Kid’s chores???!!!
The Fashionista and I ready to conquer our chores!!
Absolutely in our house!!!
I wrote a blog in the beginning of the year about “taking care” of my house cleaners and how you can “clean” for your cleaners. You can read about that here.
However, with the hubs and I trying to take better control of our debt and how we spend our money, my cleaners were the biggest sacrifice that I had to make. Although, the chores still needed to be done. So…the task, once again, became the focus of the family.
DDD making eggs for his sisters….
So I’ve had several people ask me about kids chores and what I have my kids do and when. I decided to take this Tip Tuesday and share with you some of the things we do.
**Let me start with this disclaimer***
I have a hard time being consistent so what I do has to be simple and direct.
If you want a cute chore list …that’s not here. You can definitely find some adorable chore charts on ETSY and Pinterest. I’m really bad at making anything look crafty or like I have a clue what I am doing.
However, what I can offer you is what works for me and my crew…
Here’s little Miss Missy helping me wipe down our kitchen countertops….
She LOVES to help…which is great because there is always plenty to do. 
On a daily basis my kids are expected to:
- make their beds
- put laundry in the sorted laundry bins
- clear their floors
- clear their plates at bkft, lunch, and dinner
- help unload the dishwasher
- sweep the floor
- and help fold laundry.
However, Saturdays are reserved for our “housecleaning” days. I constructed a laminated chore list for each one of my children, except Miss Missy. I sat down and figured out exactly what chores weren’t getting completed during the week and decided who could take care of them. I then spent one Saturday teaching the kids how to do their jobs and what my expectations were. I laminated the kids’ list and punched a hole in it to add a ribbon. This enabled my children to hang their lists on their bedroom doors as they worked. My children pick up their laminated list and complete it after their morning of cartoons and pajamas. The list is the same every Saturday except for the space reserved for two tasks for that week. I have noticed that often the kids will start their chores friday night or keep an “area” that is on their list “managed” during the week. I then give them 30 min. of technology time when they are done.
This is Mini Me’s list. She is about to be 4. It is primarily pictures so that I don’t have to continually read this to her. She is so great about this, walking around with her little EXPO marker so she can cross off her work as she finishes. On the other side, it lists these additional chores:
Fold dishcloths
Wipe down all doorknobs
Clean up the girls dressup in the basement.
These lists belong to Sweet Pea (on the left) and DDD (on the right). You can see where I have added two additional chores for that week.
This is the Fashionista’s list. You can see where she has already started to “dominate” her list.
The kids have responded really well to this method. I love that I have four little ones who are busy working and that the hubs and I each have our own list of items to conquer on Saturday.
If for some reason, we have a very busy Saturday, the children know that the chore list must be completed by Sunday.
My advice….pick chores that you KNOW your kids can conquer. Make them age appropriate and then give them stuff that you don’t have to oversee. Show them what your expectations are and how to do the jobs you have given them.
God Bless,
Tammi
