Thursday, June 9, 2011

Summer Plan Mini-Series: Kids’ Chores

{The mini-series will continue Friday with Rules and Consequences and wrap up on Monday with Fun Stuff.}

As I mentioned the other day, I’ve been working on a summer schedule.  Not a schedule in the sense that all of our time is accounted for, but in the sense that I’ve got a plan for things that need to be done, and for some things that we want to get done.

Yesterday I worked on the chore plan.  I’ve described our chore wheel before; we’ve been using it for almost three years and it will still be in effect for the summer.  However, summer = more people at home all day = more mess, and since those people also have oodles of free time, I’m going to implement an additional chore plan for the summer.

IMG_7698-1

Here’s what I’ve come up with:
  • MON:  kitchen
  • TUE:  bathrooms/vacuum stairs
  • WED:  dust/vacuum downstairs
  • THU:  dust/vacuum upstairs
  • FRI:  clean up mudroom
I have specific chores for each area.  I’ll write each one on a craft stick and each child will chose one on the designated day.  That makes it random (the chores aren’t visible when they choose).  We used the craft sticks as our main system for a while before the chore wheel was invented; the idea originally came from Family Fun.

IMG_8078


Kitchen:
  • wash sliding doors
  • sweep
  • mop
  • sort through papers/clean off end of counter

Bathrooms/vacuum stairs:
  • vacuum and mop bathrooms
  • polish all chrome in bathrooms and clean bathtub (cleaning the bathroom is a daily chore on the wheel, but the bathtub never gets the attention it needs)
  • vacuum stairs (the most hated chore!)

Dust/vacuum downstairs:
  • dust living room
  • dust family room
  • dust stair railing
  • vacuum

For vacuum and dust upstairs, each child will do their own room, so no sticks.  Similarly, for clean up mudroom, they will take care of their own belongings.  On days that have more than three chore sticks, I’ll take a stick too.

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment!

7 comments:

Paula@SweetPea said...

This looks like a system that will really work.

Amanda @ Serenity Now said...

Saving this one for when the girls are old enough to do more around this place!!

FrouFrouBritches said...

Yeah, I definitely need to do this. I need some help around this house! Thanks for sharing, Holly.

Becky@OrganizingMadeFun said...

Great chart! I just have two kiddos, so they just go back and forth and do one on one day, the other the next! They are getting big enough to do so much so I definitely agree with all your cleaning!

Becky B.
www.organizingmadefun.com
Organizing Made Fun

Rustown Mom said...

I just randomly grab a kid and make an assignment (: We used to post chores and it was heck to enforce. So now, we are on a "as requested" system and no one really grumbles. Maybe that's cause mom does the Lioness's share...but I never take out trash or unload the dishwasher, so that's something...

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

I think that unless you have some sort of responsibility and order, kids can't handle it and the bickering begins! Good for you - good luck!

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing said...

You have some of the most creative ideas!!!

I love this. Someday when our youngest is older this will be great!

Miss you friend! Hope everything is going well in your part of the world and that you are enjoying your summer! :D

Dancing at the foot of the Cross,

Mrs Mary Joy Pershing