I think it is harder to get an almost three year old to NOT do these things - if they see you doing them. My daughter insists on 'helping' with the laundry and dusting - giving her a part of it to do makes it easier for me.

I have a friend with an almost 3 year old (mine is still cookin' - be out in Jan!) and she has a "Chore chart" for him. His chores currently consist of things like "put shoes in closet" and "brush teeth am/pm" so that he's in the habit of picking up after himself and taking care of his own hygiene. All good habits but nothing the infringes on his enjoyment of childhood, in my opinion.

When I was young, chores were houshold activities outside of what affected myself. Making my bed and brushing my teeth where seen as the same thing. Taking out the trash was a chore. Its a part of life, just like a play kitchen.

Kids want to help with certain jobs, and that's normal. Mine likes to help, and I use it as a teaching moment. However, it's still all fun and exploration.

I think of chores as life skills my kids need to learn before they leave home... here is a list of chores our kids do as part of a series on chores we wrote a couple of weeks ago.

http://www.se7en.org.za/2009/08/28/se7en-chores-and-life-skills-we-do

As a Montessori mom many of the practical life activities are based on household 'chores'. My son always helps with the laundry, started with matching the socks when he was about 18mths, when he could manage the pegs he started hanging the smaller items (great to strengthen pincer muscles too), now he hangs the small items, folds all his clothes and puts them away, sorts daddys undies/hankies and puts them away and folds all the napkins. He also helps with the cleaning, I try to use eco friendly products where possible so I don't worry about him messing near chemicals. Every morning he puts away all the dishes from the dishwasher. He also helps to dust and water/weed the garden. He will happily help out with any other jobs.
I don't force any of these jobs on him and he doesn't see them as chores, now, at 4 he understands that we all have a role to play in the family home, he sees me and daddy doing jobs and he wants to help too.
I actually enjoy laundry time because we end up having some great conversations while we hang and fold.

My daughter will be two next month, and we definitely have her help around the house (in a tiny sort of way). My favorite thing she does so far is to help with the laundry. We have a stackable front loading machine, so she unloads the washer and hands it up to me to put in the dryer. No bending!

Most of what we do is enjoyable to her, as the other posters said. She loves helping with cooking, wiping things down, etc. When we go out for coffee, I do insist on her helping to clean up the table after we're done just to get her in the habit of leaving a clean place. Too few grownups do that, so I can't count on her just learning it through observation.

Our almost 4 year old likes helping around the house, and i think it's great to get him in the habit early. He puts his dishes in the sink when he's finished, puts his shoes and laundry away when he's getting undressed, as well as helping switch the laundry as mentioned in a previous comment. He also knows that if he makes a mess, he cleans it (with help for some messes) and when he is done with a toy it goes away. He actually doesn't like messes and I think it's because he's use to cleaning up after himself. We figure as time goes by he will take on more of his own responsibilities; I don't believe in kids doing chores adults should be doing, but they should clean up after themselves

I've let the kids help in the kitchen since they were little. It started out with them always under my feet while I was working. I found giving them chores lowered my stress level. The payoff has been they have become little foodies!

I don't have children, but I remember being a child. This picture made me think of all the times when I was little that I did the dishes and was too short to do them with out standing on the chair (my mom of course was helping). I had a blast doing chores with my parents and really liked being included. I appreciate it today too, I think it makes me a better worker.

And being in the service industry I really appreciate what ksg said: "When we go out for coffee, I do insist on her helping to clean up the table after we're done just to get her in the habit of leaving a clean place. Too few grownups do that, so I can't count on her just learning it through observation." Just wanted to say thanks and wish more parents did the same with their children.

My daughter is 1.5 years, and she helps with things like putting her dirty (folded up) diaper in the bin after a change, hanging her clothes in the closet (with help), and putting her toys and books away. She seems to love doing all of it. They're not really chores, but rather just ways to let her feel involved. She seems quite proud of her ability to accomplish these tasks too. It's cute.

Please keep in mind that excluding your kids from helping around the house doesn't do them any favors. As a child, a close friend of mine was always shooed away when she tried to help her dad with yardwork. He wanted everything to be done a certain way and didn't want to take the time to teach her. Now, as an adult with a disabled husband and no extra money for professional yard care, she has to do everything on her own, and it's been tough for her, not having any of the skills she could have learned from her dad.

Just let them help. They want to be involved, it builds a sense of accomplishment, and it teaches them skills they will need someday in the adult world.