Now that school is out for the summer, I really want to
spend some time getting my family into a routine and good habits. Chores are just one of the many things I
would like to see happen on a daily basis around here.
I researched several blogs, books, and pins on
pinterest. There are so many different
ideas and philosophies on chores. Many
think that kids shouldn’t get paid to work around the house; they work out of
obligation to the other members of the household. I get that.
Many others believe that kids should be given an allowance to teach them
that hard work does pay off and to teach kids how to handle money. I get that too.
For that reason, we have adapted a system combining the two
philosophies. William thrives on routine
and loves visual stimulation. Using a
pinterest find, I constructed these 2 chore charts out of a file folder. I wish I could remember where I got this idea
to give them credit, but apparently it’s one of the few things that stuck in my
mind because I sure did not pin it. The
graphics I found at http://audreyschilaty.com/blog/. This is what ours
looks like.
William is 4, so he has 4 daily chores that he does not get
paid for. He makes his bed, puts his
dirty clothes in the basket, puts his dirty dishes in the sink, and picks up
his toys before bed. He also has 4
chores that he will complete once a week.
He will clean his bathroom, sweep the kitchen and living room, sort the
laundry, and put away his clean laundry.
These he will earn an allowance for.
More on that to come.
Today was day 1. He
was very excited and after doing all his daily chores, wanted to “play”
chores. Then he was upset because he was
all done. So I had him start one of his
weekly chores and he cleaned the bathroom.
Most of the time I was right there directing him – even putting my hands
over his and showing him how to do things.
The day went well I would say. I know the key to success is consistency and
patience. I will be updating our journey
throughout the summer and I will post more on our allowance/money system as
well. Thanks for following our little
journey!!
