The Royal Chore Chart

Here it is. Our current chore system, The Royal Chore Chart. (I was feeling rather Narnia-ish the day I re-vamped our old system, hence the name...)

Our chore system has evolved since we started using one about 5 years ago--I've (somewhat) learned what works and what doesn't work for us, and I'm certainly not against trying something new. In fact, I've been known to switch things up a bit, just for fun. My husband (Mr. Don't-Change-Things-On-Me) loves that about me. Absolutely adores, I tell you. [insert evil laugh here]

First, here are my rules for any chore system...(categorize this as "things I have learned about chore systems and our family)
1. The kids must understand it and be able to accomplish it without my help. (That is, after all, the point, isn't it??) This is, of course, after the initial training period. And don't kid yourself, any good chore system WILL have a training period where it seems like you're doing all the work...quite possibly because you are. (More on that later.)
2. It must be easy and fast for me to maintain or organize. I'm not talking about getting the system set up in the very beginning, because I'm willing to spend a LOT of time doing things right and thoroughly in that department. I'm talking about day-to-day, week-to-week, divvying out the jobs, re-setting the chart, whatever. THAT part must be fast and easy, or I've found I just don't get it done. For example, for one of our (failed) systems, I had to remove chore cards from a plastic packet every day, for each child, and replace them with their new chore cards. It was the every day part that killed me.
3. I must be able to see, at a glance, if the kids have completed their chores or not (assuming they're being honest about it.) For one system, I made a very organized check-list that detailed from room-to-room what was to be accomplished on what days by what child. Yeah. It didn't happen.
4. It must be flexible, but not so flexible that it confuses the kids because there's no pattern to it.  A chore system that has no flex to it will kill us. One that has too much flex will get frustrating because no one knows what to expect.
5. It must be fairly easy for me to see what chores each child has each day. We tried each child's packets in their own rooms, but I couldn't ever remember if child #2 was today's kitchen helper, and child #1 had clean-a-toilet duty, or the other way around.

So, now that the rules are established, here's how it's set up...

• Our chart is set up for all 3 chore-age children for one week. (The 4th line is set up for future expansion when the Wee One gets old enough to re-stock the toilet paper.  For now, I'm supposed to be using that line for my OWN jobs....supposed being the operative word there....)  This is what our chart looks like at the beginning of the week, before any chores have been accomplished. (click on photo to enlarge)

• Each child has their own line, with 5 spots labeled Monday thru Friday.

• Each labeled "day spot" contains a stack of chore cards for that day. Each chore card details the specific chore to be accomplished, and usually has an image to go along with it. Here's Tuesday's stack for my oldest:

• What kinds of chores do I put on the cards? It varies. Like a LOT. 
• Our first attempt at the chore-card system 5 years ago, we included things like brushing your teeth, and putting your pajamas away. Why? Because those were serious tasks for 3- and 5-year-olds. 
• As they got older, the jobs got harder--I pulled the personal hygiene stuff because they had that down, but added things like vacuuming the living room, emptying the dishwasher, and gathering the trash. 
• Just recently it seemed like the older kids were getting a LOT of little tasks to do each day, so I decided to mix things up again and just do "Room of the Day" cards. They're actually doing more tasks than before, but it doesn't seem like it to them because their stack of cards is smaller than before. Plus, one walk into "their room" and I know if they've done a good job or not, rather than checking on several different chores around the house.
• How much and what kinds of things do I assign to each child?
• Although the cards vary from child to child, they can count on a certain pattern. For example, my oldest (age 10)  knows she has Reading Time and Math Facts every day. It may seem silly to include these things as "chores", and I really don't consider them as such, but this was a super-easy way for me to make sure she did them. Otherwise, I would forget to remind her, she would forget altogether, and 6 months later we'd realize she can't add 2+9. Anyway, she also knows she has a Room of the Day every day except Wednesday (lighter chores on Wednesdays because of other scheduled activities) and Friday. Just recently (after I took the photos), the Friday Room of the Day was replaced by the Take Out the Trash card, and the Clean the Shop card, the latter being a paid job. I know, a paid job should not be in a chore chart, but it helps us keep straight what days they do what things, and if we need to rearrange, we can. Sue me.
• My son (age 7) does not quite take a shower every day (yet...although that time is coming very soon) and he would/could go all week without giving a shower a second thought, so we include the Take a Bath card in his stack on his scheduled shower days. Not really a chore, but again, I don't have to think about it or remind him....usually. He also has Reading Time and Math Facts every day, and a Room of the Day schedule like his older sister. He goes thru spurts of forgetting regular hygiene items (won't his wife love that someday), so I'll throw those cards back in when I see a lag, until it becomes habit again.
• 
  My 4-year-old daughter's cards include Take a Bath, Study Awana (for the older two, that is one of their school subjects, so no Awana card for them), and she also has a Room of the Day, although she has the easiest rooms in the house. She is a diligent cleaner, so she was ready for the Room of the Day (especially if I'm not too picky) but I would imagine the average 4-year-old would do better with individual tasks like Restock the Toilet Paper in each Bathroom, and Dust the Stairs (both of which she was doing before.) You'll be amazed at what a pre-schooler can do if trained properly.
• I try to only pick chores that they can accomplish by themselves. For example, once I had "Mop the Sunroom Floor" as a chore, but the kids were young enough that I had to fill the bucket, haul it out to the Sunroom, and take care of it when they were done. This doesn't seem like much, but it is just much better if they can be completely self-sufficient, from start to finish. Trust me on this.
• Yes, I know, I'm kinda psycho about including clip-art or actual photos on my chore cards. That's just me. (And when we started using chore cards, my kids couldn't read, so they needed the pictures.) A chore method like this will work just as well with hand-written cards. Hand-drawn images or stickers would work, too. I did, this revision, resist the urge to laminate all of the cards...although some of them have already been returned looking like they were dropped into the toilet....

Here's how you run the chart...

• Monday morning just before or after breakfast, I move all of the star cards from the front (hopefully they're at the front of each stack, meaning all chores were accomplished) to the back of that stack, for the whole week. I also move the Room of the Day cards to the front. (see rule #2 on ease of maintaining) 

Monday Morning--before school and chores

• I think about our week and re-arrange, add, or remove cards as necessary. (see rule #4 on flexibility)
• The kids know that there are NO VIDEOS OR Wii until their school work AND chores are done for that day. So when their school work is completed, they check their stack and set to work on their own. (see rule # 1 on understanding and accomplishing) This is, of course, after the training period. (Again, more on that later.) 
• As they accomplish each chore, they move that card to the back of that day's stack.  I don't care if they do the chores in order, as long as they get done, and the star is in the front of the stack when they're done. (see rule #3 on checking at a glance)

Wednesday Afternoon--chores are "in-progress"

• At any point in the day, I can glance at the chart (which is hung in our hallway just outside the kitchen) and know who is done and who isn't. Because I put the Room cards in front, which are typically the only cards we switch around from week to week, I also can tell with a glance who has what job that day. But even if I had other "switchable" cards in the stack, a quick flip-thru of their cards would easily tell me what jobs they were to do that day. (see rule #5 on easy investigation)

Friday Evening--or at least what it is supposed to look like Friday evening!

Finally, more on the training period...

• One thing I can guarantee--ANY AND EVERY chore system will not live up to your expectations if you do not properly train your children to accomplish the exact tasks you are asking them to do. Do not assume they know how to do it. Do not assume they will know how to do it after you show them the first time. Do not assume you will not need to re-show them how to do it several times before they really "get it", or that you will not need to re-show them in 6 weeks when they're testing where the "this is not acceptable" line is.
• And for the love of raising the next generation's workforce, PLEASE teach them how to get OUT the supplies they need to accomplish the task, and (more importantly) how to PUT AWAY AND/OR TAKE CARE OF said supplies. Our motto around here is, "The job's not done until the stuff's put away."  I said that was our motto, not that we've got it 100% down yet. Know any adults who need this motto stamped on their foreheads. Yeah, me too. (Sometimes myself included.)

FAQ's...

• How did I come up with this?
•  I didn't. It is a modification of Teri Maxwell's Chore Pack System. If you think I'm intense about chores, you should meet this lady. Her book, "Managers of Their Chores."is a great resource and offers an excellent explanation of why chores are important to raising responsible adults.
• Where did I get the pocket chart?
•  It is a 28"x28" mid-sized pocket chart. I got my from Amazon here.  Any school supply store should have pocket charts.
• How do I come up with chores? What chores are appropriate for different ages, particularly young children?
• When we first started a chore card system, which was actually 5 years ago, I thought long and hard about what jobs simply needed to be done around the house. I went room-by-room and wrote everything down I could possibly think of. I mean everything, in specific detail. That list was very long. Then I added person hygiene items and the list became longer.  Then I thought about which jobs were critical that the kids, at their various ages, could accomplish. We assigned, tried it, and tweaked from there.
• How do I make the cards?
•  I use Photoshop and print on cardstock (and sometimes laminate), but Word would work, too. Any program in which you can make a box, add text and maybe images, and print, should work. Hand-made cards would work, too. The point isn't to make pretty cards (although that makes me happy) but to create a chore system.
• Do I pay an allowance for chores? 
• Ok, I know that is a loaded question. People have very strong opinions about this topic. I can just tell you what works for us because it makes sense to us, but I'm not out to convince you our philosophy is right and everything else is wrong. Ready? Here we go....
• We believe the purpose of chores is to prepare kids for adulthood. As adults, there are things we do because it is our personal responsibility. We don't get paid for them. (Wouldn't it be nice to get paid for brushing our teeth and making sure our clothes make it to the hamper??) But also, as adults, we have the opportunity to take jobs to make money. So.....
• Our kids do not get paid for regular chores. They also do not have a choice whether they do them or not. They just do. Well, they just do because they want to play the Wii and watch a video. And eat supper. Just kidding. I feed my kids, don't worry. We don't run a sweat shop around here.
• My kids also have two paying jobs--mowing the yard and cleaning the shop. These are things we asked them if they'd like to take on, for pay. We treat it like an adult job. Adult responsibilities, adult pay. If they don't do the job properly, they get sent back to finish or they don't get paid. We had been paying to have our yard mowed the last several years, so we try to treat them exactly like how we would have treated Tyler. They bought their own mower, pay for their gas and repairs, and give us an invoice each month for the same amount we were paying Tyler. When the tire went flat and was un-repairable, they paid for a new tire. We want it to be a real job for them, so when they get a real job with someone else as their boss, they will know how to act and what to expect.
• That said, they're still 10 and 7, and we're still their parents, so we take the responsibility of training them and doing certain things they simply can't do. Like picking up the new mower tire from the tire shop and putting it on the mower. What? You thought we made them carry it home on their backs and let them slave away all day putting it on??

Lastly, I thought it might be helpful if you saw some of our chore cards from over the years. I didn't include any of our Room of the Day cards. And before I close, if you're starting or revamping a chore system at your house, remember to consider what you want to teach your kids through the process of chores, and then figure out what kind of system will best do that within your family dynamic.

 

Lovin' Life

Ok, so it's been a while since I've blogged. And although I'd love to write an opinion piece about how dumb it is that the Missouri primary doesn't technically determine our delegates, or how surprised I am at the number of God-fearing people I know that don't support Prop 8 in California.....those topics will have to wait for something much more important...photos of my youngest. 

Priorities, people.

I just think these are so stinkin' cute....

This girl loves chicken noodle soup. LOVES, I tell you. (Or at least she did on this day. Who knows about next time.)

She also loves...

 ....reading books
(aka completely destroying books)

...playing on the iPod
(aka messing my iPod up) 

...pink milk
(aka mooching off of someone else)

...riding the vacuum cleaner...obviously she really loves this one--just look at that face! She's even drooling! 

...and pretty much making a total disaster out of every meal. Hey, when you're 1, that's your job.

...not sure if she enjoys the food or the mess more.

And of course she loves...

...her Daddy.

This girl loves life. And we love her to pieces, too.

The Best Birthday EVER (JOIN ME!)

In just a few days I will turn 39, but I've already begun to celebrate! (And I hope you'll celebrate with me!) After reading this blog post a few weeks ago, I decided that I would do the same sort of thing, except spread my acts of kindness over the entire week! This started yesterday.

My oldest had an Orthodontist appointment yesterday morning, so on our way we went through the McDonald's drive thru and we paid for the gentleman's breakfast in the car behind us. I'm quite sure that was the most fun I've had in the McDonalds Drive-thru.  Ever. And it might have slightly reminded me of TP'ing houses in my high school days...it might have, you know, if I ever did that sort of rebellious thing, which of course I assure you I would never ever admit to. (Surely none of my high school coaches read this blog...)

So anyway, this week I will be completing 39 random acts of kindness (or more) in celebration of my Birthday. I've already completed 4 and it has been a blast! Would you like to join me? I'm inviting my friends and family to help me celebrate by doing something simple, kind, and random in honor of my Birthday! I would LOVE it if you would! If you're game, read on!

In case you need some ideas, I'll list some below, but please feel free to do something as circumstances present themselves, or as God leads. And I've found people are more receptive to kindness if you tell them it is in honor of your (or your friends') birthday. (Sad how we've become so cynical to kindness...but that is another blog post for another time...) In fact, some of the ideas listed below should be accompanied by a note of some sort. This is a business card I've printed to help me:

Lastly, if you wouldn't mind leaving a comment here (or on my facebook post) about what you did, that would make this my most amazing Birthday ever. I'm so excited!

Now, on to the ideas....although some of these require money and some of them time, some require very little of either. Be creative, be generous, and have fun!!

• give away balloons
• tape some quarters to a vending machine
• buy some fresh flowers at the grocery store and then turn around and hand them to the person in line behind you
• donate blood
• help someone at the grocery store load their groceries into their car (although don't freak them out)
• tape microwave popcorn to a redbox machine
• pay for the person behind you in the drive-thru
• put dollar bills in a few library books
• give away hot chocolate or coffee to people working outside (utility/street departments, etc.)
• read children a book at a bookstore or the library
• leave change on the ground or at a playground for the children to find
• hand out bottled water to someone who never gets appreciated (nurses at the hospital, security guard at the mall, etc.)
• hand out suckers to children at the mall (ask parent's permission first, of course) OR
• hand out stickers to children at the mall (or offer both--gives an option to parents who are hesitant to accept candy from a complete stranger!)
• buy a small gift card and immediately give it to someone in that establishment, like the person in line behind you or (if in a restaurant) someone at a table. This is a fun one at department stores where most people are grumpy....no names, but you know....
• deliver a hand-written note and snacks to a local police/fire station
• take needed items to a homeless shelter
• pay for someone else's coffee at Starbucks
• tuck happy notes on car windshields wishing people a good day full of God's blessings
• take art supplies to waiting rooms (hospitals/Dr.'s offices, etc....would be a good idea to ask them first)
• leave quarters at a laundromat
• give a phone card to someone in need
• give coffee to a toll-booth worker and pay for someone else's toll
• deliver candy bars (or something else) to workers in a local business you believe in (like a Crisis Pregnancy Center)
• give a car wash token to someone who looks like they need it. :)
• Do you know a business that keeps their bathroom really clean? Write a thank-you note and give it to the person in charge of that.
• pump someone else's gas at the gas station
• feed busy parking meters
• let someone else in front of you in line

The fam

Here we are....new family pic, such as it is. Hey, it's a miracle I made it in FRONT of the camera, and you want all of us to actually be looking AT the camera?? Maybe in about 5 years.

This was taken on the old man's my sweet husband's 40th Birthday. I shouldn't poke fun because I'm not too far behind...but I'M NOT THERE YET....

This was a fun day (despite the depressed husband) and a beautiful day, which you can't always guarantee in mid-October.

Irony

Going swimming while preparing for a flood. There just seems to be something wrong about that.

Of course Baby doesn't seem too bothered by it.

What On Earth Were You Thinking??

Since stepping on a nail in the barn, Brother has been taking oral antibiotics--thick, cold, pink stuff that apparently doesn't taste real great. He takes this nasty dose 3 times a day, so he's getting pretty tired of it.

Yesterday, I handed him a syringe of the delightful stuff and he acted like I just handed him a syringe full of pond slime. So I told him if he plugged his nose, he wouldn't taste it.

He didn't believe me.

So I reached up and pinched his nose shut and encouraged him to "just do it." After a little arguing about it, I pinched his nose and said, "Ok, get it done, ready? 1.....2.......3....."

And at that point, he pushed the medicine out of the syringe as fast as he could. He just forgot one thing. HE FORGOT TO PUT THE SYRINGE IN HIS MOUTH.

He has it pointed at himself, but holding it about 8 inches from his face.

He shot it out with so much force it splattered off of his neck and shoulder onto a sizable portion of the floor and THREE walls.  I just stood there, baffled by what just happened.  He looked up at me, shocked by what just happened.

And although I didn't find the humor of it at the time, now I see...IT WAS REALLY FUNNY!!

Let's just hope he doesn't have aspirations to become a doctor someday....

MAY-HEM

What did we do in the month of May?

The kids started to mow the yard this year, and although they are doing a great job, it did engulf in flames....ok, not really, but the clutch did burn up and bunches of white smoke started coming out of the back of it while Brother was mowing. That prompted a discussion about fire safety that started like this:

ME: Brother, do you know what to do if your clothing would catch on fire?

BROTHER: (with an "I can't believe you don't know the answer to this question, Mom" look on his face) Uh, take them off?

The discussion didn't get much better when he decided it would be best to run as fast as you can because everyone knows when you blow on a candle really hard it puts the flame out....

We've been going on whole-family bike rides lately, but DH thought the best place for Baby would be in the backpack carrier. I'm not too thrilled about it, but I must say she sure did enjoy herself. (And we have another child bike seat now.) 

 

We (ok, not me) added another swing to the swingset so all 4 kids can go at the same time. There's officially no more room on the swingset, so I guess no more children for us.

The kids had been studying about the Underground Railroad, and earned a trip to the Mayhew Cabin, a stop on the Underground Railroad. We went with some other homeschooler friends and they all had a blast playing there and going thru the tunnel a gazillion times that afternoon.

We saw this brilliant rainbow just to the East of us and the kids wanted to go find the pot of gold. For a while there were 2 rainbows, but of course I wasn't fast enough to catch that on film.

How do you know when you've put off doing the laundry too long? When your children are buried alive by it. Seriously. Drama Queen fell asleep on the floor next to the hamper in our bedroom, and apparently the mountain toppled over on top of her. (She didn't even wake up...although we didn't want her to smother so she got pulled out in short order. Just imagine that coroner's report, "Victim was smothered by a pile of dirty laundry...")

If the kids wake up before me, they will climb into bed with me and I will read them a book. On this morning, I had to get out, but Brother decided he could read one to Baby. Aren't they precious?

How do you know when Chatterbox is driving us all crazy with her non-stop talking?? When your 4-year-old comes to supper like this. Yes, she enjoyed her entire meal in silence...a rare occasion at our house.

The weather was barely 80 and the kids couldn't wait a second longer to get out the Slip and Slide. They played all afternoon and came in with a S-U-N-B-U-R-N.  Oops. I suppose any responsible Mother would have thought about sunscreen. 

One of the highlights of the end of the school year for our kids is our Homeschool Track and Field Day. This year was no exception. For some reason my kids seem to be particularly skilled in the Sack Jump. Do you supposed there's some life-skill that will translate into??

Officially, my parents are now empty-nesters as my youngest sister got married. Boy does that make me feel old--she was my flower-girl...she was 2 and a half. Yes, I got married when I was 12. (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

I got a good picture of my kids at the wedding...I just don't know why people say all of my kids look alike........lol

DH is finally seeing his dream of building a shop become a reality this summer. But he's finding out even when you hire most of it done, there's still a lot of managing that needs to be done.

Brother is playing T-ball again this summer, and loving it. They won their first game, and when I told him it doesn't matter who wins, it's just about having fun, he responded with, "Well, Mom, the other team can just have fun, but I want to win."

And last but not least, our most exciting event of May was when Brother stepped on a nail in the barn and nearly drove it thru his foot. Of course this happened on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, so on Sunday when it kept swelling and the top of his foot felt hot, we took him to the ER. I think he's on the mend now, but he has enjoyed milking the attention for all it's worth. (And yes, this is the nail, although that is NOT blood, it's actually red paint. Looks pretty realistic though, doesn't it!) 

And that's been our May. Hopefully June will be a nice, quiet month....although around here the chances of that are highly unlikely. And with the threat of widespread flooding here looming again this year, I'm betting June will be interesting one way or another.