Life in the Pioneer Times

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, pioneer

children arose to do chores. Some of the chores for which

they were responsible were done even before the children

had breakfast. Chores children worked at depended upon the

season, the area they lived in, and how many people were in

a family to help out.

Some of the more common chores children worked at

were feeding and milking the cows in the morning and

evening, cleaning out pens, and gathering eggs. In many

homes, the girls helped out with chores within the home, like

cooking, cleaning, caring for younger children, and laundry.

Girls and boys gathered food from gardens, helped with the

crops, and helped to cut and pile wood for the winter.

Children were expected to work hard during pioneer times.

The jobs they were responsible for doing were important to

the survival of their families.