5 Things to Teach your Kids to Make your Life Easier

Do you ever wish your life had an easy button?

What if I told you that you could have that easy button, but that it would actually require a little bit of work in order to get it to function? I know that sounds contradictory, but hear me out.

You have a house full of helpers! Every child is born with a built-in desire to help and do things independently. Your little helpers, no matter how young, are fully capable of lending a hand and taking away some of the daily tasks that make your days busy. Yes, it takes some effort and time on the front end, but the results could be life-changing and ultimately make your life easier.

Here are 5 simple tasks to teach your kids:

How to Help with Laundry

According to redhanger.com, the average person spends 4 hours a week on laundry. FOUR hours. And that’s just the average. So much of your time is spent sorting, washing, folding, and putting laundry away. Imagine how much time you could free up in your schedule if you taught your kids how to do each of these steps? This task could be tailored to different ages. Two to five year-olds could learn how to sort by color or type. Six to eight year-olds could learn how to load the washer. Eight year-olds and up could learn to do the whole process by themselves. The possibilities (and savings on time) are endless!

How to Empty the Dishwasher 

Dishes are another one of those daily tasks that have to be completed in order for a household to function. Often times it can be hard to juggle making lunches, cooking three meals a day, and getting the dishes done. So why not give one of those tasks away? Putting the dishes away is a simple task that kiddos could handle. Yes, there would need to be a lesson on how to handle breakable dishes with care. Yes, you might end up with a broken plate or two along the way. Yes, you might lose your favorite spoon for a while if it gets put in the wrong drawer. But overall, this is a simple task that would free up a few minutes of your day.

How to Use Simple Kitchen Appliances 

I realize that we could be playing with fire (literally) with this one, but teaching your kids how to use basic kitchen appliances won’t only make your life easier–it will also prepare them for their future as independent human beings. How to properly use a toaster and a microwave are simple tasks that could transform your morning and lunch routines. Allowing your kiddos to take ownership of their breakfast and lunch prep would allow more time for you to complete your other tasks or to simply enjoy those times without running around like a chicken with your head cut off. This could even evolve into how to scramble eggs or how to boil water. Use discretion, but start small and build up over time.

How to Put Groceries Away

This sounds so simple, but is such a big help! If you’re still doing it the old-fashioned way and going into a store to get groceries yourself, you are definitely tired by the time you get home. Even if you are doing grocery delivery, this is a simple job that your kids can totally handle and again, it will teach them some basic life skills that they will need to know. Like how milk will be ruined if you put it in the pantry and Hershey’s chocolate shell won’t come out of the bottle if you stick it in the fridge. Ya know, the important stuff.

How to Fold Towels 

Everyone knows that how to fold towels is the number one argument in every marriage. So why not take one thing off of your to-do list, teach your kids young, and prepare them for their future spouse? All joking aside, allowing your kids to fold the towels is a simple job that could leave your to-do list and make life easier.

I once read that as parents, we should never do anything for our kids that they can do for themselves. I love this mindset. It creates a culture of teamwork within a family, shapes independent and capable future adults, and lightens a mom’s daily load. There are many tasks that could be added to this list, but you have to start somewhere. And when you start here, you’ll eventually end up having a built-in easy button.

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lynziebrewer
Born and raised in Central Arkansas, Lynzie is a pastor's wife, business owner, adoptive and homeschool mom, and new Okie. She and her husband love visiting local restaurants, taking walks to the park, and cheering on the Thunder with their six kids. Give her a good book and some apple pie and all will be right with the world!

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