Young children enjoy being responsible for themselves and their own space. What age should a child make their own bed? Well, that depends on what priorities and routines are in your house. Keep in mind the later you start having children be responsible for themselves the harder and more stressful it is for your child.
Why should a child make their bed?
The benefits of making beds is discussed for adults with claims of reducing stress and increasing productivity. When it comes to our children we aren’t trying to increase productivity but the activity does have plenty of benefits.
- Promotes independence
- Promotes responsibility
- Provides sense of accomplishment
- Improved sleep
- Calm environment
When should kids start making their bed?
Kids should start making their bed when they show interest in it or can follow a simple one step instruction. These early stages of bed making do not look like a magazine but more on this later. Young children want to help and imitate the things they see their caregivers doing. If you routinely make beds and they see it then your child wants to try. Let them.
It is helpful to give the child the first and final step whenever they are excited to participate. Sometimes just putting the stuffed animal on the bed at the end gives the feeling of accomplishment. This feeling will encourage the desire to be responsible and independent.
What does toddler making bed look like?
When a toddler begins making their bed its a pretty awkward thing. Just getting the blanket and stuffy back onto the bed after they fell off can be a chore. It can also be a great place to start and a big win. After they learn to straighten blankets you might find the blanket isn’t actually much better off than it started. Still this is a big win.
Start by showing the process.
This has probably been happening their whole life (unless you aren’t a bed maker but I’m going to guess you are if you are looking for your child to make theirs). As you get to the point where you feel your child will want to help soon you can provide very simple explanations of what you are doing. This is not meant to be in a teaching way. This provides vocabulary for the visual which will make the task easier to complete. Also, try to make the bed in the same order every time. Having a routine for bed making means the child doesn’t need to remember a whole list of task to do.
Do it together.
When practicing new skills together it is a good practice to break the task down into small sections. Start by having the child take part in any step they are interested in and encouraging a little extra help. This should be a no pressure situation. As they progress and have a good idea of the first or last step let them do it independently.
Let them do it themselves.
This is still meant to be pressure free! With young children we want to keep the activity short and timed right. One child may only make their bed as they are getting out of bed. Another child might need breakfast and playtime first. Adding one more task to do in the morning is not fun or easy. I have been known to include this in the after lunch cleanup on the weekends.
What age should a child make their own bed? If making beds isn’t a priority in your house then own that and don’t worry about it. You may find that your child actually enjoys their bed being made and it is calming and relaxing for them.