On chores...and "Chore Packs"

I recently heard about a program that simplifies household chores - and helps train children to not only do their chores but in timely fashion. I orded the book, entitled "Managers of Their Chores" by Steve and Teri Maxwell and went through it cover to cover. I loved the idea, and couldn't wait to get started.

Let me preface this by saying the boys have always done chores. From the day Harry came home he learned that everyone pitched in by doing what they could. He started with one or two, and worked his way up. For the most part they did them well - though, they often have to be reminded, and reminded, and re-reminded. I personally believe that kids needs to learn from early on, the importance of working as a family, and doing their part to help the household run smoothly. I don't think we do our kids any favors by sparing them those facts. I grew up having chores, and I do think it better equipped me to accept responsibility. Of course, this is all my personal thoughts. I should also say that Mike and I are on the same page in regards to chores. He too grew up having chores to do regularly, and thus we're in total agreement. We both feel that kids should be taught that family means each and every one of us - doing our part - helping when we can - sticking together through thick & thin. I think anyone who knows us knows that we love to have fun and that fun is HUGE on our priority list but that with the fun comes some responsibility.

With the Chore packs, their daily chores are all on cards that are inside their clip-on vinyl "packs". The chores are numbered in the order they need to do them. For Skip, they are writen - for Harry, it's pictures. After finishing the book I realized that there were quite a few "daily" & "weekly" chores I did that they could be doing, and began to delegate, using their website to organize a master list of chores, and to print their individual chore cards.

I can't tell you how much I love this idea! And the boys love it as well. After breakfast each day they grab their chore pack, clip it on and go at it. Skip has 14 morning chores (yes, 14 - though several are just plain basic common sense things that we do everyday - and not necessarily "chores". Harry has 11.

Skips include:

1. Feed the dog & give him fresh water
2. Put the silverware away
3. Use the electric broom to give the kitchen & dining room a quickie..mostly morning crumbs, etc.
4. Pray time.
5. Get dressed.
6. Make his bed
7. Put his pajamas to wash or under his pillow
8. Straighten his bookcase
9. Brush his teeth
10. Spray and wipe the bathroom sink and counter
11. Put the hand towel down the laundry chute and put out a new one
12. Collect household trash bins and empty into kitchen trash (except for bathroom trash)
13.Feed fish & frog in their room
14.Feed the koi outside

For Harry its:

1. Wash his hands and face
2. Brush his teeth
3. Bring bathroom trash to the kitchen and put it in the trash bin
4. Get dressed
5. Make his bed
6.. Pajamas either in the laundry chute or under pillow
7. Straighten his bookcase
8. Spray & wipe down front of fridge
9. Spray & wipe front of oven
10. Spray & wipe front of dishwasher
11. Put recycling outside into correct bins

(Harry loves using a spray bottle so I'm takin' full advantag of it! Also, since praying on his own isn't something he can do, it's not included in his list. I've stressed to the boys that although they're called "Chore Packs" - they are a mix of things we must do daily for our own personal well-being, as well as tasks that help the house run smoother, and free up time for me to spend with them.

Skip's tasks take no longer than 30 minutes, and Harry's 20 - although he's a dawdler, and he ends up taking longer anyway. They know that once it gets clipped on, they take it off only to dress, and then it gets clipped back on. THEY LOVE IT! Maybe it's the freedom to go about their tasks without running back and forth to the kitchen to see what is next on the white board (where we used to keep their chore lists), or maybe it's just the independece of doing what they are assigned, without anyone breathing down their necks (that would be me). Either way, it's a hit for me & for them.

We will definetly tweak the lists as we go along - adding and swapping chores as they get older. In fact this was just a "trail run" of chores I came up - figuring we'd see how it worked before we got too far into it.

I also plan to devise evening chores (10 - 15 minutes worth) which will include taking recycling bins out to the curb on Mondays, in on Tuesdays, spraying and wiping down the patio furniture, sweeping the front walkway (it's tiny) and steps, and daily toy pick-up outside. All I can say is: Love it, Love it, Love it!