I'm about to tell you about my high-tech chore system.
Isn't it pretty?
Basically, I assign them a couple of areas that they are in charge of for the whole week. When it's time to pick up, every one cleans their area. It doesn't matter who messed it up. If someone's job is overwhelming, then I assign him a helper. Although, usually it's best for them to work alone. When they try to work together, it often turns into a fight about who's doing all the work and who's not.
That's it. There's nothing magic, but for right now, it's working. And it gets the house cleaned pretty quickly. We clean about 2-3 times per day. To be perfectly honest, the house is not picked up most of the time. We spend a lot of the day at home. And while I home school the bigger kids, the little kids make a huge mess. I would rather deal with the mess than have my kids in front of the tv or some other form of media. Or that's what I tell myself when Jopie and Cry Cry pull all the pillows off every bed in the house and build a huge fort in the living room. Or when I go in the playroom and it they've dumped several bins on the floor, so they can "find something."
I'm sure I'll have a different system when this one wears out. But for right now this is simple, requires no maintenance, and works well for us.
What works for you?
6 comments:
I'm trying this one too.:) What I love most is your comment that this system works for now, but you'll have to change it eventually. That is so true. Systems get stale and you have to change 'em up or rotate them to keep them interesting.
So, do you reward them for chores? A treat at the end of the week or something? What about allowance? Have you started that?
I have yet to find something I really like. But, I have come to realize that my kids need to help out. I shouldn't and can't do it all. One thing I heard a couple of weeks ago from a mom of 6 was to rely on your children's gifts. For instance, if you have one that is a great organizer-let her do it. My Coco is a great "man" helper. He doesn't bat an eye about taking out the trash. It is hard since the hubs and I both work full time to cram everything in on the weekends. We haven't started allowances, but will let them get things when they ask (like an app, a little something from the store, or concession stand money).
Like the idea. We usually do it all together, but that involves me supervising and helping for the same reason you said...they get frustrated when someone else is not pulling their weight. Thanks for the idea.
Love it Sara! I've been looking for the perfect system which really means we have no system at all, because I haven't found one I like yet. But your take on it gave me new perspective. We too have the fighting about how "I didn't make this or that mess." And being in the home all day, every day, cooking 3 meals a day makes it impossible to keep it clean. My biggest nemesis! Thanks for the inspiration!
Judah is not old enough for chores just yet but I know as a kid we were assigned chores. This would have been really helpful. I like your system
Sarah, I like the idea of assigning areas to clean. By the way, your boys are so ADORABLE!!
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