The Difference between Responsibilities and Jobs - Homey App for Families

When discussing the difference between responsibilities and jobs for kids, it is defined rather differently than the adult world.

You see, parents set a list of specific responsibilities for kids that are expectations regardless of anything else. Responsibilities for kids could include being a good human being, cleaning up after themselves and just doing the everyday tasks that a human being should be responsible for, such as good hygiene.

Most parents would define a job for kids as something like cleaning the toilet or mowing the lawn. A job is something that goes up and beyond your everyday responsibilities.

Here are a few responsibilities that kids may have depending upon their age level:

• Brushing teeth and hair on a daily basis.
• Picking up their bedroom and toys after playing.
• Wiping off counters after preparing their own meals.
• Taking a shower on a regular basis.
• Setting the dining room table for meal time.
• Using manners on a regular basis.
• Completing homework in a timely fashion.
• Being a good brother or sister to siblings.
• Helping parents to do basic daily chores.

The list of items that a kid has as responsibilities will defer from home to home, but this basic list should allow you to see what your kids should have for responsibilities. This list showcases the basic everyday responsibilities of a human being. Since they are growing kids, the list isn’t going to be as long when young but as they get older their level of responsibilities will increase.

Here are a few jobs that kids may have depending upon their age level:

• Mowing the lawn both at home and/or the neighbors.
• Babysitting their siblings or other kids.
• Thoroughly cleaning the bathroom.
• Deep cleaning the kitchen or other household room.
• Picking up litter from the yard or road side.
• Holding an actual job that offers a paycheck.
• Taking care of a family pet.
• House sitting when you go away on vacation.
• Trimming the landscape at home, such as bushes and gardens.

While the list of jobs that a kid can hold would go on forever, you probably get the gist. The basic way to figure out if your kid should be held responsible for a task is whether or not it’s an everyday basic human necessity. Responsibilities for kids are things that will better prepare them for adulthood, such as teaching them the basics of maintaining a clean home.  When defining a job for kids, that’s something that would go up and beyond their everyday human being necessities and could perhaps be something they even earn cash for.