A New Method Of Madness

With three kids and busy schedules, our home can go from neat and tidy to tornado in the matter of a few minutes. Since we are all part of the family, and all live under one roof, Steve and I feel it's important for the kids to learn to take responsibility for the upkeep of themselves and the home. Developing a good work ethic starts early...and will determine their success later in life.

For months, I have been struggling with an effective way of getting the kids to do their chores. I’ve tried all kinds of things. Mostly, there’s been a lot of nagging and yelling. Which hasn’t worked. And hasn’t made me feel like much of a success as a mother.

My cousin Michelle has come up with a set of chore cards which she swears by. I decided to give them a try.

I made my own chore board - I wanted to separate the chores into “Daily” and “Weekly”, along with a place for recognition. Down the line, the "Bonus" column will be used for extra chores (the ones they can actually get paid for!).  

We’re now in our second week of using the board. Nagging has decreased significantly. There is definitely more enthusiasm on the kids’ part - they love turning their cards from “To Do” to “Done”. Both Jack & Olivia check the board without being reminded. There’s a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day when there are no undone tasks. And they LOVE seeing the “Great Job” star of recognition.

I’m hoping that the novelty doesn’t wear off too soon, and that this will continue to make our household a more pleasant place to live. For all of us.