PouchChores for 14-year-olds
Quick answer
Many 14-year-olds can own a whole household role for a month at a time: the kitchen after dinner, the bathrooms, the recycling and trash system, or a weekly dinner. Rotate roles every month. Add their own laundry and room. Kids vary, so agree on the standard and check the result, not each step.
Roles, not just tasks
A task is "empty the dishwasher." A role is "you run the kitchen after dinner this month." The second asks a teen to notice what needs doing, decide the order and finish it, which is closer to how adult life works.
Introduce roles one at a time, and name the finish line: counters wiped, dishwasher running, floor swept.
Four roles to rotate
- Kitchen: after-dinner cleanup, wiping counters, running the dishwasher.
- Bathrooms: sink, mirror, toilet and floor once a week, with gloves and open windows.
- Waste: all bins, recycling sorting and carrying bags out on pickup day.
- Dinner: plan, cook and serve one family meal a week.
Swap roles at the start of each month so nobody is stuck with the least fun one for long.
Weekly and daily jobs at 14
| Job | Daily or weekly | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Tidy own room | Daily | Floor clear, bed made |
| Role of the month | Daily | Kitchen, bathrooms or waste |
| Feed or walk the pet | Daily | Dog walks near home, big dog with an adult |
| Own laundry | Weekly | Start to finish |
| Change bed sheets | Weekly | Guide: fresh set on, old set in the wash |
| Cook a family dinner | Weekly | With an adult nearby for heat and knives |
| Vacuum the stairs and halls | Weekly | Cord and attachments handled safely |
| Wipe windows and mirrors | Weekly | Water and a cloth, or a mild cleaner |
| Mow or rake with an adult | Seasonal | Adult works beside them |
Household role chart, age 14
| Chore | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidy own room | |||||||
| Role of the month | |||||||
| Feed or walk the pet | |||||||
| Own laundryonce this week | |||||||
| Change bed sheetsonce this week | |||||||
| Cook a family dinneronce this week | |||||||
| Vacuum the stairs and hallsonce this week |
Some roles come with small surprises. A bathroom role means noticing when the soap runs out. A waste role means knowing the pickup day. Add a line to each role that says what to do when supplies run low, so your teen has permission to handle it, not just to report it.
Checking without hovering
Agree on the standard once, then look at the result a few times a week. If a role slips, ask what got in the way. Often the answer is timing.
Pay at fourteen
In Nibud's 2025 data, Dutch 14-year-olds typically get €25 to €32 a month. Allowance for 14-year-olds covers what an amount can include, and the guide on allowance for teenagers covers clothes and phone costs.
Cleaners, mowers and kitchen heat
Cleaners need open windows and should never be mixed. Show your teen which to use and stay nearby the first few times. Mowers, ladders and power tools need an adult working next to your teen. Kitchen heat and knives are fine with supervision until you both feel sure.
Two guides to open next
Before this list sit chores for 13-year-olds, and after it chores for 15-year-olds. The guides to cleaning the bathroom sink and changing the bed sheets cover two role tasks.
Questions parents ask
What chores should a 14-year-old do?
Their own room and laundry, a monthly household role, and a weekly dinner are a common mix. Kids vary, so adjust for school load.
How often should roles rotate?
Monthly works for many families. It is long enough to learn the job, and a new role comes around soon.
Should a 14-year-old be paid for household roles?
Many families treat roles as part of living in the home and pay for extras. Choose what fits your values.
How much allowance does a 14-year-old get?
Nibud (2025) lists €25 to €32 a month for Dutch 14-year-olds.
Sources
- Nibud, Zakgeld: Typical amounts Dutch kids get, and age 6 as a common starting point because kids can recognize the different coins.