How do you handle Chores?

[Maddysmom26]

Im wondering how everyone works a chore system in their households?

Do you use charts/ rewards?

 

my soon to be 10 yr old does some chores when i ask, but I would like to come up with some sort of schedule.. when we move into the new house and start homeschooling. She likes things neat and tidy so shes pretty good about doing things I ask , but Id like to have some sort of chart so I dont have to ask, just something that will be done. ?

 

Thanks :D

[charmama4]

After finally realizing that I am NOT super mom of trying to take care of the house, the cooking, the cleaning, the laundry AND take care of the needs of 4 kids and a husband I started to delegate some chores to the 3 older boys (4th dc was still a toddler).

 

I have a chart and they know each day what is required of them. Each year I either change it up or add. When they started out I gave out "coupons" they could use for extra TV time or video games (they're boys, that's what's important to them:001_smile:) Now it's an allowance that we use to teach them to budget with.

 

It definately helps to run the house better and when mommy is happy everyone is happy!!

[Debora R]

I use FlyLady as a rough guide to getting basics done. I have cleaning tasks for each week, and I enlist the older boys & dh to help me get the list done (some weeks we are more successful than others). When everyone is home, we each have basic daily chores.... I'm responsible for getting everyone up and moving, and getting breakfast for the little ones (If it's a hot breakfast day, I cook for everybody), assigning tasks & keeping things moving.. One boy has Morning Kitties (food/water/litterbox) the other has Morning Kitchen (empty/refill dishwasher, garbage, and other such tasks). They switch jobs for the evening. We "room rescue" public areas through out the day to keep things from getting too out of hand. Middle Son has taken on getting Baby Boy to "help" with some of his chores...it's really cute.

 

For the most part, school comes first and, aside from rescues, we focus on chores when school for the day is done. Right now with Eldest away, I don't do much of my scheduled detail cleaning, but I don't stress about it, as long as the house is basically clean.

Edited June 5, 2010 by Debora R
corrected error

[Maddysmom26]

Im thinking something like a chart where she would earn allowance.. beng shes going to be 10.. and ive been teaching her $ but it would be good for her to earn it etc...

 

Im not really stressed about having a perfect clean house all the time.. its more about teaching her ... ;)

[myfunnybunch]

Im thinking something like a chart where she would earn allowance.. beng shes going to be 10.. and ive been teaching her $ but it would be good for her to earn it etc...

 

:)

 

We have a chore chart for the three boys. They are expected to do those chores because they are a part of the family. It includes things like helping clean up after meals and some basic daily jobs for each that take less than 10-15 minutes per day (if they stay on task, lol).

 

Because they are a part of the family, they get an allowance. I don't tie it directly to chores because they do the chores as a part of family responsibility, not because they are paid. Just as they get to take part in family responsibilities, they get a small part of our family's resources for their own spending, but the two are not directly linked.

 

We also have a list of chores that can be done to earn extra money, so that if they want to earn money for something special, they can work for it. A few months ago they each did 40 extra chores over two weeks so that they could earn money for something they all wanted. :)

 

Cat

[AHASRADA]

My 2 kids each have one chore per day (5 per week), and each day's chore is listed on their weekly schedule, as in: Monday - math, science, composition, history, vacuum the livingroom, etc.

 

The way we have divided it is as follows:

 

dd10:

clean bath upstairs

clean bath downstairs

wipe down kitchen counters

dust upstairs

vacuum livingroom

 

ds13:

vacuum basement

dust basement

vacuum kitchen

dust main floor

vacuum upstairs

 

Dd does a more thorough job on the bathrooms, and ds is more suited to lugging the heavy vac up and down the stairs, so I took that into account when assigning chores.

 

I give them 30 minutes after lunch to do their chore for the day, while I do dishes, laundry, etc., and then it's back to school work. I used to leave chores till the end of the day, but they often went undone.

 

They each receive $5 per week, which is theoretically tied to their chores being completed. However, they only get their money if every chore is done (to avoid them choosing to skip certain chores, if they decide they only want $3 that week, etc.)

 

They also empty the dishwasher whenever it is full (dd does the top rack, ds the bottom), and on trash day, dd collects the trash from around the house, and ds puts it in the bag, ties it and puts it at the curb.

 

I am very blessed that my kids see and appreciate the time and effort I put into researching, planning and carrying out their education, chauffeuring them to activities, planning--shopping for--cooking meals, doing laundry, etc., and understand that we all need to work together to keep the home running smoothly. I am the head teacher/curriculum director/nutritionist/home manager, but not the resident maid ;).

 

HTH,

[ProudGrandma]

This is how we do it at our place (after much trial and error...failing with charts etc). The 3 kids each have chores they do becasue we are a family and we all pitch in to help (keeping room tidy, making their own beds and one other age appropriate chore). Then they each have 3 paying jobs they can do (only if they have kept up with their chores). One of the jobs can happen as often as daily, the other ones happen once a week. Each paying job is worth .25...if they do all they can do, they can earn up to 1.75 a week...and they think they are rich. I also have 3 other paying jobs that they can do together as a team...if they accomplish the task, without fighting or crabbing at one another...and all help out, they can earn .50 each. after a job has been completed, I inspect right away and if done properly, they get paid right away. This has worked out better than any chart I have ever attempted to follow.

[Maddysmom26]

:) thank you for the great ideas!

[helena]

A few weeks ago I started up my moms beloved "clean-up game". Every Sunday I write out all of the jobs that need to be done, cut them into strips, and put them in a jar. Everyone draws the same # of chores (trading is fine). I help and "inspect". If the job isn't done right, I show them what needs to be done.

 

All of the older generation laughs now about the game. We remember how excited you would feel if you got an easy job, hoping you'd pass... my moms role in it all (the all knowing, all powerful inspector). They are actually good (funny) memories. And truthfully, my mom taught us how to clean.

 

Today when the girls were drawing jobs, my little one said "Ooo, I love the clean-up game!" It's just like my aunts and I laugh about. She hasn't gotten hip to the trick. :D

 

The rest of the week it's just pick up your junk, make your bed.

[ereks mom]

My 2 kids each have one chore per day (5 per week), and each day's chore is listed on their weekly schedule

 

I do this too, except there are 2 chores per day, and I list chores for myself as well as chores for the kids.

 

I give them 30 minutes after lunch to do their chore for the day, while I do dishes, laundry, etc., and then it's back to school work. I used to leave chores till the end of the day, but they often went undone.

 

Undone chores sometimes happens at my house too, so I'm going to start setting a time so I can be sure the chores get done.

 

They each receive $5 per week, which is theoretically tied to their chores being completed. However, they only get their money if every chore is done (to avoid them choosing to skip certain chores, if they decide they only want $3 that week, etc.)

 

I don't pay my kids for doing chores. I tell them that we all do our part because we are family and we are serving each other.

 

I am very blessed that my kids see and appreciate the time and effort I put into researching, planning and carrying out their education, chauffeuring them to activities, planning--shopping for--cooking meals, doing laundry, etc., and understand that we all need to work together to keep the home running smoothly. I am the head teacher/curriculum director/nutritionist/home manager, but not the resident maid ;).

 

:iagree: