Our Chore System, and How it works with a 5 and 7 year old

Hey everyone! I have a new chore system to share, and don’t forget to download the free chore pack that comes with this blog post!

 

This all started because I was pregnant, and really couldn’t do much. It had been a hard pregnancy! So I needed my kids to help out more, and even do a lot of my chores that I couldn’t physically do anymore. My husband and I were talking about ways they could help around the house- for my sake, but also for them to be a little more responsible before the baby comes.

So I thought… what if they earned points for their chores? What if they could earn a prize each Saturday based upon how many points they earned? What if… they earned more points if they worked together… and what if we combined their points for a ‘joint prize’?

These questions answered several different issues we were experiencing.

Points= Rewards. But NOT instantly.

Every week= Consistency.

More points= Working together. Teamwork.

 

 

So, I made up a rough draft of what you will find in the free chore pack- and we started! It took a week or so to get used to what sort of chores I normally have them do, what were extra, and for them to remember that they got points for these chores!

I did have to set a few ground rules.

If I had to keep reminding them to do their chores, if they whined about it, or if they said they did it but didn’t actually do it… They didn’t get any points.

If it was something that I knew they could accomplish in a certain amount of time, or if they were goofing around instead of cleaning- sometimes they would only get half the points.

 

How do I keep track of their points before I mark them down on the chart?

I have a To Do app that I use everyday anyway- so I make a task named “Day of the week Chores” and keep track of them that way. Here is what a day can look like on there:

 

 

You can also just keep notes on your phone in the memo/notes app, you can write them down every time, or you can just remember them if you have a better memory than me!

I like to have them right there when I color in the amount of the points for the day, too. It gets them really excited!!

Here is an example of our chore chart, and what they can earn as prizes. (Usually either we take them out to ice cream, they get to choose a place to go for lunch or dinner, or the ultimate prize is to take them to the theme park we have a pass to.)

 

 

In the free chore chart pack, you can see how I have decided to do points- and you can use those or come up with your own!

 

Recently I have started, first thing in the morning, writing out on my app what chores I want them to do for the day. There are always a few basic chores such as:

Brush your teeth (2)= 2 points total, 1 point for each of them.

Make your bed (2)= I do help my 5 year old, but my 7 does it on her own.

Check your room (2)= This entails making sure there are no clothes or toys on the floor.

Check the stairs/hall/toy room (2-6)= 2 points if there wasn’t much, 4 points if there was a medium amount to pick up, or 6 points if there was a great deal to pickup. We do it in 2’s because I have 2 kids doing chores.

 

 

Then I will include things like starting, switching, and bringing up their laundry; or helping clean the table, living room, or bathroom. Etc.

 

I hope this helps! Let me know if you download the free pack, and if it helps!