Teenagers who do not understand what is involved in cooking a meal for the family can take the household meal provider for granted. Assigning your teen to cook a meal one night a week can help her better appreciate the time and effort that the usual meal preparer puts in to provide a good meal for the family. Provide her with a few recipes to start, so that she is not entirely overwhelmed, but allow her to do most, if not all, of the work. Make yourself available to answer any questions she may have.
This type of chore can go beyond just cleaning a bedroom. Have your teen clean a certain area of the house to a greater extent than just picking things up. Have him vacuum and dust, as well as ensure that all areas of that part of the house are arranged how they are supposed to be. Alternatively, you can have your teen do one type of cleaning on the entire house, such as vacuuming or cleaning all the floors in the house rather than just one area. This will help him better understand why keeping things tidy is important and how time-consuming cleaning can be.
Many teens simply deposit their laundry into a basket and expect it to be returned to them washed. A teen who does not know how to do her own laundry once she leaves the house is often met with disaster or confusion when the laundry begins to pile up. Remedy this by assigning your teenager to do her own laundry every week or help with a portion of the entire family's laundry. This will provide her with useful lessons and help lighten the family's laundry load.
Having your teen help with the lawn work can be beneficial to both you and him. Have him rake leaves in the autumn, mow the lawn in the spring and summer, and shovel snow in the winter. You can also have him help clean the gutters, tend gardens, fence the backyard or anything else that you find needs to be done outside your home. This will help him understand, at least partially, what it takes to be a homeowner.