Lord willing, I hope to write a series of articles reviewing effective systems for kids and chores.   The following is my first entry.

Do you find yourself constantly reminding your kids to do routine chores around the house?  How about routine tasks such as brushing their teeth, or picking out clothes for the next day?  It hit me when we had our third baby, that it was time for my nine year old daughter to manage her chores herself, and to help manage her brother’s chores (age two).  No longer did I want to ask, “Did you get your brother’s clothes ready for tomorrow?” or remind her to practice her piano. For help, I turned to Managers of their Chores by Terri Maxwell, a homeschool mom of seven.  Building on her ideas in the book, as well as her chore packs, I developed my own system.  Here’s how you can create yours.

Make a List of Routine Chores and Tasks

There are chores and basic hygiene tasks that you want your kids to complete on a daily basis, such as putting away clothes, or taking a shower.  The first step is to make a list of these basic morning, afternoon, and evening tasks.   Keep in mind your child’s age and capabilities.  Maxwell’s book contains sample assignment worksheets with tasks to help you draft your list.  When you’ve created the list, figure out when (morning, afternoon or evening) they should complete the task.  Write “M”, “A”, or “E” next to each task.  These will be your categories, and may vary in each household.  For instance, children who are not homeschooled may have only the “Morning” and “Evening” categories. Very young children may only have an “Evening” category.

Write Tasks on Index Cards

Pick three sets of colored index cards to represent your categories.  Pick one color for each category.  Write one task per card according to the color you’ve chosen.  For example, write “Take Shower” on an orange card, “Set Table” on a white card, and “Practice Piano” on a blue card.  You should have a minimum of two cards per category.   For younger children, consider writing a mini checklist after each task when appropriate.  For very young children who cannot read, draw or paste pictures that will identify the task, such as pasting a picture of a toothbrush to a “brush teeth” card.

Make Morning, Afternoon, and Evening Packs

Now that you have three piles of cards listing routine chores and tasks, place each pile in an envelope and label one Morning Pack, the other Afternoon Pack, and the last one Evening Pack.  Write what time you would like each pack turned in.  For example, you could label one envelope “Morning Pack (8:45 A.M.)”.  Depending on the time of day, your child will have one pack on their desk or the kitchen table, as a reminder to work on it before the due time.   Each child works on one card at a time moving it from front to back when the task is completed.  Then, they must turn in their pack to you on or before the due time. Your job is to verify that each task on each card is completed when a pack is turned in. Older children can be trained to check their younger siblings’ packs.

Before you know it,  managing kids and chores will run smoothly, giving you the much-needed time to complete major homemaking tasks. More importantly, using this system is an excellent way to teach virtues such as diligence and responsibility.