I have said this many times before – I am not a naturally organized person – it is something I need to work at and keep focused at in my priorities. Since being organized is a priority I do lots of things that help me from being totally scatterbrained and flighty. One of the main things I do is to make chore charts – I do have a love for making lists, so I put this talent to use.
One of the chore charts I have posted in my kitchen is the children’s weekly kitchen chore. Since I have four children I assigned one chore per week per child that rotates:
Week One - Cooking
Week Two - Setting the table
Week Three - Clearing the table
Week Four - Dishes
Each child is responsible for helping in their area for one week, the next week they will move on to the new chore. It is easy. I just start each new week on Monday and there is never (okay – normally) any grumbling about helping or comparing what they are doing to what their brother/sister is doing because everyone is doing their fair share. Plus, they are getting the important lesson of how to cook for a week every month (which will help them not to starve once they move out).
Since I have a tendency to just take over and do everything myself (easier/faster/less complaining/etc) this also helps me to remember that it is important to teach my children basic kitchen tasks and responsibility.
This definitely works for me!
Christine
Showing posts with label Chores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chores. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday
Well, it is the end of the week and I saved the best for last…BUDGETING…aaaahhh! It is a horrid task, I admit, but one I feel deeply passionate about! So, to go with my theme of the week, here is…
My Typical “Friday To Do List”:
1. Banking and Budgeting
We may as well jump right in – and I will say up front that I DO NOT enjoy this chore, it gives me a headache and I try and do it when I am alone as I have a tendency to get snappy (my kids will attest to that), but I believe that no matter how dreaded this task, it is one of the most important things to do every week and to do well!
We live on a tight budget, as do many, and I am determined to make that tight budget work. One of the ways that I do this is by KNOWING WHERE MY MONEY IS GOING. I diligently record all incoming and outgoing monies in the appropriate column and so I have totals every month on what I spent on food, gas, dog care, and so on. For each month of the year I have a separate spreadsheet with a column outlining all my fixed expenses (e.g., mortgage, property taxes, insurance, etc), bills (electric, gas, water, etc) and variable expenses (food, gas, etc). The next column outlines the monthly budgeted amount and then there is column is for the actual amount spent/paid.
Every Friday I update my spreadsheet, filling in what was bought, paying bills and recording them and generally making sure that we have a balanced budget each month. If a new expense comes up, I need to find a way to fit it in the budget and still have it balance every month.
There are also some other things that I will do a couple times a year to insure that I am getting the best rates and services I can. I will randomly call my credit card companies and ask for a better interest rate, I have gotten my rates lowered on several occasions by doing this. I will also phone my services like my phone company to make sure that I am on a plan that best suits what I am using and what I need. Sometimes I will also ask what specials they are offering to new customers and then request the same offer for being a loyal customer. Sometimes I get laughed at, but often times I have gotten a couple of months at a cheaper rate. I also make sure that I “bundle” whatever I can, it saved me money by bundling my cable, internet and land phone line through the same company.
Since I have the lead role in finances in our home and I am the one who does the majority of the shopping, it is sometimes easy to forget to involve my hubby (I can be a pretty “take charge” type of gal), so at the end of every month I send him a copy of the monthly budget so he too knows where all the money is going. He especially likes it when I highlight all the purchases he made that I don’t approve of (like McDonalds) and then give him a nice little total (please hear the total sarcasm dripping ;) ). Well, maybe he doesn’t love it, but he admits that I am good at taking care of this chore and he wouldn’t want to do it, so I guess he will take my highlights in good humor, appreciating my hard work.
2. Laundry
On Fridays I wash the bedding. So the kids strip their beds and I wash sheets and blankets and so on. Not everyone gets their bed done every week, I do mine once a week, but the kids take turns and get theirs done about every other week or so. Blankets get done about once a month – there is only so much time in the day after all and prioritizing is key.
3. Dinner
On Fridays I try and plan something special for my husband and kids, after all they have had a long hard work and deserve a little treat. I prepare fun foods that everyone enjoys like lasagna, hamburgers, tacos, or pizza and try and make a special desert, something deliciously sinful like cheesecake or lava cakes to simple pleasures like ice cream with bananas and fudge sauce. Fridays are definitely time to unwind from a busy week.
I am always thankful for Fridays, I feel accomplished by getting through a week full of tasks and activities and look forward to some quieter times with the kids.
More posts like this:
Freeing Your Finances From Being Self-Controlled to God Controlled
50 Money Saving Tips
For more budgeting tips check out Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom!
Have a blessed Friday,
Christine
My Typical “Friday To Do List”:
1. Banking and Budgeting
We may as well jump right in – and I will say up front that I DO NOT enjoy this chore, it gives me a headache and I try and do it when I am alone as I have a tendency to get snappy (my kids will attest to that), but I believe that no matter how dreaded this task, it is one of the most important things to do every week and to do well!
We live on a tight budget, as do many, and I am determined to make that tight budget work. One of the ways that I do this is by KNOWING WHERE MY MONEY IS GOING. I diligently record all incoming and outgoing monies in the appropriate column and so I have totals every month on what I spent on food, gas, dog care, and so on. For each month of the year I have a separate spreadsheet with a column outlining all my fixed expenses (e.g., mortgage, property taxes, insurance, etc), bills (electric, gas, water, etc) and variable expenses (food, gas, etc). The next column outlines the monthly budgeted amount and then there is column is for the actual amount spent/paid.
Every Friday I update my spreadsheet, filling in what was bought, paying bills and recording them and generally making sure that we have a balanced budget each month. If a new expense comes up, I need to find a way to fit it in the budget and still have it balance every month.
There are also some other things that I will do a couple times a year to insure that I am getting the best rates and services I can. I will randomly call my credit card companies and ask for a better interest rate, I have gotten my rates lowered on several occasions by doing this. I will also phone my services like my phone company to make sure that I am on a plan that best suits what I am using and what I need. Sometimes I will also ask what specials they are offering to new customers and then request the same offer for being a loyal customer. Sometimes I get laughed at, but often times I have gotten a couple of months at a cheaper rate. I also make sure that I “bundle” whatever I can, it saved me money by bundling my cable, internet and land phone line through the same company.
Since I have the lead role in finances in our home and I am the one who does the majority of the shopping, it is sometimes easy to forget to involve my hubby (I can be a pretty “take charge” type of gal), so at the end of every month I send him a copy of the monthly budget so he too knows where all the money is going. He especially likes it when I highlight all the purchases he made that I don’t approve of (like McDonalds) and then give him a nice little total (please hear the total sarcasm dripping ;) ). Well, maybe he doesn’t love it, but he admits that I am good at taking care of this chore and he wouldn’t want to do it, so I guess he will take my highlights in good humor, appreciating my hard work.
2. Laundry
On Fridays I wash the bedding. So the kids strip their beds and I wash sheets and blankets and so on. Not everyone gets their bed done every week, I do mine once a week, but the kids take turns and get theirs done about every other week or so. Blankets get done about once a month – there is only so much time in the day after all and prioritizing is key.
3. Dinner
On Fridays I try and plan something special for my husband and kids, after all they have had a long hard work and deserve a little treat. I prepare fun foods that everyone enjoys like lasagna, hamburgers, tacos, or pizza and try and make a special desert, something deliciously sinful like cheesecake or lava cakes to simple pleasures like ice cream with bananas and fudge sauce. Fridays are definitely time to unwind from a busy week.
I am always thankful for Fridays, I feel accomplished by getting through a week full of tasks and activities and look forward to some quieter times with the kids.
More posts like this:
Freeing Your Finances From Being Self-Controlled to God Controlled
50 Money Saving Tips
For more budgeting tips check out Frugal Fridays at Life as Mom!
Have a blessed Friday,
Christine
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wednesday
My days can be summed up as…A. Busy, but running like a well-oiled machine.
B. A blur! Frantic running from one appointment or activity to the next, with nothing ever really getting done.
C. I am slowly going crazy – I don’t know what I will serve for dinner tonight, I have a pile of laundry as high as a 10 year old child, we have been out of milk for two days and we missed the first day of soccer last night.
Having a plan will save you time, money and sanity! Every year in late August I sit down and redo our chore charts for the family. Each of us has lead roles in certain areas, so I after I figure out the children’s chore charts I make one for myself. Basically this is just a weekly schedule of what needs to be done each week, like cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc. It is typically based loosely on last year schedule, making any changes that I think I need due any family or work changes. For the most part things have remained the same for the last few years - this helps the kids get into the routine of what I am doing and what is expected of them, but this is also for my benefit, as the older I get the more routine I like!
Monday
Tuesday
Here is my typical "Wednesday To Do List":
Wednesday is my kitchen day and my kids favourite day of the week. After my quick 20 minute clean I roll up my sleeves and get to work!
1. Baking
I love to bake cookies, squares, muffins, breads, you name it. I have a confession to make here, normally the first thing I bake is cookies, then promptly eat, hmmmm…4…okay, maybe more like 6. What can I say? I have no will power and I LOVE coffee and cookies! After my over-indulgence, I normally have no appetite for anything else I bake, so it all gets stored away, the majority of it in the freezer.
I also will often make 1 – 2 dozen muffins for my parents, which I store and freeze for them. My dad was eating store bought muffins (just saying that makes me cringe), once I found out I just couldn’t abide by that so ever since I make a point of baking them and setting them aside for them.
I also top up my granola, I love homemade granola, as does my eldest son and husband.
2. Casseroles
I always try to have 1 – 2 casseroles in the freezer for those days that nothing goes the way I planned or in case of last minute change of plans. I also do not like to cook much on weekends, I typically love big brunches and no fuss dinners, so casseroles work well for those nights as well. I personally am not found of casseroles, but my boys and husband absolutely love them. There favourites typically include some sort of ground beef, so I just add the ingredients for 2 – 3 casseroles per month into my monthly grocery shopping trip.
Monday
Tuesday
Here is my typical "Wednesday To Do List":
Wednesday is my kitchen day and my kids favourite day of the week. After my quick 20 minute clean I roll up my sleeves and get to work!
1. Baking
I love to bake cookies, squares, muffins, breads, you name it. I have a confession to make here, normally the first thing I bake is cookies, then promptly eat, hmmmm…4…okay, maybe more like 6. What can I say? I have no will power and I LOVE coffee and cookies! After my over-indulgence, I normally have no appetite for anything else I bake, so it all gets stored away, the majority of it in the freezer.
I also will often make 1 – 2 dozen muffins for my parents, which I store and freeze for them. My dad was eating store bought muffins (just saying that makes me cringe), once I found out I just couldn’t abide by that so ever since I make a point of baking them and setting them aside for them.
I also top up my granola, I love homemade granola, as does my eldest son and husband.
2. Casseroles
I always try to have 1 – 2 casseroles in the freezer for those days that nothing goes the way I planned or in case of last minute change of plans. I also do not like to cook much on weekends, I typically love big brunches and no fuss dinners, so casseroles work well for those nights as well. I personally am not found of casseroles, but my boys and husband absolutely love them. There favourites typically include some sort of ground beef, so I just add the ingredients for 2 – 3 casseroles per month into my monthly grocery shopping trip.
.
This works for me!
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For more posts like this:
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Have blessed Wednesday!
Christine
Monday, June 15, 2009
Catch All Tuesday
As I stated yesterday, this week I will be outlining my basic weekly schedule. Of course there are always exceptions and changes when need be, but beside my kids weekly chore schedule, I keep this basic outline to help me get the most out of my time. Since I am not a naturally organized person, I feel that sometimes my days can get a little scattered, plus, whenever I feel overwhelmed or tired this really helps - there is not thinking about what needs to get done and it helps me focus on all the tasks of the week.
Tuesday is my "catch all day", Tuesday's schedule becomes Monday's schedule if we had a long weekend or if for whatever reason I had to be out of the house all day long on Monday, but following a regular Monday...
Here is my typical "Tuesday To Do List":
1. Grocery Shopping
Every four weeks I do my big grocery shop, so obviously this is not an every Tuesday occurrence. But the shopping takes all day, I hit Costco, Walmart and Save On Foods, as some foods are cheaper at one place over another.
I have a huge list I go by, that includes all the pantry items and freezer items I will need for my monthly meal plan, plus and extra list of everything I need with regards to household items (e.g., toilet paper), personal items (e.g., shampoo) and some extra staples (e.g., peanut butter, mustard, juice, etc.). Sometimes I guess wrong and run out of baking ingredients or peanut butter, but over all this takes most of the guess work out of shopping and I normally have pretty good estimates of what extras I will need. Typically I always guess on the side of too much for staples or I will buy 2 or 3 extra if I find a really good sale, as extras can just be kept in my huge downstairs pantry that my hubby made for me.
I buy all of my meat in bulk at Costco, so this does take some type to separate into meal size portions. With my meal plan, I also created a list of all the food prep that needs to take place for that month. The list outlines how much hamburger to fry for the month, if I need to separate the bacon (some soup recipes call for just a few strips of bacon), what meat needs to be packaged in a marinade and so forth. Having this all done ahead of time is a huge time saver during a busy week and saves me a ton of money when I buy in bulk, so it is worth the extra effort. Often I run out of time on Tuesday to finish and this chore runs into Wednesday, as my Tuesday evenings are often really busy so whatever doesn't get done by 3:10 (when I have to leave to pick up the kids) typically has to wait till the next day.
2. Appointments
On Tuesdays I will set up appointments needed, like doctor, orthodontist, dentist and so forth.
3. Errands
I always seem to have some errand that needs to be done, whether it is dropping too small clothes of the kids off at a friends or charity, or depositing cheques into the bank, there always seems to be something.
4. Contract/Volunteer work
Whenever I take contract work (that can be done at home) or am helping with Women's Ministry at our church, Tuesday is the day that I set aside a chunk of time to get to work. This is also the day that I will spend more time writing, reading and researching different topics.
5. Baking
Tuesday is not my big baking day, but on those rare Tuesdays that I get everything done with time to spare, I will often bake up a quick batch of cookies or muffins, much to the delight of my kids.
Oh, I almost forgot, there is no way that I can do no cleaning in a day, on Tuesdays I do the basic, sweep the floors, clean up after breakfast, do a quick tidy of the living room and my bedroom (e.g., make my bed, put away anything my daughter or I left out from getting ready in the morning, etc.). I try to limit my cleaning time to 20 minutes, I put on a timer and go (and I do mean go!). I have a tendency to want to clean more than I should (it is a bad habit really), so putting on a timer helps to keep my on track, because I do have other things that need to be done and sometimes focusing is not my strong suit!
So there you have it - my super fun Tuesdays!
For more posts like this:
The Goal of Housekeeping
Making Summer Cleaning Quick and Efficient
Blessings,
Christine
Tuesday is my "catch all day", Tuesday's schedule becomes Monday's schedule if we had a long weekend or if for whatever reason I had to be out of the house all day long on Monday, but following a regular Monday...
Here is my typical "Tuesday To Do List":
1. Grocery Shopping
Every four weeks I do my big grocery shop, so obviously this is not an every Tuesday occurrence. But the shopping takes all day, I hit Costco, Walmart and Save On Foods, as some foods are cheaper at one place over another.
I have a huge list I go by, that includes all the pantry items and freezer items I will need for my monthly meal plan, plus and extra list of everything I need with regards to household items (e.g., toilet paper), personal items (e.g., shampoo) and some extra staples (e.g., peanut butter, mustard, juice, etc.). Sometimes I guess wrong and run out of baking ingredients or peanut butter, but over all this takes most of the guess work out of shopping and I normally have pretty good estimates of what extras I will need. Typically I always guess on the side of too much for staples or I will buy 2 or 3 extra if I find a really good sale, as extras can just be kept in my huge downstairs pantry that my hubby made for me.
I buy all of my meat in bulk at Costco, so this does take some type to separate into meal size portions. With my meal plan, I also created a list of all the food prep that needs to take place for that month. The list outlines how much hamburger to fry for the month, if I need to separate the bacon (some soup recipes call for just a few strips of bacon), what meat needs to be packaged in a marinade and so forth. Having this all done ahead of time is a huge time saver during a busy week and saves me a ton of money when I buy in bulk, so it is worth the extra effort. Often I run out of time on Tuesday to finish and this chore runs into Wednesday, as my Tuesday evenings are often really busy so whatever doesn't get done by 3:10 (when I have to leave to pick up the kids) typically has to wait till the next day.
2. Appointments
On Tuesdays I will set up appointments needed, like doctor, orthodontist, dentist and so forth.
3. Errands
I always seem to have some errand that needs to be done, whether it is dropping too small clothes of the kids off at a friends or charity, or depositing cheques into the bank, there always seems to be something.
4. Contract/Volunteer work
Whenever I take contract work (that can be done at home) or am helping with Women's Ministry at our church, Tuesday is the day that I set aside a chunk of time to get to work. This is also the day that I will spend more time writing, reading and researching different topics.
5. Baking
Tuesday is not my big baking day, but on those rare Tuesdays that I get everything done with time to spare, I will often bake up a quick batch of cookies or muffins, much to the delight of my kids.
Oh, I almost forgot, there is no way that I can do no cleaning in a day, on Tuesdays I do the basic, sweep the floors, clean up after breakfast, do a quick tidy of the living room and my bedroom (e.g., make my bed, put away anything my daughter or I left out from getting ready in the morning, etc.). I try to limit my cleaning time to 20 minutes, I put on a timer and go (and I do mean go!). I have a tendency to want to clean more than I should (it is a bad habit really), so putting on a timer helps to keep my on track, because I do have other things that need to be done and sometimes focusing is not my strong suit!
So there you have it - my super fun Tuesdays!
For more posts like this:
The Goal of Housekeeping
Making Summer Cleaning Quick and Efficient
Blessings,
Christine
Mondays
Since my kids are all in school and I do not work full-time out side of the home, I get asked alot "what do you do all day long?" In order to answer that question I am going to spend the next 5 days outlining my weekly schedule.
Mondays are the most important day of the week for me during the school year (this will change once the kids get out of school, but we still have two weeks of school left this year). Mondays are my cleaning and organizing day, the day I set aside to get the entire week ready and organized.
Here is my typical "Monday To Do List":
1. Laundry
Other then bed sheets, all the laundry in the house needs to be brought down to the laundry room. Our laundry room is in the bathroom on the main floor, and although it is nice not to have to bring the clothes all the way to the basement (especially since that would mean hauling it up and down two levels for 5 of us), the bathroom is not big enough for any laundry piles. So everyone keeps a basket in their room for dirty laundry and on Mondays and Thursdays they need to bring it down to be washed. If they forget (it has happen a few times), they need to wait till the next laundry day to get it done. I do the laundry and put it back in the baskets for the kids to haul back upstairs (or downstairs for my eldest son who is a basement dweller) and put away.
Typically I do about 4 - 6 loads of laundry on Mondays, which unfortunately takes way longer than it should due to the fact that I need a new dryer. I would hang some clothes to dry, but my middle son Justin is very allergic to many different pollens, such as grass, Birch trees and so forth, which causes a rash all over his body, therefore, we do no outside drying.
2. Cleaning
The weekend seems to destroy my house every time, I don't know what happens exactly, but by Monday morning my fingers are just aching to clean, clean, clean!! On Monday I clean the entire main floor (kitchen, dinning room, living room, family room, bathroom, hallways and entrance ways) as well as the two bathrooms on the second floor and the master bedroom.
3. Meal planning
I follow a monthly meal plan and buy all my non-perishables and everything that I can freeze (meat, bread, etc) once a month. I have a list of fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy from my meal plan that I pick up on Mondays (and any baking supplies that I have ran out of), although sometimes this is done on Sunday evenings, whichever is easiest and most convenient for me.
On Mondays I always plan my biggest meal of the week and lunches for the week. For instance, I will cook a roast of beef or pork that is large enough for dinner, then lunchmeat for the remaining four days of the week. If I am planning on a pasta salad or soup for lunches that week, then I would also prepare that.
Monday is also my yogurt making day, since I am typically at home for the majority of the day, this is the best day for me. Although making yogurt is not difficult by any means, it does take some monitoring and planning, this is easiest if you are planning on being home.
4. Weekly planning
I have a basic schedule that I follow, but sometimes we have field trips, or special evening events or extra things that need to be done (like getting my wheels aligned or baking something for a class snack or any other of the hundreds of things that come up with kids!). On Monday I plan out my week, adding appointments, tasks, or making any changes in my weekly meal plan due to evening commitments (which often is as easy as swapping meals around a bit, like Tuesdays crock pot meal on Wednesday), but sometimes that means that due to time constraints, we get a fun pizza or mac and cheese night.
So there you have it, my typical Monday…and since I have the majority of these chores left to do I better get at it!
Have a great week!
Christine
Mondays are the most important day of the week for me during the school year (this will change once the kids get out of school, but we still have two weeks of school left this year). Mondays are my cleaning and organizing day, the day I set aside to get the entire week ready and organized.
Here is my typical "Monday To Do List":
1. Laundry
Other then bed sheets, all the laundry in the house needs to be brought down to the laundry room. Our laundry room is in the bathroom on the main floor, and although it is nice not to have to bring the clothes all the way to the basement (especially since that would mean hauling it up and down two levels for 5 of us), the bathroom is not big enough for any laundry piles. So everyone keeps a basket in their room for dirty laundry and on Mondays and Thursdays they need to bring it down to be washed. If they forget (it has happen a few times), they need to wait till the next laundry day to get it done. I do the laundry and put it back in the baskets for the kids to haul back upstairs (or downstairs for my eldest son who is a basement dweller) and put away.
Typically I do about 4 - 6 loads of laundry on Mondays, which unfortunately takes way longer than it should due to the fact that I need a new dryer. I would hang some clothes to dry, but my middle son Justin is very allergic to many different pollens, such as grass, Birch trees and so forth, which causes a rash all over his body, therefore, we do no outside drying.
2. Cleaning
The weekend seems to destroy my house every time, I don't know what happens exactly, but by Monday morning my fingers are just aching to clean, clean, clean!! On Monday I clean the entire main floor (kitchen, dinning room, living room, family room, bathroom, hallways and entrance ways) as well as the two bathrooms on the second floor and the master bedroom.
3. Meal planning
I follow a monthly meal plan and buy all my non-perishables and everything that I can freeze (meat, bread, etc) once a month. I have a list of fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy from my meal plan that I pick up on Mondays (and any baking supplies that I have ran out of), although sometimes this is done on Sunday evenings, whichever is easiest and most convenient for me.
On Mondays I always plan my biggest meal of the week and lunches for the week. For instance, I will cook a roast of beef or pork that is large enough for dinner, then lunchmeat for the remaining four days of the week. If I am planning on a pasta salad or soup for lunches that week, then I would also prepare that.
Monday is also my yogurt making day, since I am typically at home for the majority of the day, this is the best day for me. Although making yogurt is not difficult by any means, it does take some monitoring and planning, this is easiest if you are planning on being home.
4. Weekly planning
I have a basic schedule that I follow, but sometimes we have field trips, or special evening events or extra things that need to be done (like getting my wheels aligned or baking something for a class snack or any other of the hundreds of things that come up with kids!). On Monday I plan out my week, adding appointments, tasks, or making any changes in my weekly meal plan due to evening commitments (which often is as easy as swapping meals around a bit, like Tuesdays crock pot meal on Wednesday), but sometimes that means that due to time constraints, we get a fun pizza or mac and cheese night.
So there you have it, my typical Monday…and since I have the majority of these chores left to do I better get at it!
Have a great week!
Christine
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Chore Charts and Lead Roles - WFMW
I am not a naturally organized person, like most others I need to work at it. Things do not automatically fall into place and left up to my own memory, appointments will be missed, bills forgotten and important tasks will never actually get done.
I found out a long time ago that to keep on top of having four kids, a husband that works shift work and a busy extra-curricular schedule needed a lot of planning so that I did not slowly go crazy! Lists are my friend, I have always loved making lists, but the basic list was not near good enough for trying to organize my week, so I started making chore charts. Don’t groan, these are not some hi-tec lists that are complicated and tell you what to do every moment of the day – these charts are guidelines of who is responsible for what and when. I found that if the kids were always responsible for the same thing, for an entire year or on a rotational basis, they were far less likely to argue, roll their eyes, make comments about how it is not their turn and other such complaints.
In our house I sit down every August and do up a chore chart, for both kids and adults, for the entire year, based on skill levels, ability, and typical commitments (like p/t jobs). Each person in our house has a “lead role” in at least one area, meaning they are responsible for making sure that job is getting done and being done well. I have the lead role in:
Indoor & Outdoor Cleaning
(supporting – kids)
Finances
(supporting – Jeremy)
Meals
(supporting – kids)
Children – schooling, activities, etc.
(supporting – Jeremy)
My children have both lead roles and supporting roles:
Brandon:
Lead Role - Snow removal
(supporting – Justin, dad)
Supporting Roles - Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Jesse:
Lead Roles:
Lawn care – weed whacking, mowing, fertilizing (supporting – Tia, mom)
Dog care
(supporting – Tia, Mom)
Supporting Roles - Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Justin:
Lead Roles:
Garbage and recycling
Downstairs pantry
(supporting – Tia, mom)
Supporting Roles - Snow removal, Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Tia:
Lead Role – Indoor plant care
Supporting Roles - Lawn care, Dog care, Downstairs pantry
This works for me!!
(If you have any questions or want further information about how this works for me – just let me know!)
Happy organizing!
I found out a long time ago that to keep on top of having four kids, a husband that works shift work and a busy extra-curricular schedule needed a lot of planning so that I did not slowly go crazy! Lists are my friend, I have always loved making lists, but the basic list was not near good enough for trying to organize my week, so I started making chore charts. Don’t groan, these are not some hi-tec lists that are complicated and tell you what to do every moment of the day – these charts are guidelines of who is responsible for what and when. I found that if the kids were always responsible for the same thing, for an entire year or on a rotational basis, they were far less likely to argue, roll their eyes, make comments about how it is not their turn and other such complaints.
In our house I sit down every August and do up a chore chart, for both kids and adults, for the entire year, based on skill levels, ability, and typical commitments (like p/t jobs). Each person in our house has a “lead role” in at least one area, meaning they are responsible for making sure that job is getting done and being done well. I have the lead role in:
Indoor & Outdoor Cleaning
(supporting – kids)
Finances
(supporting – Jeremy)
Meals
(supporting – kids)
Children – schooling, activities, etc.
(supporting – Jeremy)
My children have both lead roles and supporting roles:
Brandon:
Lead Role - Snow removal
(supporting – Justin, dad)
Supporting Roles - Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Jesse:
Lead Roles:
Lawn care – weed whacking, mowing, fertilizing (supporting – Tia, mom)
Dog care
(supporting – Tia, Mom)
Supporting Roles - Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Justin:
Lead Roles:
Garbage and recycling
Downstairs pantry
(supporting – Tia, mom)
Supporting Roles - Snow removal, Vehicle care, Home maintenance
Tia:
Lead Role – Indoor plant care
Supporting Roles - Lawn care, Dog care, Downstairs pantry
This works for me!!
(If you have any questions or want further information about how this works for me – just let me know!)
Happy organizing!
Christine
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