Helping Kids Do Their Chores | Home

by Sandy Jenney, of Organize with Sandy

Children and chores go hand in hand. Oh, make no mistake. It's not really to make things easier for mom. Actually, there are many times that it would be a lot easier if we just did things ourselves.

Our job as parents is to prepare our children for life on their own. Learning when they are small that they are part of a family and that family pitches in to help get things accomplished is very important. Chores teach kids responsibility, accountability and life lessons.

I may be tough, but I don't think kids have to be rewarded every time they help do what is expected of them. I do believe in allowances, but mainly so that they have some experience in dealing with money. They need to learn to save and how to use it wisely.

My kids do chores and I made a chore board to keep everything organized so there's no mistake about who needs to do what.

Here's an example. It is simple, easy to change and not expensive. You can make one, too! Here's how:

Decide what size magnetic board you need. This will depend on how many children you have.

Obviously, you can use a smaller board for one or two children. The one above handles a brood up to 5.

Get some magnetized business stickers. You can find these in a business store. They are meant to use for business cards, so you can turn them into magnets. Peel back the sticker...

Take an old business card and turn it so the blank side is showing. You can also cut paper to fit if you don't have business cards to use. Just place them on carefully.

Decide on what jobs you want your kids to have.

They need to be age appropriate. If your child can not read yet, then use pictures along with the words. (Hopefully your toothpaste doesn't look like a worm sitting on a toothbrush like mine!! )They will understand what the images mean.

I use little stars in the right hand corner to signify jobs that the younger children can do.

Then just put your children's names across the top. Place the proper job under their names.

My kids know that if they touch the chore board or move things around without permission...they will be given some extra jobs! (They don't touch it.)

We change chores weekly.

Just leave the kids names in the same place and rotate the jobs below.

Very simple!