Chore Chart for Teens – Free Printable that Works for Our Family!

This chore chart for teens has worked wonders in our house! My teenagers come home from school and get their chores knocked out before yapping on the phone or playing video games. I’m sharing the free printable teenager chore chart templates with you, and the best thing is – you can type in them to add your own chores!

Why I Started a Chore Chart for My Teenagers

I have a confession: both of my teen daughters have been seriously slacking lately when it comes to cleaning up their rooms and bathroom. And you know what? I’ve been letting them.

Life is busy! Have you seen that meme (or a version of it) with an exhausted woman, on her last legs, that says “me: trying to raise kids, work out, stay hydrated, look after my house, keep up a social life, succeed at work….” Yeah. That’s me. So the last thing I have time for is arguing with teenage girls about putting their dirty laundry in the hamper.

But I came to realize that, actually, I wasn’t doing anyone any favors by letting it slide.

Aaand their shared bathroom is also the guest bath. So the fear I had any time a surprise visitor popped by, that the bathroom would be showered in toothpaste spit and dirty socks – well, that was enough to spur me into action!

So, I finally decided to create a chore chart for teens. Since they’re older and more independent, it didn’t have to be a big visual chart (not like my printable kids chore chart with pictures), or anything with rewards. It’s more of a checklist, with a series of every day jobs that are easy to incorporate into their daily routine, but that will make a big difference.

The deal is that they have to complete their chore chart when they get home from school BEFORE they can start watching TV, playing Roblox with friends, or spending time being generally moody..!

They got the job done, then carry on with life.

Because I don’t expect my teens to polish the silverware or deep clean the oven! Their chores only take about 15 minutes per day – especially if they’re diligent about picking up after themselves and putting things away when they’re done with them – so it’s really not a huge impact on their lives. We all know that teenagers can be really busy with school, homework, extracurricular activities, social life, maybe a part-time job… So these chore charts are a perfect match with normal teen life, without being overwhelming.

I don’t want to speak too soon, but this system has been working pretty well for us for several weeks now, and I’m just happy to be saving my breath telling them what they need to do each day (as if they don’t already know!)

How to Use the Printable Chore Charts for Teens

It really couldn’t be easier.

• Download one of my free chore chart templates here – there are 3 different designs to choose from!
• Type in the chores you want your teens to carry out regularly.
• Print your customized chore chart. 
• Laminate the chore chart so it can re-used.  
• Hang it in your teens room, by their desk or mirror – somewhere they can’t miss it…!
• Ask your teen to use a dry erase marker to check off each item on the list, and bring the chore chart to you for approval!
• When it’s complete, the chore chart can be wiped clean for the next day.

Free Printable Chore Charts for Teenagers

Maybe you thought that your chart days were behind you when your kids transitioned from little to teens but, honestly, these chore charts have really helped our family. Asking the kids to pick up after themselves and show some responsibility is no longer an argument because, once it’s built into a schedule, it just becomes an accepted part of life instead of a daily negotiation.

There are different chore chart options and color schemes to choose from – just choose what suits you and your teen, print, laminate and use, time and again.  

Click HERE for the Chore Charts for Teens

Why Your Teen Should Be Doing Chores

It can be so draining repeatedly asking kids to do stuff and, when they eventually do it, it’s not done right anyway. Although it’s tiring and extra work, sometimes it’s just easier to do it yourself (kind of like why I no longer ask my husband to pack the dishwasher – I’m sorry, he doesn’t do it right!!!)

But doing chores and keeping up with responsibilities is actually really important for kids.

Research by Marty Rossmann in a study for the University of Minnesota actually showed that involving children in household tasks at an early age can have a positive impact later in life, from their chosen career path to their relationships with family and friends. And, perhaps controversially, that they shouldn’t be made to do the tasks for an allowance. Look, we might have to ignore that part of the study(!) But the point is that it’s beneficial, way beyond the now, to encourage kids to get stuck in.

• Understanding the importance of contributing to family – Every person in a family has a part to play in its health and success. It’s just like sports – a family is a team. And if somebody isn’t contributing, they’re ultimately letting their team down.
• Developing the ability to work with others – Getting comfortable with that contribution, and the role it plays, helps to nurture an understanding of collaboration. Kids can get a feel for everybody’s strengths and weaknesses and how they all come together to create a better big picture.
• Developing empathy – That sense of understanding yourself and others, give and take, and teamwork can help encourage empathy for life.  
• Building better relationships with friends and family – And all of that good stuff helps build better relationships!
• Learning delayed gratification – We know kids are NOT good at this (and to be honest, in an age of the internet, fast food and mobile phones, are adults even that great at it?!) But it’s an important life skill nevertheless. Understanding that things take time, but that you get a real sense of satisfaction because of it, is critical to nurturing well-rounded adults.
• Building self-discipline – And that lesson will be the foundation of good choices for the future, and a self-discipline that can be applied across life, from working out to not eating that entire package of cookies in one sitting…
• Learning resilience – Sometimes, when your kids get back from school, they won’t want to do their chores first. Sometimes they’ll be tired, or grumpy, or hungry. Well, we all are. But, as adults, we still need to get the job done regardless. It might seem like tough love, but resilience is a crucial skill everyone needs to learn.
• Learning life skills – It can be either heartbreaking or exhilarating (depending on when you catch me) to think about the fact that your kids won’t live with you forever. And I have heard horror stories of kids in their 20s (or older!) still bringing their laundry home because they don’t know how to work a washing machine. Seriously. Don’t let that be your kids!! It’s so important to learn these skills so that, one day, when it’s their turn to manage a home and care for others, they have the capabilities to do it.

I hope this chore checklist helps your teens keep up with their responsibilities around the house! And if you love this free printable, do me a favor and PIN it to your Pinterest board! This is a GREAT way to support us!

And be sure to check out some of our other favorite chore charts and cleaning checklists:

• Weekly Cleaning Schedule Template – Get TONS of weekly cleaning checklists here to create your own weekly cleaning routine!
• Family Chore Chart – Get the whole family involved with keeping up with the house! You can put everyone’s jobs on one chart together.
• Chore Cards for Individual Rooms – Just hand off a card to your teen, and have him or her complete everything on the card for that particular room – easy peasy!
• List of Household Chores – Use this HUGE list of household chores to spark ideas for what you should put on your teen’s chore checklist!