Please talk to me about Chore "Jurisdictions"

[CalicoKat]

What jurisictions do you have in your home. What does the breakdown look like.

 

Realizing that I'm doing too much work keeping track for my punks who's turn it is for ________ chore. Charts don't work here--one of my punks thinks that if the chart is MIA there's no work to be done. :001_smile:

 

So thinking jurisdiction assignments for X number of days/months/age is a good thing. No need for a chart.

[Danestress]

The question in my house isn't "who has to do what?" In my house, when it's cleaning time, you do whatever chores Mom asks you to do. Period. And I get to decide when it's cleaning time.

 

To me, charts tie me do a schedule that might not work for me on any given day. If I really want to get all the laundry folded and put away and would rather let the bathrooms wait a day, then that's what we are doing.

[Gamom3]

pull 3 each for the week, so 9 chores go out to them.

On Monday I mix the chores up and they pull 3 new ones..sometimes they get the same ones.

 

On the chores cards are details about what they are to do in each room.

 

The chores are:

 

family room

den

half bath

kids bath

stairs

upstairs hall way

laundry room

front yard/backyard

bonus room

 

We all have kitchen

and clean our own bedroom

 

The chores take the kids about 30 to 45 mins each day and then we all kept the main areas picked up.

 

I have found this works best for us

[bumbledeb]

We just all pitch in when we feel like it.

 

I developed a philosophy of never doing anything unless I wanted to and allowed everyone in the household to do the same.

 

You'd be surprised how fast you realize you actually want to clean the bathroom.

[Parrothead]

The question in my house isn't "who has to do what?" In my house, when it's cleaning time, you do whatever chores Mom asks you to do. Period. And I get to decide when it's cleaning time.

 

To me, charts tie me do a schedule that might not work for me on any given day. If I really want to get all the laundry folded and put away and would rather let the bathrooms wait a day, then that's what we are doing.

That is us. When it is time to get busy everyone gets busy with what ever they see needs done. If someone doesn't see the need, they get told what the current need it.

[Julie in CA]

I have 5 kids, so we have 5 "zones". They are:

 

KP-responsible for loading/unloading the dishwasher during the day, taking out the kitchen trash, clearing & wiping counters (daily jobs) and once per week cleaning/wiping appliances.

 

Floors-responsible for sweeping/vacuuming every day (includes picking up whatever is on the floor in their way!), once a week mopping and searching for & cleaning any carpet spots/stains.

 

Bathrooms-responsible for tidying up the bathroom every day including making sure there's tp, and once a week actually cleaning sinks, counters, mirrors, toilet, emptying trash, cleaning the tub/shower.

 

Laundry-collects the laundry from all the hampers every morning, starts washers (yes, I have two), switches loads when necessary, folds laundry when it's all done (if there's a lot, then the laundry helper only has to "deal out" the laundry while we all fold). Theoretically, the laundry helper is also supposed to clean the laundry room every two weeks or so, but in reality they pretty much never do it unless I specifically tell them to do so.

 

Outside/car-water any plants that need it, sweep porches/patio, feed pets, clean the car, help out with any yard work that needs to be done.

 

The dinner clean-up is in a separate category. The kitchen helper is responsible for doing the dishes after dinner, and all the rest of the kids are supposed to clear the table, put away food, wipe counters, etc. I admit that I still struggle with getting the kids to comply with the dinner clean-up routine. They really want to relax after dinner, but so do I, and my dh decided that I win on this one. I do the cooking, the kids do the cleaning after dinner. Period. The problem is that we still have kids who resist daily, and have to be reminded *every time*. I guess we'll just have to keep on sticking to our guns, but I wish this part was easier.

 

We switch the zones on the first of every month, and for the first few days I have trouble remembering who's who, but the kids help me remember.

 

As far as reminding about each job, I made a list of bathroom jobs, put it in a page protector, and hung it in the bathroom, a list of kitchen responsibilities and hung it in the kitchen, etc. I don't remind each kid of each job, I just check to see who's laundry helper if I can see the laundry is getting backed up, and remind them {ahem!} to do the job. Because of the lists, no one can say they didn't know what to do, and I don't have to keep track of each job.

 

We've been doing this for...oh, about 5 years now, and when the kids first started I had to help the younger ones a lot. Now, they pretty much are all capable of doing every part of each job, so theoretically I just have to remind them once in a while if I see they're getting behind.

[Just Me]

I have 5 kids, so we have 5 "zones". They are:

 

KP-responsible for loading/unloading the dishwasher during the day, taking out the kitchen trash, clearing & wiping counters (daily jobs) and once per week cleaning/wiping appliances.

 

Floors-responsible for sweeping/vacuuming every day (includes picking up whatever is on the floor in their way!), once a week mopping and searching for & cleaning any carpet spots/stains.

 

Bathrooms-responsible for tidying up the bathroom every day including making sure there's tp, and once a week actually cleaning sinks, counters, mirrors, toilet, emptying trash, cleaning the tub/shower.

 

Laundry-collects the laundry from all the hampers every morning, starts washers (yes, I have two), switches loads when necessary, folds laundry when it's all done (if there's a lot, then the laundry helper only has to "deal out" the laundry while we all fold). Theoretically, the laundry helper is also supposed to clean the laundry room every two weeks or so, but in reality they pretty much never do it unless I specifically tell them to do so.

 

Outside/car-water any plants that need it, sweep porches/patio, feed pets, clean the car, help out with any yard work that needs to be done.

 

The dinner clean-up is in a separate category. The kitchen helper is responsible for doing the dishes after dinner, and all the rest of the kids are supposed to clear the table, put away food, wipe counters, etc. I admit that I still struggle with getting the kids to comply with the dinner clean-up routine. They really want to relax after dinner, but so do I, and my dh decided that I win on this one. I do the cooking, the kids do the cleaning after dinner. Period. The problem is that we still have kids who resist daily, and have to be reminded *every time*. I guess we'll just have to keep on sticking to our guns, but I wish this part was easier.

 

We switch the zones on the first of every month, and for the first few days I have trouble remembering who's who, but the kids help me remember.

 

As far as reminding about each job, I made a list of bathroom jobs, put it in a page protector, and hung it in the bathroom, a list of kitchen responsibilities and hung it in the kitchen, etc. I don't remind each kid of each job, I just check to see who's laundry helper if I can see the laundry is getting backed up, and remind them {ahem!} to do the job. Because of the lists, no one can say they didn't know what to do, and I don't have to keep track of each job.

 

We've been doing this for...oh, about 5 years now, and when the kids first started I had to help the younger ones a lot. Now, they pretty much are all capable of doing every part of each job, so theoretically I just have to remind them once in a while if I see they're getting behind.

 

 

I love this, and am getting ready to copy you! :) Don't worry, I will give you all the credit!!

[Julie in CA]

I love this, and am getting ready to copy you! :) Don't worry, I will give you all the credit!!

 

Oh man, I'm really missing that rep feature from before. Can you send me some imaginary positive rep? :D It would make my day!

[Just Me]

Oh man, I'm really missing that rep feature from before. Can you send me some imaginary positive rep? :D It would make my day!

 

Consider it done!

[CalicoKat]

I have 5 kids, so we have 5 "zones". They are:

 

KP-responsible for loading/unloading the dishwasher during the day, taking out the kitchen trash, clearing & wiping counters (daily jobs) and once per week cleaning/wiping appliances.

 

Floors-responsible for sweeping/vacuuming every day (includes picking up whatever is on the floor in their way!), once a week mopping and searching for & cleaning any carpet spots/stains.

 

Bathrooms-responsible for tidying up the bathroom every day including making sure there's tp, and once a week actually cleaning sinks, counters, mirrors, toilet, emptying trash, cleaning the tub/shower.

 

Laundry-collects the laundry from all the hampers every morning, starts washers (yes, I have two), switches loads when necessary, folds laundry when it's all done (if there's a lot, then the laundry helper only has to "deal out" the laundry while we all fold). Theoretically, the laundry helper is also supposed to clean the laundry room every two weeks or so, but in reality they pretty much never do it unless I specifically tell them to do so.

 

Outside/car-water any plants that need it, sweep porches/patio, feed pets, clean the car, help out with any yard work that needs to be done.

 

The dinner clean-up is in a separate category. The kitchen helper is responsible for doing the dishes after dinner, and all the rest of the kids are supposed to clear the table, put away food, wipe counters, etc. I admit that I still struggle with getting the kids to comply with the dinner clean-up routine. They really want to relax after dinner, but so do I, and my dh decided that I win on this one. I do the cooking, the kids do the cleaning after dinner. Period. The problem is that we still have kids who resist daily, and have to be reminded *every time*. I guess we'll just have to keep on sticking to our guns, but I wish this part was easier.

 

We switch the zones on the first of every month, and for the first few days I have trouble remembering who's who, but the kids help me remember.

 

As far as reminding about each job, I made a list of bathroom jobs, put it in a page protector, and hung it in the bathroom, a list of kitchen responsibilities and hung it in the kitchen, etc. I don't remind each kid of each job, I just check to see who's laundry helper if I can see the laundry is getting backed up, and remind them {ahem!} to do the job. Because of the lists, no one can say they didn't know what to do, and I don't have to keep track of each job.

 

We've been doing this for...oh, about 5 years now, and when the kids first started I had to help the younger ones a lot. Now, they pretty much are all capable of doing every part of each job, so theoretically I just have to remind them once in a while if I see they're getting behind.

Exactly what I'm looking for! SO more positive rep for you! Your lists, are they on computer? :001_smile: I'd love to borrow a file if you're willing.

[Julie in CA]

Exactly what I'm looking for! SO more positive rep for you! Your lists, are they on computer? :001_smile: I'd love to borrow a file if you're willing.

 

They were on my old computer (it was about 5 years ago!) but I will check and see if I have them on an old back up disc somewhere. :001_smile:

[mamaof2andtwins]

We found the Chorepacks that are part of Managers of Their Chores by Steve and Teri Maxwell the most helpful. They children wear the chore packs on their person during chore time. It helps me because I can see what chore they are on, and it helps them keep accountable to all their chores.

 

We have since stopped using them, but they worked very well in the beginning. We have morning chores that are established each day and then we have chores that are specific to the day of the week.

[texascamps]

I have 4 kids and we have "zones". Each person is responsible for their zone. Dad does not have a zone, but because of his resistance to have a zone of his own, he has to do duties as requested. The "Honey do" list.

We currently only have 3 zones.

Den

 

Living and Dining

 

Bathrooms

 

They are responsible for cleanup, dusting and floor care (although since we got our Roomba, we don't need much floor care) Everyday, the bathroom counter and toilet must be wiped down. Saturday they must clean the floor with a cleaner and surfaces need to be dusted. We used to have to vacuum every other date but since we got the Roomba.....

 

The zone person is responsible for reminding others to pick up their own stuff so mom doesn't have to be the meany all the time.

During the day, if they are smart, they monitor their zone. Before bed, their zone needs to be tidy. They are responsible for their zone no matter who messed it up. Believe me, they get the person responsible to take care of it.

 

Items left out at night get sent to the Gunny Bag (something I picked up from Joy School) to be returned at some arbitrary point in the future.

 

The kitchen is broken down to setting and clearing, loading dishwasher, unloading dishwasher, countertop and table cleaning,

 

When we all follow our zones, our house is very tidy. Zones change once a month. Everyone in our family appreciates the warmth that comes from having a tidy house. Of course, everyone likes being able to find things. Oh, all toys stay in the basement and it gets picked up once a week. I have plastic tubs for each kind of toy labeled in English and Spanish.

 

When they act up they get extra chores, like wiping baseboards down, strightening the pantry shelves, etc.

 

When we deviate from our zones, our house looks like one of those houses from the BBC show "How Clean is Your House." Yuck@

 

I'm a big believer in containers. I read in some book on organizing a long time ago that if you have problem areas that things pile up then it is doubtful habits are going to change so make those areas more attractive by using baskets. So, for instance, the place on the counter where my husband would always drop his keys, change, cell phone and sunglasses and business cards, I bought an attractive small basket where he drops his stuff. I have a basket for my own stuff up in a cupboard. I drop my keys, and junk in it and then clean it out once a month or so

 

My kids all have places for their stuff. My big son has a drawer, my daughter has a basket, my other son has a box he made at Home Depot. So there is never an excuse for piddly items to be left out and either eaten by the dog or vacuumed up.

 

The zone thing works really well for us because we all agree we want a house of order and comfort, it usually takes a week or so for folks to take it seriously and for it to look like its working. In your house you may want to add laundry or lawn care.

[Sharon H in IL]

Somewhere I read the advice that parents tend to change kids' jobs too frequently, so that they don't get a chance to develop a sense of ownership of their jobs, and thus a sense of pride in a job well done.

 

So we switch very rarely, and I've been pleased at how the boys feel as if they have a territory that they control.

 

I need to get on the stick and train my 9yo to do laundry so we can add that to the rotation.

[cillakat]

we do cards a la Managers of Their Homes / Chores.

 

The cards in the clear pack on the lanyard are GREAT. I do have to keep very very close track of them though so they don't go missing;p

 

K

[CalicoKat]

we do cards a la Managers of Their Homes / Chores.

 

The cards in the clear pack on the lanyard are GREAT. I do have to keep very very close track of them though so they don't go missing;p

 

K

It is a great idea. We tried it. The card, lanyard, and changing the cards for each assigned chore was too distracting for my ADHDer. :( And then because she got off track the others thought they could too. Alas, a great idea but not a fit.

[Guest clamhammer]

Realizing that I'm doing too much work keeping track for my punks who's turn it is for ________ chore. Charts don't work here--one of my punks thinks that if the chart is MIA there's no work to be done. :001_smile:

 

 

There's a new site: http://upsees.com that makes taking turns possible. There's something about having everyone's turn visible online to everyone else in the house that keeps everyone in line.

[Sara in AZ]

We found the Chorepacks that are part of Managers of Their Chores by Steve and Teri Maxwell the most helpful. They children wear the chore packs on their person during chore time. It helps me because I can see what chore they are on, and it helps them keep accountable to all their chores.

 

We have since stopped using them, but they worked very well in the beginning. We have morning chores that are established each day and then we have chores that are specific to the day of the week.

 

I used the book to help me organize what needed to be done, how often, and by what age group. The chore packs themselves were kind of a pain for me, although I may try again.

 

I assign my kids their chores for a year so they really get used to what they are supposed to do each day and start to get pretty good at doing it. I reassign each January and make sure to give them some input on what chores they want to do the coming year.

 

I still have to generally stand over them and make sure they get done, though...

[HiddenJewel]

My teens have 1 chore per day that they choose from the weekly list. So by the end of the week everything is done.

[Koerarmoca]

We use accountable kids program. I have a zone breakdown with it though. with simpler tasks for my 5 year old like empty trash bins,set table, feed cats etc.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

:bigear: Too tired to read through and process this all tonight, but I wanted to post on this thread so I can find it tomorrow. This is EXACTLY what I'm needing right now. My dh and I were just talking about how I need to break up the chores and have each child assigned to a specific task. Right now we just tell them what needs to be done on a given day and they argue all day about which of them has to do what! need. a. system.!!!!

So, thanks for this thread! My brain will be taking it all in tomorrow! :D

[silliness7]

What jurisictions do you have in your home. What does the breakdown look like.

 

Realizing that I'm doing too much work keeping track for my punks who's turn it is for ________ chore. Charts don't work here--one of my punks thinks that if the chart is MIA there's no work to be done. :001_smile:

 

So thinking jurisdiction assignments for X number of days/months/age is a good thing. No need for a chart.

 

I divide the living areas into 5 main sections. Family room, Kitchen, School room, Entryway/Staircase/Bathroom/, Basement. We have a set time per day when we are all cleaning our area. Each child is responsible for one of those areas and we rotate it each month. I have no chart either. We just move counterclockwise around the house at the beginning of a new month. Each room is pretty basic although I do have some special instructions for certain areas and train/remind as needed. I generally cut the 7yo some slack as long as she does the best she can. I am pretty controlling with my kitchen so I do most of the kitchen work and the person assigned to the kitchen has a pretty easy job of it. Once they're done I send them to the back porch if necessary or put them on baby entertaining duty. Some areas are more intensive than others so rotating works well to keep it "fair." But rotating by month gives everyone long enough to get good at their area before moving on. Everyone is responsible for their own bedrooms. And I think that reads like a mish mash of random thoughts. It's way past my bedtime. :001_smile:

[silliness7]

. We used to have to vacuum every other date but since we got the Roomba.....

 

.

 

OK what is this Roomba? I need low maintenance floors. Floors are the WORST!

[Pamela H in Texas]

When my kids were young, we simply all did whatever needed to be done at key times per day. This is still the underlying principle at work on a day to day basis so that is what the littler kids are experiencing.

 

HOWEVER, there are a couple big chores which are just long term assignments. There is no keeping up with whose work is whose because it never changes. And the only way it probably will at this point is if people start moving out (something I'm not particularly concerned about).

 

I think the combination is wonderful. One chore per person and the rest gets done by whoever sees it needs to be done.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I instituted "Saturday Chores". Every Saturday morning, each family member is assigned an area. The areas are as follows: Living Room/Dining Room, Bathrooms, Kitchen/Sunroom, Upstairs. The kids have named these divisions "Living Room of Doom", "Toilet Terrors", "Kitchen Horrors" and "Ugly Upstairs". I originally made checklists for each area, but by now they all know what is expected in each room. I keep track of who did which area each week and we rotate so that one of the adults is cleaning each area every other week. I clean each area about once a month, and I do additional things in each area because none of the boys (dh included) does that great of a job. This system has dramatically improved the appearance of the house and the general atmosphere because every one knows what is expected each week, and it's no longer me bossing everyone around and getting mad when they don't do what is OBVIOUS (:lol:) that needs to be done!

 

For example, when the kids do Toilet Terrors, I have them wash the toilets and sinks down with Lysol Wipes and wipe up the floor around the toilet and Windex the toothpaste splotches off the mirror. When dh and I clean the bathroom, we actually wash everything down and scrub the floor. I empty and scrub out the shower on my rotation, whereas dh just half-heartedly wipes it down.

 

For "Ugly Upstairs", we all have to vacuum the whole upstairs. The kids have to dust their room, dh has to dust his room (which used to be called the master bedroom before the serious snoring problems), and I have to dust the scrapbooking room, a.k.a. my bedroom. On my rotation, I also wet mop the rooms with hardwood floors and the hallway. I dust the woodwork and ceiling fans, mini blinds, lampshades, etc.

[Sasharowan]

WE assign zones that change on the first of the month. There is kitchen, living room, dining room, and bathrooms. The child assigned to that room is the one called on whenever Mom or Dad see a need in the room. But if someone makes a mess they are responsible for cleanup.

[Rene']

We've been doing Chore Packs (Maxwell's system) for over a year now and it has been going great. I have 3 children and pretty much I rotate their chores every 4 months. We have morning and evening chores. These are not deep cleaning chores, but just the things that need to be done daily to keep the house running smooth and presentable. We have cards for cleaning the sink/wiping down the mirrors daily, but not for cleaning the toilet. The weekly chores generally get done on Friday (I like the house to feel fresh for the weekend) but I have not made cards for those.

 

What I have found most helpful in being successful with this is working with my children during chore time, and checking their chores to make sure they were not only done, but done correctly.

 

While it was helpful to read the chore list in the Maxwell's book for ideas, I pretty much just had to start thinking about what needed doing daily, what did I need help with. Before all this, in the evening after dinner my kids would go off to play and I'd spend the next 1 1/2 to 2 hours cleaning the kitchen and taking care of things that had to be done by the next day, then I'd nag the kids to go get ready for bed, clean up, etc.

 

Now they do things like sweeping, cleaning the stove and table, making ice (no ice maker), filling the water filter, setting the coffee pot, etc. Then they have cards for personal chores like brushing their teeth, picking up their stuff, getting ready for bed, etc. We are all working together and everything is done withing about 30 minutes.

 

I don't have a separate card for every chore. Tried that at first and it was too fussy. So some of the chores are combined on one card, like this: