8 Tasks Kids Should Do for Themselves

Toddlers can put their clean clothes into drawers and dirty ones into a hamper, preschoolers can match socks, and 6- to 8-year-olds can fold clothes when they’re dry. By late elementary school, kids should be capable of washing their own clothes.

Kids as young as 2 years old can put away their own toys. Once a child reaches preschool age, she should learn that she's responsible for any items taken out of the house.

You should trust a preschool-aged child to feed a pet regularly. If you live in a safe neighborhood, an older child can take a dog on a walk. As children have a greater risk of infection, however, they should not clean litter boxes and other pet waste until their teenage years.

You can help your child make an appropriate decision about when to go to bed by setting restrictions on nighttime activities. Try cutting off phone, Internet, and TV usage after 9PM. Chances are, your child will choose to go to bed shortly after.

In early elementary school, kids can complete basic tasks like washing fresh produce and preparing some ingredients. After spending time with you in the kitchen, your child should have enough skill to create basic meals.

Kids can be surprisingly thoughtful when it comes to money matters. Sit down with your kids and talk to them about what an allowance means and how it might be spent.

Guide your kids through the process of setting an allowance rate. Have them come up with a breakdown of how much they think they should be earning each week and how they will be using the money.

A toddler can start making beds and wiping down surfaces. With supervision, a preschooler can begin washing dishes and cleaning windows. In elementary school, add sweeping, vacuuming and mopping to your child's list of chores.

No matter the age, your child should be trusted to solve his own personal problems. You may guide the process by suggesting solutions, but you shouldn’t take control of the resolution.