Household Chores
Nobody likes them, but household chores are an essential part of any well organized home. We all know and understand that they need doing, but it can be difficult to all members of the household to help and do their part. So how do you get your children to pitch in and contribute?
Chore charts are a great way to do this. It is a way of clearly showing everyone what needs to get done and who is responsible for doing it. Depending on the ages of your children you will need to make your chart easy for them to understand what is expected of them. This is not necessarily just a written list of tasks but can include other points such as behaviour, timelines, step by step instructions as well as consequences and rewards.
Like most things, your chart may need to evolve as circumstances in your household change. Switching chores between children or providing time off to study during exam times may need to be incorporated at some stage. Also it is good to remember that no one is perfect and things will not always go to plan so sometimes near enough just may have to be good enough when it comes to your children and household chores.
Feel free to adapt your chart to suit your family. Some families have found that having a chart for each child works best, while others stick with one but even include mom and dad on the chart so the children can see just how much they do as well. Remember that the aim was to have your children learn that everyone must help with the household chores and if your chore chart achieves that, then it has been a success.