New Chore Chart

Recently I was talking with my mom about being overwhelmed with keeping up the house. I just can't seem to get it together to get all the jobs done the way I like them to be done. I have learned with homeschooling to let the dust build but I can't stand the clutter and boy have we accumulated clutter this year!! I know there are more important things I am teaching my children, but I just started feeling swamped. So, with that conversation came the wisdom of a woman who has been there in one way or another and came my freedom. :)

Mom reminded me that I basically have a full time job. When she went back to work full time, we all had to pitch in more to help keep the house. She gave each of us days to do our laundry and days to cook and clean the kitchen. The other days we did bathrooms, dusted and swept living areas and such. If we chose to not do our laundry on laundry day, we did not have clean laundry until the following week. Also, if we did not get it out of the washer and dryer by bedtime that day, it was taken until the next week as well. We had to do extra chores to earn it back. Now, I must admit, as a kid I hated this. But as an adult I see that it taught me to follow through with my tasks on hand and that I had to take ownership in my jobs. With that revelation, came our new chore chart.

Each day we have a certain task assigned to us. We all have a job to do that day. Of course there is the basic daily jobs of making beds, put away your clothes, shoes and toys before bed, but the big job of the day is to be completed by bedtime. If it is not, there is no t.v. or computer time the next day.

So far, Doodle loves the system. She feels she is helping out more. I am not reminding them of their chores as they both can read and know where the chart is posted. It is their job to do it. Now of course, I do mention that I am doing my job for the day hoping to pass that on to little one. :) The first week of this new chart, I taught the girls what was expected in cleaning the various areas as well as the laundry. This week, I plan on staying in the room to observe and next week I feel they will be good to go on their own. The plan is working and I see both girls feeling proud of what they accomplished in the day and I didn't have to remind them or nag them to get it done. They know if it is not done by bedtime there will be a consequence. Thanks Mom! I needed that advice and reminder that I can't do it all.