One of my favorite parenting wins happened in the produce section of Publix.
I was picking out veggies with my then-3-year-old (he’s now 5), when out of nowhere he looked up at me and said, “Can we go home and do chores?”
A shopper walking by spun around so fast and asked, “Did he really just say what I think he said? Did he ask if he can go home and do chores?”
Yes, yes he did.
We’re the kind of family that believes in starting chores early—not to overburden our kids, but to empower them. And we owe a lot of that to Smart Money Smart Kids by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze, one of my favorite parenting books. You can find it here, as well as several of my other favorite books.
It gave us the foundation and motivation to start early with teaching our kids not only about responsibility, but about the value of work and how it connects to money.
We start our kids with age-appropriate chores around age 3. We don’t force it if they’re not quite ready, but we introduce it as something exciting—something they get to do, not have to do.
And let me tell you: watching your preschooler ask if something’s in the budget while browsing Target is equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. But it works.
Here are our top five tips for getting little ones started with chores—and helping them learn about money at the same time.
1. Start Around Age 3 (But Follow Their Lead)
Each child is different. My oldest was born ready to clean. No joke—his favorite toy for his first Christmas was this toy Dyson vacuum. Before long, he graduated to using a real one—a Bissell stick vacuum that’s lightweight and kid-friendly.
He’s always loved helping with laundry, wiping windows, and making beds.
My daughter took a bit more time. She started doing small chores around 3 but didn’t really want to do them until closer to 4. And that’s okay. Each child finds their rhythm in their own time.
2. Match the Chores to Their Ability
We don’t ask our kids to wash dishes that had raw chicken on them or mess with sharp knives, obviously. But they can handle a lot more than people think.
Here are a few of our go-to starter chores:
Picking up toys
Putting clean laundry in drawers
Wiping baseboards or windows
Taking dishes to the sink after meals
Making their beds (with help)
It’s about building consistency, not perfection.
3. Don’t Expect It to Be Perfect
They’re little. They’re learning. That means there will be streaky windows and lumpy bedspreads. That’s okay.
I’ve found that jumping in and doing things with them—like wiping windows side by side—turns the moment into something fun, not frustrating. It’s a team effort. And yes, sometimes I go behind them and fix things, but that’s part of parenting too.
The focus here is building the connection between work and reward, not flawless housekeeping.
4. Celebrate the Effort
Kids thrive on praise—don’t we all?
When my kids finish their chores, they get more than a dollar. They get big smiles, high fives, and a “You did such a great job and I’m so proud of you” And let me tell you: every single day, they’re excited to do more chores.
They sit down together and make game plans:
“I’ll clean the Magnatiles upstairs. Can you do the puzzles down here? Then we’ll make the bed together!”
It melts me. And it teaches them that working together is fun and rewarding.
5. Pay Them Right Away
Especially with little kids, instant reward makes all the difference.
In our house, we pay $1 for every three chores. It’s just the right amount for their age, and it keeps them motivated.
When they’ve finished their tasks, they get their dollar and their encouragement. They’re learning that effort = income.
They’ve also started to understand how money works. We’re already teaching them how to budget what they earn. And yes, that means they’ll now ask me in Target, “Is that really in the budget, Mom?” 😂
Bonus: A Cleaner House
With three littles (ages 5, 4, and toddler), theor help means our home stays relatively tidy most of the time. Sure, there are days they don’t feel like it—and let’s be honest, there are days I don’t either.
But we give grace.
What matters most is the habit, the heart behind it, and the lifelong lessons they’re learning.
If you’ve ever wondered if your toddler is too young to learn responsibility, I’m here to tell you—they’re not. And Smart Money Smart Kids is a fantastic place to start. It changed the way we approach chores, money, and even parenting as a whole.
And who knows? Your next trip to the grocery store might just be interrupted by a tiny voice asking to go home and do chores.
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