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РусскийChores for 13 year olds: real household skills for the teen years
At 13, kids can do almost any chore an adult does. The challenge is less ability than motivation and schedule. Here's a chore list for 13-year-olds, a weekly chart, and how to make chores stick without nagging.
What changes at 13
Thirteen-year-olds can use the washing machine, the oven and the dishwasher, and they can plan a task on their own. As a pediatrician writing for the American Academy of Pediatrics puts it, if your teen can operate a smartphone, they can figure out how to use a washing machine, an oven and a dishwasher.
The goal shifts at this age: chores are no longer about helping, but about getting ready to live independently, and about teamwork in a shared home.
Chore list for 13 year olds
- Do their own laundry, from sorting to folding
- Clean the kitchen after a meal
- Vacuum shared spaces: living room, hallway, stairs
- Take out the trash and recycling without reminders
- Clean the bathroom, toilet included
- Cook a simple family meal once a week
- Pet care: feeding, walking, grooming
- Help with younger siblings
- Yard work: mowing, weeding, raking
- Wash the car
The AAP's list for teens includes most of these: vacuuming shared spaces, washing the car, yard work, cleaning the kitchen after meals, pet care and caring for younger siblings.
Free printable chore chart for 13 year olds
Busy schedules
Between school, sports and friends, many 13-year-olds say they're too busy. The AAP's answer is direct: a sports practice doesn't make anyone too busy to take out the garbage without reminders. A few ways to make it work:
- Fix chores to days: bathroom on Saturday, the family meal on Sunday.
- Lighter chores on busy days, never no chores at all.
- Let them plan the week: teens follow a plan they made. Our weekly chore chart helps.
Motivation without nagging
- Agree on the list together once, then stop discussing it every day.
- Give them a zone, like the kitchen after dinner, that's theirs.
- Natural consequences: screens or going out wait until the chore is done.
- Talk about skills, not help: "You'll need this when you live on your own."
- Money for extra jobs, if you like, but keep everyday chores part of family life. See our chore chart for teens.
Next steps
Coming from age 12? See chores for 12 year olds. The full list from 2 to 14 is in chores by age.
Questions parents ask
What chores should a 13-year-old do?
Their own laundry, cleaning the kitchen after a meal, vacuuming shared spaces, taking out the trash, pet care, helping with younger siblings, and cooking a simple family meal once a week.
How many chores should a 13-year-old have?
A few daily chores (room, kitchen, trash) and one or two bigger weekly ones. Around 20 to 45 minutes a day works for many families.
Should 13-year-olds be paid for chores?
Many families keep everyday chores unpaid and pay for extra jobs. At 13, an allowance can become a small monthly budget to manage.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, Shelly Flais, MD, FAAP, Household Chores for Teens (updated February 9, 2024).
Turn the chart into a game.
KUDOZ is a family app that does all of this for you: missions, XP, coins and a reward shop your kids actually want to open. Available on iPhone and Android.
This guide shares general parenting information. It is not medical advice and does not replace a diagnosis or a care plan from a qualified professional.