Parenting is hard, right? Parenting teenagers, though? That’s a whole separate issue! There are so many things you have to try and get right when it comes to parenting teenagers.

Certain conversations that might feel uncomfortable but are really important, curfews, balancing home and school life, and, of course, the ever-present dilemma about whether or not teenagers should have chores.

And it’s actually a much more complicated situation than most realize. So, should teenagers have chores?

Well, it really is a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, teenagers are exceptionally busy at school, and they have to devote a lot of their time to it in order to get the best grades and give themselves the best start in life.

So one could argue that to pile chores on top of the pressure they’re already facing is unfair. But on the other hand, teenagers with chores are often more responsible, learn time management skills they wouldn’t ordinarily have, and will receive a different sort of education: life’s.

Which side of the argument you come down on will depend on your parenting style. Us? We think, yes, teenagers should have chores, and today we’ll talk about why they should.

But also how to give a reasonable amount of chores to teenagers so you don’t overwhelm them and they can still have a successful school and social life away from the home.

So, if you want to learn more about giving teenagers chores and how to do it in a way that’s firm but fair, then read on below!

Are Teens More Responsible Nowadays?

This first question is actually really important when you’re thinking about the teenagers vs chores debate. Because ultimately it’s about responsibility, so are teenagers more responsible nowadays than we were as kids? And if they aren’t, should they be allowed to complete chores?

So, let’s look at that issue one step at a time.

Are Teens More Or Less Responsible Than We Were As Teenagers?

The answer to that question is it depends. It depends on how those teenagers have been raised. For many teens nowadays, responsibility isn’t a choice – it’s thrusted upon them from a young age and it isn’t a luxury they get to develop as they get older.

Think single-parent households where there’s no additional support – it’s not uncommon for the eldest sibling to take responsibility for their younger siblings and the upkeep of the home whilst their parent works.

Here, these teenagers are far more responsible than most of us ever were, right?

But then there’s the flip-side again. Some children and teens have the luxury of parents who are willing to dote on their every need, because they have the time to do so. Here, these teens may not be as responsible as other teens simply because they’ve never had a reason to be so.

Then there’s the middle ground too – your everyday kid who sleeps in on Saturdays and plays video games in secret on a school night. These teens might have some degree of responsibility, but it might not be as developed as others either.

On the whole, we’d probably argue that most teenagers aren’t any more or less responsible than we were, but some certainly are. It’s like anything in life – there’s a sliding scale of responsibility as teenagers, and we all fit somewhere along it.

But then that begs another question…

Should Irresponsible Teens Be Given Chores?

If you take an honest look at your teen right now and conclude that they have no responsibilities at all, you might be thinking whether or not it’s a good idea to give them chores. After all, they might flop, right?

Wrong!

The only way a teenager will ever learn the value of responsibility is by having something they’re responsible for. Maybe it’s cooking dinner every Tuesday for the family, or doing the dishes three nights a week.

Whatever it is, even if they’re incredibly irresponsible right now, it will eventually teach them how to be responsible and meet expectations. And ultimately, that will set them up for the real world after they leave home.

Should Teenagers Have Chores?

So, yes, we think teenagers should be given chores, no matter how responsible or irresponsible they are right now. This is because ultimately teenagers won’t remain kids for long, and these mini-adults need to learn that being responsible is something that will be expected of them 24/7 in later life.

And chores are an excellent way to prepare them for that whilst also teaching them some essential life skills.

A Note On School Work

Of course, we understand the argument that teens are busy with school, and that they have to focus on school in order to get the best grades they can to get a good head start in life. But that doesn’t mean they should have no chores at all.

After all, how many times do we, as adults, have someone come along and clear away all our responsibilities just so we can focus on work? Never, right? So it would be unrealistic to do the same for our teens.

That’s not to say that during exam season, when they’re studying every night and are so stressed they’re like a coiled spring, we should force them to wash the dishes and take out the trash. It’s all about being reasonable and negotiating a new deal when school is getting tough.

But busy people still have chores, and that’s our point. Yes, teens have it hard nowadays, and yes, they’re exceptionally busy with school, but if you don’t give them at least some chores, then they won’t be the well-rounded responsible adults society needs. Which brings us on to our next point…

How Many Chores Should Teenagers Have?

Deciding how many chores a teenager should have relies on you knowing your teenager well. Some teens fly through homework, have multiple after-school activities, work part time, and can still comfortably complete multiple chores around the house.

Others struggle with their homework and have almost no time for anything else, only managing to take out the trash once a week and keep their own room clean. Both situations are perfectly acceptable, but you need to know your teen to give them the right amount of chores for them specifically.

If we were to give a general guide, we’d say teens should be responsible for 2-3 chores a day, some larger, some smaller. For example, they may cook dinner for the whole family one day, which takes up a lot of their time.

So the other 2 chores that day might just be to put the dogs toys away in the evening and wipe down the stove after they’ve used it, which are much quicker tasks to complete.

You get the idea, though, right? There isn’t a golden rule about how many chores teens should have, but you should certainly give them enough chores to teach them how to be responsible, without overwhelming them.

What Are The Roles And Responsibilities At Home As A Teenager?

Speaking of chores, you might be wondering what chores to give your teens, so before we finish today’s post, we just wanted to share a general list of roles and responsibilities teenagers can have at home:

• Cooking dinner
• Washing the dishes
• Gardening duties (mowing the lawn, etc.)
• Washing windows
• Doing laundry
• Cleaning certain rooms (their own, bathroom, kitchen, etc.)
• Washing the cars
• Vacuuming
• Helping with pets (feeding, bathing, walking, etc.)
• And the list goes on…

If you’re struggling to think about what responsibilities and chores your teen can pick up, stop and think about everything you do for the house right now. It’s probably a lot if your teens aren’t currently helping out, right?

Well, lighten your load and give some of those tasks to the teens in your house. If you are doing it, then the chances are your teens can too!

Final Thoughts

We’re not here to tell you how to parent, because we’re firm believers parents always know what’s best for their children and teens! But hopefully today’s post has taught you the value of giving chores to teens and helped you think about some of the things they could do to help out around the home, without overwhelming their already-busy schedules.