WHY ?

Having your children do chores is viewed in a few different ways by intellectuals. I personally think it is important for character building and things of the like. Click below to read an article that list 5 reasons children should help around the house.

5 Reasons Kids Need to Help Clean

WOULD YOU RATHER BE LIKE THIS?    

OR LIKE THIS ?          

4. Chore Cards

A nice and simple method is the chore card. You give your child a card that has 12 opportunities to get a punch for a chore. Again, the goal DOES NOT have to be all 12 punches and it doesn't have to all be done in one day. You may want to give them the card at the beginning of the week and they cash it in for their prize at the end of the week. Another interesting way to work with chore cards is to give them to the child and let them cash them in as early or frequent as they would like for their prize and give them a deadline for that particular card.

For example: I give Sam a card on March 18 (a Sunday) and tell her she has until March 24 (a Saturday) to get all 12 punches and she'll be able to trade it in for a prize on that Saturday.

or

I give Sam her card on the March 18(Sunday) and she has until March 24(Saturday) to complete those punches but she can cash it in whenever she is ready. So Sam completes all her punches by Wednesday and she hands in her card to get her prize. When I give her the prize I'll also give her another punch card to start the cycle over with a new deadline.

In both scenario's if by the deadline the punches aren't to the goal amount the punches that have been received are voided and no prize are given for them.

Helps with instilling ideas of:

1. Responsibility

2. Decision Making

3. Working for rewards (weather it be money, candy, trips etc.)

** Recommended for ages 5 and up. **

3. Toy Jails and Chore Buckets

This method is a cute and not so harsh way to get your younger children to pick up behind themselves and to do chores. If after being told to clean up their toys you still have to pick it up take the toy and put it in "Toy Jail". The toy will serve a sentence of one chore the first time, two chores the second time, and will increase from there. The hope is that this will not exceed two or three times a day. The ultimate goal is that children will pick up their toys the first time that they're told.

You left your stuff out, its a massive fail, and now its locked in: TOY JAIL/ Complete a chore to get your things out of trouble, but remember next time the sentence will be double!

Helps With Instilling the Ideas of:

1. Responsibility for ones own belongings.

2. Habits of Tidiness

** Recommended for Ages 3- 10 years old. **

An older alternative to this method would be the Chore Bucket. With the same idea of finding your child's things laying around but with a slightly harsher penalty.

This method pulls on the idea that things on the ground must be garbage. This is a concept that older children should get and will have to be accustom to with the use of this particular method.

** Recommended for Ages 11 and up. **

MUSIC IS EVERYTHING !!!!

As far back as I can remember in my history of doing chores one thing that was always present was a bomb playlist to get me moving. Of course over the years as I grew up my taste in music has changed but what never changed was the fact that SOME music was needed.

Follow the link below to an article where Buzzfeed highlights some of the most motivational spring cleaning songs.

Buzzfeed Suggested Playlist

2. Daily Chores Chart

This method has a more traditional theme with the listing of chores. The split between weekly chores and daily chores supports the idea of something always needing to be done. It is important to note that the chores that are listed in the daily chores DO NOT need to take place EVERYDAY. These task might take place 2 or 3 times a week so they need to be checked off multiple times. Typically a task that only takes place on one day out of the week would fall under the weekly chores. Below is an example of how one may fill out this chart.

Helps with Instilling:

1. Appreciation for Routine

2. Sense of Responsibility

3. An Appreciation for the Everyday Work of Parents

** Can be used for all ages. **

** Recommended that the assignments/tasks be tailored to the child and their capabilities. **

1. For Today's WIFI Password

This method is a true 21st century savvy method. You give your child one of these squares with 4 task for the day, once the task are complete they have earned the WIFI password to use on any of their devices. Below I have filled out an example two boxes.

Helps with instilling the ideas that :

1. Internet is a privilege.

2. Everything in the world cost/Nothing is free in this world.

** Recommended for ages 11 and up. **

** Recommended for weekends or days off of school. **

Music to Cleaning

A Nice and Easy way to Make Cleaning Fun is to add music.

Here's a cute song to play while your children are cleaning.