Chore Charts

So I decided in the new year we were all going to do better about our chores, myself included.  So far it's been a big fat FAIL. I have a cold, so even though I don't feel horrible, I don't feel up to par either.

 Last year I created this chore list for the kids from something I saw in Pinterest. It has only kind of worked.

Now it may look like a lot of stuff but let me brake it down cause the picture is kinda blurred.

The no arguing chores are the daily/weekly expectations. I understand the list looks long, but actually it is stating the obvious because unfortunately they need the obvious reminders


Daily
(here are the before school chores)
Make Bed
Ready for school/day in a timely manner
nothing on bedroom floor
help pack lunches

(after school, evening chores)

read for 20 minutes
homework done
put clothes and shoes away
all toys picked up
piano practice
empty lunchbox

Both morning and night
feed dogs
fill dogs water

See nothing outlandish, just the basics, but they need reminders.

On Weekly it says

Dust bedside table
dust bookshelf
vacuum bedroom (these 3 are all for Monday and all in their bedroom)

Tuesday Pick up dog poo

Wednesday take trash barrel to curb (this will be changing because we have a new trash system and the barrel is too heavy for the kids to take out.)

Thursday take out recycling

Again nothing super extraordinary, and the intention is good, but the execution is horrible.

My goal was to encourage them to do it on their own with a guideline without me having to harp at them because everyone is happier when I don't have to nag.

I even implemented punch card chores. Extra things they could do when their daily/weekly things were done to earn a punch on their punchcard. At 10 punches they could get a prize or a dollar. They could choose the punchcard chore, but they had to offer to do it, not be told to do it.

Also good intention, but neither of them have ever received a punch in their punchcards. =(

I have tried many systems through out the years, but none of them seem to create follow through. I want to teach my children to follow through.  Really, Ryan did all of his morning things without arguing, and without much encouragement. My sassy girl however, left clothes and shoes on her floor, left her drawer pulled out, and haphazardly made her bed.

I think the hard thing for me is that I was a messy kid. I created clutter, I kept everything. (I am better a little about this).

Maybe she needs a list with check boxes, so she can check it off when it's done.

She is me over and over. Maybe I should be more tolerant, but I want her to keep things picked up.

I think I am going to try another check off sheet, or a sticker sheet. It works well in piano to receive stickers. With a prize after so many stickers gained. It needs to be simple. I think sometimes I create a system too complicated in effort to over organize. I think its a personality flaw. Ha Ha. Over organize.


So I am off to create again a simple system for execution of the daily things that just need to be done.

Then I need to figure out a system for myself. I can be so very lazy on the day to day.