How a Simple Printable Chore Chart Can Save Your Sanity
Declutter your schedule and reclaim your sanity and cultivate responsibility in your kids with a free printable monthly chore chart!
Thirty minutes every night.
After my kids (and sometimes even my husband) went to bed, I spent as much as thirty minutes cleaning and straightening the house.
Sure, I could’ve probably done it in the morning. But I like to start every day fresh.
And that meant going around my house, using my precious, peaceful moments to tidy up from the day.
Finally, I had enough. My boys had been asking for an allowance for a while, so I sat down and made a chore chart for them.
If I had any idea how much my life would improve when I assigned household chores to my kids, I would’ve done it a long time ago.
Why Your Family NEEDS a Chore Chart
I have a very dear friend who has older children. She encouraged me for a long time to get my young kids involved in housework by doing basic chores.
As the oldest of three kids, raised primarily by a single dad, I resisted the idea.
I didn’t want my boys to have to take on adult responsibilities too soon. They have their whole lives to be adults, but only a few short years to be kids.
However, my friend encouraged me that even little kids can complete chores.
She told me that if she ever needed to leave her children for any reason, she had 100% faith that her teenage kids could handle all of the household duties.
So, I decided to give it a try.
As it turns out, younger children are perfectly capable of doing daily chores. And with the right reward system, they will do them {almost} willingly.
If you’re a mom who’s overwhelmed with the constant work that comes from taking care of your home and family every day, a chore system is a perfect way to share the work.
Using a checklist–just a simple chore chart can save you so much time and stress doing household tasks.
Everyone will share the burden–and you’ll feel like you have your life back!
The Super Power of Printable Monthly Chore Charts
Imagine a world where chores magically get done without nagging or constant reminders. Sounds like a dream, right?
Well, with printable monthly chore charts, this dream can become a reality. These handy tools empower both you and your children by providing a visual guide to daily tasks and responsibilities.
By simply checking off completed chores, your kids will feel a sense of accomplishment, while you enjoy the peace of mind that comes with an organized household.
Instilling Life Skills and Responsibility
As moms, one of our key roles is to prepare our children for the real world.
Printable monthly chore charts create an opportunity to teach them valuable life skills that go far beyond cleaning up.
By assigning various tasks, such as folding laundry or setting the table, you’re instilling a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility.
A chore checklist serves as a stepping stone towards independence, as your kids learn how to manage their time and contribute to the household.
How to Make a Chore Chart Work for Your Family
Having a family chore chart lets every member know that we are all involved in maintaining our home. Everyone uses our house, so each one of us should take responsibility for taking care of it.
Assign age-appropriate chores.
You can create a lifelong work ethic in your kids when you encourage them to start doing chores at a young age.
The good news is that even younger kids can handle simple chores. Have them help you make beds, fill the washing machine or empty the dishwasher.
As kids get older, they can take on new responsibilities, too.
It’s hard to think about handing over our household chores to our kids, but with a little supervision, they handle it.
Obviously, they will need help when it comes to handling cleaners, but with some guidance, they can learn it!
Set up a reward system.
Should kids do chores just for the satisfaction of a job well done?
Sure. But they probably won’t.
All of us need a little motivation to complete a task every once in a while.
And kids haven’t quite learned about self-motivation yet.
You can choose the reward system that works best for your family and your kids.
You may pay them with money, ice cream, or screen time. (Ok, so ice cream probably isn’t the best idea, but you get my meaning.)
I’m not talking about bribing them. (Although I’m not above it.)
The Bible tells us that the workman is worthy of his wages. That means kids, too.
Switch it up.
Strangely enough, one of my boys hates to empty the dishwasher but loves to clean the bathroom.
So, if he and his brother can agree, one takes care of the dishes, while the other cleans the toilet.
It’s a strange system, but it works.
I want to teach my children responsibility, and they often have to do chores they don’t want to do.
But switching the chores every few weeks, or letting them trade, keeps them from getting bored.
It also helps them learn to do a lot of jobs well.
Teach, teach, and teach some more.
I wish my kids were born knowing how to clean the house. But they weren’t. (And let’s face it, I wasn’t either.)
Just like anything else in life, no one gets it right the first time.
You may have to show them many, many times how to do it right.
But eventually, they will get it, and you’ll get to sit back and reap the fruits of your labor.
The most important thing to remember is this: we are all naturally a little lazy and look for the easy way out.
In order to learn to do it the right way, kids will need you to check up on them.
Don’t expect what you don’t inspect.
Should You Pay Your Kids to Do Chores?
Every family has different ideas about paying kids to do chores. Some do, and others believe kids should just do their part because they are part of the family.
In our house, we pay our boys at the end of the week for the chores they accomplished.
Here are the reasons we chose to pay them:
We are teaching them a sense of responsibility.
When we started paying our kids for chores, we stopped buying them little treats at the store.
Now, if they want something, they have to use their own money.
To spend it, they have to earn it first. They are very careful to earn their whole allowance because they are always planning a way to spend it!
Since they lose money for not doing chores, they are learning to do them with only minimal convincing from Mom and Dad.
We are training hard workers.
Hard work is a part of life, and it’s not always fun! But as our kids are doing chores and earning money, they are learning that hard work has a reward.
My boys don’t like a lot of their chores.
And every time they whine, “I don’t like {insert chore here},” we respond with this, “You have to do a lot of things in life you don’t like.”
Kids who grow up being taught character, become adults who have character.
Those kinds of people are becoming few and far between, so they will get noticed!
We are demonstrating the value of money.
Kids learn a whole new perspective on money when they’re earning it for themselves–and spending what they earn!
“It’s only ten dollars,” has a different meaning when it’s your ten dollars and not Mom’s that you’re spending.
One thing we told our boys was that they would be expected to give their tithes every Sunday. We want them to understand that God gives them everything and part of it belongs to Him.
I have loved watching them not only give their tithe but happily give above and beyond.
They are learning the importance of giving to God and saving for things they want. Plus, I’m not buying drinks or candy every time we make a trip to the store–it’s a win for everyone!
Get Your Free Printable Chore Chart
Say goodbye to the chaos and overwhelm that often accompanies managing a household. This simple chart is here to save the day and bring a sense of order to your life.
Empower your kids with responsibility and watch them flourish as they take ownership of their tasks.
Download our free chore chart today and embark on a journey toward a calmer, more organized home.
Make Your Chore Chart Reusable
This colorful and fun printable chore chart is perfect for young children, but it’s not fun for you to fill out a new copy each week!
It’s super easy to make your chart reusable week after week.
After printing your new chore chart, just place it inside a sheet protector, or laminate it. Then, you cr kids can use a dry-erase marker each week to mark off their chores.
Another option is to put your chore chart into a picture frame and let kids write directly on the glass.
More Chore Charts to Consider
Once your family has mastered chore calendars, go all out and try these other types of chore charts:
- Weekly chore chart
- Daily chore chart
- Responsibility chart
- Summer chore chart
- Daily checklist
- Weekly chore chart
- Behavior charts
Remember, with a little structure and motivation, you can conquer any chaos that comes your way!
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