How much do 10-year-olds help with household chores?

Authors: Anne Solaz (research director, ‘Economic Demography’ and ‘Fertility, Family and Couples’ research units, INED) and Ariane Pailhé (research director, ‘Economic Demography’ and ‘International Migration and Minorities’ research units, INED)

This month’s edition of Population & Societies features an original study of 10-year-olds’ participation in domestic chores by Anne Solaz and Ariane Pailhé, research directors at INED. Based on data from the Elfe cohort of children, it finds that nine out of ten children lend a hand with tasks such as setting and clearing the table or looking after family pets, but also reveals significant disparities between boys and girls by family type and social background.

The tasks most frequently performed by children
Almost half of 10-year-olds report setting and clearing the table or looking after pets (72% among those who have one) on a daily basis. Nine in ten tidy their bedroom, although only one in four does so weekly. Alongside these regular tasks, children also participate occasionally in other domestic chores: 60% help with cooking or cleaning from time to time, and half help to hang out or fold the laundry. Just 40% of 10-year-olds take out the garbage, however, and often only occasionally, and only 10% help with cooking, cleaning, laundry or garbage every week. Children thus play a non-negligible role in the home, helping to keep their own space tidy and contributing to collective well-being.

Girls participate more than boys
At age 10, girls provide more help with most domestic tasks than boys. While boys and girls participate equally in setting and clearing the table, more girls look after pets, tidy their bedroom or help with cooking and laundry. They also do so more frequently. Taking out the garbage is the only task handled by boys more than girls. This gender division among children reflects that of adults: women more often perform care, cooking, cleaning and laundry tasks while men take charge of more outdoor jobs. 

Differences in girls’ participation by social background
Boys’ participation in domestic tasks varies little according to the father’s occupational category. Among girls, on the other hand, daughters of manual workers and farmers participate more, in collective tasks especially, such as setting the table, caring for pets, cleaning, cooking and laundry. Conversely, girls with fathers in higher-level occupations contribute less to household tasks, but more often tidy their bedroom, partly because these households more frequently have a paid domestic helper (21% versus 11% on average). The mother’s educational level also has an impact: gender differences are larger among the children of low-educated mothers, with girls contributing more than boys. 

Gender differences are smaller when the father is more involved
In households where the mother does most of the domestic labour, boys generally contribute less than girls. The tendency is similar, but less marked, in families where tasks are shared equally or where the mother does slightly more. On the other hand, in the rare households where the father does more than the mother, there is no gender difference, with both boys and girls contributing less to domestic tasks, perhaps because the father assumes a larger share of the workload. 

Children in large families contribute more
Only children contribute less to domestic tasks than those with siblings, although they more often care for pets. Tasks such as setting the table, cleaning or taking out the garbage are performed more frequently as family size increases. This greater involvement may reflect a larger domestic workload to be shared between all family members. Parents with three or more children may also encourage cooperation between siblings, sometimes via ‘rotas’ to promote equality and a team spirit. 

Greater participation in lone-parent families?
Contrary to what one might think, children in lone-parent families do not contribute more than those with two adults in the household (two parents or parent and step-parent). For cooking they contribute less, while for the other tasks their contribution is similar. This may be due to several factors: in lone-parent families, meals may be simpler and quicker to prepare. It may also be more difficult for lone parents to persuade their children to lend a hand, or they may not wish to overburden them with domestic tasks.