Children love to feel capable and included—and these early years are the perfect time to nurture that sense of confidence. Encouraging your preschooler and kindergartner to participate in simple “family contributions” not only helps your household run more smoothly, but also supports key developmental skills.
Family contributions are small, meaningful tasks children do to help care for themselves and the family—such as putting away toys, setting the table, feeding a pet, helping carry laundry, unloading the dishwasher. Unlike “chores,” these are framed as ways to work together and show belonging.
When young children take part in everyday tasks at home, they gain much more than practical skills! They are also building their:
Independence: Completing small jobs gives children a sense of pride, purpose, & responsibility.
Confidence and Competence: Successfully contributing to the life of the home helps children see themselves as capable, trusted members of the family.
Motor and Thinking Skills: Activities like folding napkins and sorting socks help to build fine motor and hand-eye coordination, along with sequencing and problem-solving. Carrying heavy items (such as laundry baskets, groceries, etc) helps with gross motor skills and planning.
Social and Emotional Growth: Working alongside adults and siblings promotes cooperation, empathy, and patience.
Tips for Getting Started
Start Simple: Choose one or two tasks your child can manage, such as watering plants, helping feed the pet(s), and/or setting the table for dinner.
Model and Guide: Show how to do the task step-by-step and offer gentle support as they learn. Scaffold by slowly allowing them to do more and more on their own, so eventually they can successfully complete the task completely on their own, without your guidance.
Make It Routine: Build family contributions into daily life so they become a natural habit.
Focus on Effort, Not Perfection: Encourage trying and helping, rather than how neatly the task is done. Be specific in your praise, “You folded all the towels, that is so helpful to our family!”