons. This builds research and comparison skills they’ll use in school and work.

These modern examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) acknowledge that tech isn’t just entertainment—it can be part of how they contribute.

Examples of chores for teens with busy schedules

If your teen is juggling sports, AP classes, a part-time job, and a social life, you’re probably wondering how on earth to fit chores in. The good news: chores don’t have to be huge to be meaningful.

Here are real examples that work well for overscheduled teenagers:

• Fast daily resets: A 10-minute evening tidy of shared spaces, loading the dishwasher before bed, or doing a quick trash sweep (emptying small cans into the main bin). These are small but consistent.

• Weekend-only responsibilities: Vacuuming the car, deep-cleaning their bathroom, washing their sheets, or helping with a bigger yard project on Saturday or Sunday.

• On-the-way tasks: Taking out the trash on the way to the bus stop, bringing in mail and packages when they come home, or switching laundry loads when they walk past the washer.

• Flexible chore swaps: If your teen works late on Fridays, maybe they take on a heavier Sunday job instead. The expectation is steady contribution, but the timing flexes with their real life.

These examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) show that you don’t have to choose between responsibilities and a full schedule—you just have to be realistic.

Best examples of chores for different ages 13–18

Not every 13-year-old is ready for the same things, and some 17-year-olds can run circles around adults when it comes to responsibility. Think of the ages 13–18 as a sliding scale rather than a strict rulebook.

Here are some best examples of chores broken down by stage, with plenty of wiggle room:

Chore examples for younger teens (13–15)

Younger teens are usually ready to move beyond “helper” status and take ownership of full tasks.

Examples include:

• Being in charge of their own laundry from start to finish
• Making simple dinners (tacos, pasta, sheet-pan meals) once a week
• Cleaning their bathroom weekly, including sink, toilet, and mirror
• Vacuuming or sweeping shared areas
• Taking out trash and recycling on assigned days
• Caring for pets: feeding, brushing, cleaning cages or litter boxes
• Helping younger siblings with homework for 15–20 minutes

At this age, you’ll still need to spot-check and occasionally remind, but they should understand that these are standing responsibilities, not one-time favors.

Chore examples for older teens (16–18)

Older teens are on the runway to adulthood. The best examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) in this range look a lot like what they’ll need to do when they live on their own.

Examples include:

• Planning and cooking full meals, including shopping for ingredients within a budget
• Driving younger siblings to activities (where legal and safe) or walking them if you don’t use a car
• Managing their own schedule: setting alarms, tracking deadlines, and updating a shared family calendar
• Taking the lead on bigger cleaning tasks like mopping floors or deep-cleaning the fridge
• Handling seasonal chores like mowing, snow shoveling, or cleaning gutters (with proper safety measures)
• Managing part of their own finances: tracking spending, transferring money between accounts, or helping pay for their own phone bill

These real examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) help bridge the gap between “kid who lives at home” and “young adult who can handle life.”

Examples of sibling and caregiving chores for teens

If you have more than one child, your teen can play a big role in keeping the family machine running—but they shouldn’t become a stand-in parent. The key is balance.

Healthy examples of chores involving siblings include:

• Watching younger siblings for short periods while you’re home but busy (like making dinner or taking a work call)
• Reading to younger kids or helping them with homework
• Getting lunchboxes ready for the next day and helping younger siblings pack theirs
• Supervising playtime in the yard or at a nearby park while you’re in the background
• Helping with bedtime routines: laying out clothes for the next day, reminding kids to brush teeth, or turning off screens on time

Research on family responsibilities suggests that age-appropriate chores, including caregiving, can build empathy and competence when they’re supported and not overwhelming (Child Mind Institute). If your teen starts missing sleep or schoolwork because of sibling care, it’s time to rebalance.

These examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) show that siblings can be part of the team without placing adult-level burdens on your teen.

How to introduce these chore examples without a battle

You can have the best examples of chores on paper and still end up in daily arguments if you roll them out the wrong way. A few tips to make these examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) work in real life:

• Involve your teen in choosing chores: Offer options: “We need help with dishes, pet care, and vacuuming. Which two do you want to own?” Teens are far more likely to follow through on chores they chose.

• Be specific: “Clean the kitchen” is vague. “Load the dishwasher, wipe the counters, and take out the trash” is clear. Even better, write it down where everyone can see it.

• Tie chores to real-life goals: Headed to college? “Let’s make sure you can do laundry, cook three basic meals, and manage your schedule without me reminding you.” That framing lands better than “because I said so.”

• Use natural consequences: If they don’t do laundry, they run out of clean clothes. If they don’t cook on their assigned night, maybe the family eats cereal. Real-world cause and effect teaches faster than nagging.

• Model and teach first: Teens still need demos. Do the chore together a few times, then step back. Think “coach,” not “critic.”

When you treat these examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) as training for adult life—not punishment—teens usually respond better, even if they still roll their eyes.

FAQ: Real questions about chore examples for teenagers

Q: What are some simple examples of chores for a 13-year-old who’s never had regular chores before?
Start small and consistent. An easy example of a starter chore list: making their bed daily, putting dirty clothes in a hamper, loading the dishwasher after dinner twice a week, and taking out the trash once a week. Once that’s solid, you can add bathroom cleaning or laundry.

Q: How many chores should a teenager have each week?
There’s no magic number, but many families aim for a few short daily tasks plus one or two bigger weekly responsibilities. The right amount depends on school load, activities, and any jobs they have. The goal is steady contribution, not burnout.

Q: Should chores be tied to allowance?
Some parents connect basic chores to being part of the family and offer extra pay for bigger, optional jobs (like cleaning the garage). Others tie a portion of allowance to regular chores. Either way, be clear about what’s expected no matter what—chores are about learning responsibility, not just earning money.

Q: What are examples of consequences if my teen doesn’t do their chores?
Logical consequences work best. If they skip their kitchen night, they might lose screen time until it’s done, or they might be responsible for cooking twice the next week. If they don’t do laundry, they deal with limited clothing choices. The idea is to connect the consequence to the chore.

Q: My teen has ADHD/anxiety. Are there specific examples of chore strategies that help?
Yes. Break chores into smaller steps, use visual lists, and set short timers (like 10–15 minutes) instead of expecting a full deep-clean in one go. The CDC notes that structure and clear routines can help kids with ADHD manage daily tasks better (CDC ADHD overview). You can also pair chores with music or a podcast to make them feel less overwhelming.

Q: What’s an example of a chore that almost every teen should know before leaving home?
If you pick just one, make it doing laundry from start to finish—sorting, choosing settings, using detergent correctly, drying, and putting clothes away. Close behind: cooking a basic meal, cleaning a bathroom, and managing a weekly schedule.

If you treat these examples of chore examples for teenagers (ages 13-18) as a starting menu, you can mix, match, and tweak until you land on a routine that fits your family. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s progress—and a home where everyone, including your teen, shares the load.