What 12 year olds can realistically handle
A 12 year old can clean the kitchen after dinner, run laundry for the family, clean a bathroom well and cook a full meal. Many are ready to use a push mower after a few supervised sessions, and to look after a younger sibling for a short time.
Their schedules get busier with school, sports and friends. Keep the daily list short and let the bigger jobs move around the week. What counts is that they get done, not that they get done on Tuesday.
Daily chores for 12 year olds
These happen every day, most of them inside routines you already have. Times are for a child who has been shown how and is doing it on their own.
| Chore | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Pack their own lunch and snacks | 10 min | 1 |
| Clean the kitchen after dinner: dishes, counters and stovetop | 25 min | 3 |
| Take out the trash and recycling | 5 min | 1 |
| Take care of the pets | 15 min | 2 |
| Keep their room and bathroom counter clean | 10 min | 1 |
| Help a younger sibling get ready in the morning | 15 min | 2 |
Weekly chores for 12 year olds
Bigger jobs that need doing once a week. Give each one a set day so nobody has to remember.
| Chore | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Do their own laundry and one family load | 45 min | 4 |
| Clean a bathroom top to bottom | 30 min | 3 |
| Vacuum and mop the main floor | 40 min | 4 |
| Mow the lawn with a push mower after training Closed shoes, no one in the yard, and do the first few with them. | 45 min | 5 |
| Unpack and put away the week's groceries | 15 min | 2 |
| Wipe the cabinet fronts and clean the sink | 20 min | 2 |
Want it on paper? Print the free chore chart for ages 11 to 12, or the after school checklist.
Stretch chores to try next
Once the daily list happens without reminders, add one of these. They are worth a little more because learning a new job is part of the work.
| Chore | Time | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and cook a full dinner for the family | 60 min | 6 |
| Watch a younger sibling for an hour while you run an errand A babysitting and first aid course first. The Red Cross runs them for ages 11 and up. | 60 min | 5 |
| Wash and vacuum the car inside and out | 60 min | 6 |
Making chores stick at this age
- Hand over whole jobs, not steps. "The kitchen after dinner" is theirs, including deciding when it is done.
- Train them properly on anything with a motor or a blade before they do it alone.
- Pay more for the jobs you would otherwise pay someone else to do.
About the point values
Points here work out to roughly one point for every 10 minutes of work, never less than one. Change them to suit your family. What matters is that a harder job is worth more than an easy one. The chart of chores by age uses the same scale for every age, so siblings' lists compare fairly. Wondering whether to pay in points or cash? See points vs allowance and how much allowance by age.
Questions parents ask about chores for 12 year olds
What chores are appropriate for a 12 year old?
Almost any household job: the full kitchen cleanup, laundry for the family, cleaning bathrooms, cooking a meal and yard work including mowing once trained. What they still need from you is judgment on safety and on when something is truly clean.
Can a 12 year old mow the lawn?
Many can with a push mower after several supervised sessions. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests waiting until 12 for a walk behind mower and 16 for a riding mower, and only once they show the judgment and strength for it. Closed shoes, eye and hearing protection, and younger children indoors while the mower runs.
Sources
The chores and ages here were checked against the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance. Where this page makes a claim about safety or research, it comes from:
- Age-Appropriate Chores for Children. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org.
- Lawn Mower Safety: Information for Families. American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org.
- Babysitting and Child Care Training, ages 11 to 16. American Red Cross.
