Household helping: how the skill grows from 14 to 36 months
Household helping means joining real household jobs: wiping the table, carrying socks to the basket, putting spoons in the drawer, watering a plant. Real jobs give toddlers purpose and plenty of natural practice for hands, words and following directions.
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Household helping: the ladder, step by step
Pick the step that looks most like your child today. The next step and activities that practise it appear below.
No step picked yet. There is no wrong answer: pick the closest one.
Next step: Copies a job. Pushes a small brush across the floor after watching you sweep.
Activities that fit this step
- High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down · 13–21 months · 2–5 min
- Stir the Pretend Soup · 14–24 months · 5–10 min
- Grocery Tote Unpack · 16–26 months · 5–10 min
Next step: Does one step. Carries one sock to the laundry basket when you ask.
Activities that fit this step
- Grocery Tote Unpack · 16–26 months · 5–10 min
- Stir the Big Pot · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
- Tote Bag Fetch Mission · 17–28 months · 5–10 min
Next step: Shares a whole job. Wipes the table after a meal or waters a plant with you.
Activities that fit this step
- Laundry Basket Sock Hunt · 18–28 months · 5–12 min
- Unpack the Shopping Tote · 20–28 months · 5–12 min
- Sock Pair Detective · 22–34 months · 5–10 min
Next step: Offers help. Fetches a cloth when a cup spills, without being asked.
Activities that fit this step
- Drying-Rack Unbreakables Put-Away · 24–34 months · 5–10 min
- Junk Mail Tear-and-Stuff · 24–34 months · 5–10 min
- Potato Scrub at the Basin · 24–34 months · 10–15 min
Top of the ladder (offers help). Keep it flexible: offer it in a new place, with a different person or with new materials.
Activities that fit this step
- Potato Scrub at the Basin · 24–34 months · 10–15 min
- Sock Hang-Up on the Basket · 26–36 months · 5–10 min
- Washcloth Fold and Stack · 26–36 months · 5–10 min
The household helping ladder
5 steps from the first sign to a flexible skill, covered here from 14 to 36 months. Children move at their own pace: use the steps to see what comes next, not as deadlines.
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Watches jobs
Stops playing to watch you sweep, cook or load the washing machine.
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Copies a job
Pushes a small brush across the floor after watching you sweep.
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Does one step
Carries one sock to the laundry basket when you ask.
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Shares a whole job
Wipes the table after a meal or waters a plant with you.
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Offers help
Fetches a cloth when a cup spills, without being asked.
When household helping usually shows up
Copying you doing chores, like sweeping, is a CDC 18-month milestone. Actually finishing a small job, such as carrying the laundry to the machine or wiping up a spill, usually grows through the third year with an adult working alongside.
This page follows household helping from 14 to 36 months, a window that spans the 15-month, 18-month, 24-month, 30-month and 36-month CDC checklists.
In the library, 14 activities practise household helping (7 as their main skill), for ages 13 to 36 months. 5 of them need no prep and take 10 minutes or less. By age, they sit closest to steps 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the 5-step ladder.
Related items appear on the CDC checklists for 18 months.
Related milestones
CDC checklist items (paraphrased) that involve household helping. Checklists are for monitoring, not a test.
| Checklist | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 18 months | Imitates you doing household jobs, such as sweeping. |
Activities that practise household helping
Placed on the closest ladder step by age. By primary domain: 8 practical life, 2 early concepts, 1 cognitive, 1 creativity & pretend, 1 fine motor and 1 language. Quickest to start: High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down (2–5 minutes).
Step 1: Watches jobs
Step 2: Copies a job
Step 3: Does one step
Skills practised alongside
The activities for household helping most often also work on matching (4), naming things (3), following one-step directions (2), imitating actions (2) and size words (2). Pairing them keeps practice playful: one activity, several skills.
Practise it inside everyday routines
- Keep a few child-sized tools within reach: a small brush, a sponge, a little watering can.
- Offer one small, real step of a job, such as dropping washed potatoes into a pot of cold water.
- Thank your child for helping, even when the result is not perfect.
- Talk through the job as you share it: "Wipe, wipe... all clean."
What to avoid
- Redoing the job straight away in front of your child; fix it later if you must.
When to mention it to the pediatrician
If by 18 months your child shows no interest in what you are doing around the house and does not copy any everyday jobs, mention it to the pediatrician.
Worried about household helping between visits? Call the pediatrician; CDC's free resources also explain how to contact your local Early Intervention program directly. Milestones are for monitoring, not diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions
When do toddlers start household helping?
Copying you doing chores, like sweeping, is a CDC 18-month milestone. Actually finishing a small job, such as carrying the laundry to the machine or wiping up a spill, usually grows through the third year with an adult working alongside. The first step to look for: stops playing to watch you sweep, cook or load the washing machine.
How can I help my toddler with household helping?
Keep a few child-sized tools within reach: a small brush, a sponge, a little watering can. Offer one small, real step of a job, such as dropping washed potatoes into a pot of cold water. A good first activity is High-Chair Tray Wipe-Down (13–21 months).
What should I avoid when practising household helping?
Redoing the job straight away in front of your child; fix it later if you must.
When should I mention household helping to the pediatrician?
If by 18 months your child shows no interest in what you are doing around the house and does not copy any everyday jobs, mention it to the pediatrician. You can also contact Early Intervention yourself.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.