tl;dr: Starting as toddlers, let them help without micromanaging. It will take too long and their results will be terrible. Be okay with that.

These complex, multistep activities require sustained focus, planning, problem-solving, and a commitment to working toward a goal—all valuable skills for anyone to develop. Put together, these skills may lead to strong executive function. For young children, chores can also be intrinsically rewarding. When a kid folds a pile of laundry, they’ve created order out of chaos. Seeing their success, children can start to develop a sense of self-competence and self-efficacy—the belief that they’ll succeed at a given task—which may boost their confidence.