Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 18, No. 6, 1989 "Taking Care": Maintaining the Self and the Home in Early Adolescence Eiena Duckett, 1 Marcela Raffaelli, 2 and Maryse H. Richards 3 This paper explores young adolescents" experience of basic daily tasks: per- sonal maintenance (e.g., grooming and eating) and household maintenance (e.g.,chores and errands). Quantity of time, companionship, and subjective states in these activities were examined during one week in the lives of 401 5th-9th graders with the Experience Sampling Method (Csikszentmihalyi and Larson, 1987). Our findings show that these tasks are particularly sub- ject to sex typing. Girls engaged in grooming more often than boys, and this time increased in the higher grades, while boys showed no age effects. Boys did more outside chores while girls did more indoor chores. Girls were also more likely to carry out household tasks with family while boys did more chores alone. An examination of subjective states during household main- tenance revealed that older girls reported a greater sense of motivation and choice than younger girls, but boys" experience did not differ. Experience of maintenance as socialization for adult activities is discussed. INTRODUCTION Maintenance tasks include the most basic necessities of life-eating, rest, grooming, and chores are all part of sustaining existence. Psychologists This research was supported by NIMH grant number MH38324, "Stress in Daily Life During Early Adolescence," awarded to Reed Larson. ~Graduate Student, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago. Current research interests are the effects of maternal employment on children and adolescents, and the study of day care. ZGraduate Student, Committee on Human Development, The University of Chicago. Current research interests are family relationships in early adolescence, interpersonal conflict and the study of daily psychological experience. 3Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Loyola University of Chicago. Current research interests are pubertal development, precursors of eating disorders, and the effects of maternal em- ployment on young adolescents. To whom correspondence should be addressed at Department of Psychology, Loyola University, 6525 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60626. 549 0047-2891/S9/12.00-0549506.00/09 1989 Plenum Publishing Corporation