Gettin' It Together

I'm linking up with Hope Studio's today....not for the chart, but for how to make an amazing difference in your day to day housework and teach your kids to have pride in their home at the same time! (obviously we hadn't started yet when I took the picture...notice the fork in the background!)



I got this idea from How Does She. (which is a super fun site with tons of ideas!). The link has all of her instructions and I think a link to the actual printable chores....I just used a sharpie. She made her tongue depressors colored depending on how long the chore takes and each kid would choose so many from that color.

I spun it a bit different....each stick is the same color as the boy's name. Every day, their names need to be filled with their sticks. If their color's gone, then they must be done with chores and have free time! It seems like we have a ton for them to do, but really it's pretty basic....make bed, brush teeth, dishes in dishwasher...

This has been life changing!!! We've done chore charts, groundings, allowances, no video games before chores are done....and Nothing worked without me Yelling! (not that yelling works!)

I don't even have to get on them anymore :) In the morning, first thing they make their beds, brush their teeth get dressed, bring down yesterday's clothes and pj's, feed/water dogs or Fred, and put their breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. This is Amazing! I know duh!!!! It is seriously so much easier to throw in one load of laundry in the morning then do 10 million three days later! Later they put away their clothes and put lunch and supper dishes in dishwasher after the meal (and start and/or unload dishwasher ).

We do give them a small allowance (super small), but it's more for them to learn the value of money than anything else...you want that toy, then you'd better save up! (which has completely squelched all of the complaining and bartering at wally world!). We do have extra chores that can be done for a *bonus*...things like vacuum, help me or dad when asked, yard work....and we do have things that they still have to do just because they live in this house too!

All in all, I think this works because it's a super tangible way to see what is expected of themselves, and for now they really like filling up their name with sticks!