I like to refer to my house as an active tornado. Having three small children there seems to always be constant commotion, and with that commotion comes a constant messy house! I have to admit I have a bad habit of picking up after my kids. I can usually do it faster and more thoroughly than they can. The problem was it became a non-stop job! On my quest to raise competent, responsible children I decided to implement a chore chart.
Being a state-of-the art mother, I went straight to Pinterest to search for the perfect-printable-chore-chart. Pinterest had a plethora of ideas, but I finally found one that worked perfectly for our family. The ages of my children are 2, 5 and 6 so I wanted to have the ability to customize a chore chart so it would be age appropriate for each child. I also talked to friends who have children older than me. I picked their brains on what worked best when starting a chore regimen with their children.
I quickly realized that printing up a chore chart, putting a childs name on it and sticking it on the refrigerator didnt automatically mean my messy house was clean! Here is where the hard work comes in. I had to put at least two weeks of diligently teaching each child to look at the chart, do the chore and then check if off once the chore was completed. Not only did I have to train them how to use the chart, I also had to train them how to CORRECTLY do the chore! Our new motto became, Dont put it down, put it away! I started with small chores, like feeding pets, picking up toys and clearing dishes off the table. Then I moved on to more difficult tasks like putting laundry away and cleaning baseboards. I also wanted to start making my girls responsible for self-help skills, like bathing themselves, brushing teeth and getting dressed, so I added those items to the chore chart too! It was hard work in the beginning, but it has paid off tremendously.
My husband and I decided that we would pay our older daughters $.25 per chore. We thought paying them per chore would be better than giving them a lump sum for the week. So at the end of each week we sit down with them and review which chores were checked off and pay them accordingly. Some weeks they earn more than others simply because they were more diligent about doing their chores those weeks. They are starting to learn the concept of working harder earns them more than being lazy!
My house is by no means any less of a tornado, kids are kids and they make messes. But at least now I am not the only one cleaning their messes!
[Misty Sedehi]
June 25, 2014pcaja
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I like to refer to my house as an active tornado. Having three small children there seems to always be constant commotion, and with that commotion comes a constant messy house! I have to admit I have a bad habit of picking up after my kids. I can usually do it faster and more thoroughly than they can. The problem was it became a non-stop job! On my quest to raise competent, responsible children I decided to implement a chore chart.
Being a state-of-the art mother, I went straight to Pinterest to search for the perfect-printable-chore-chart. Pinterest had a plethora of ideas, but I finally found one that worked perfectly for our family. The ages of my children are 2, 5 and 6 so I wanted to have the ability to customize a chore chart so it would be age appropriate for each child. I also talked to friends who have children older than me. I picked their brains on what worked best when starting a chore regimen with their children.
I quickly realized that printing up a chore chart, putting a childs name on it and sticking it on the refrigerator didnt automatically mean my messy house was clean! Here is where the hard work comes in. I had to put at least two weeks of diligently teaching each child to look at the chart, do the chore and then check if off once the chore was completed. Not only did I have to train them how to use the chart, I also had to train them how to CORRECTLY do the chore! Our new motto became, Dont put it down, put it away! I started with small chores, like feeding pets, picking up toys and clearing dishes off the table. Then I moved on to more difficult tasks like putting laundry away and cleaning baseboards. I also wanted to start making my girls responsible for self-help skills, like bathing themselves, brushing teeth and getting dressed, so I added those items to the chore chart too! It was hard work in the beginning, but it has paid off tremendously.
My husband and I decided that we would pay our older daughters $.25 per chore. We thought paying them per chore would be better than giving them a lump sum for the week. So at the end of each week we sit down with them and review which chores were checked off and pay them accordingly. Some weeks they earn more than others simply because they were more diligent about doing their chores those weeks. They are starting to learn the concept of working harder earns them more than being lazy!
My house is by no means any less of a tornado, kids are kids and they make messes. But at least now I am not the only one cleaning their messes!
[Misty Sedehi]
Category: Parenting 5-12 Parenting teens
