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| Sorry it's not the clearest picture. If you click on it, it should enlarge. |
The key to assigning new chores is to do it BEFORE school starts: to get all the kinks worked out for a couple of weeks and get into a good rhythm before school. We did that this year and it really helped.
We've started Adelia (3 1/2) with some chores of her own this year. She's supposed to clear the table and wipe it with a rag, which happens about 40% of the time. She usually forgets or quits it halfway through. She really wanted to have some jobs to do all by herself, so I tried to oblige~ but... now I'm wondering if maybe I should have buddied her up with one of the other kids. Oh well. Maybe she'll grow into it. Audra is tagging along with Ella on Ella's laundry chore, and that is working well.
One thing I have learned (and it took me a good while to learn this) is that 3, 4 and 5-year-olds do work befitting a 3, 4 or 5-year-old. I used to have *much* higher expectations for their work (my poor older children!), but I have learned to lower those expectations. When Adelia does clear the table, I give her lots of hoorays and smiles and tell her what a great job she did. When she doesn't, I do it. When Adelia wipes the table, I wait until she scurries out of the kitchen and then I go along behind her and do a more thorough job of it. There is a time for training kids to do chores the way you want them done, and I'm all for that, but... not when they're so young.
For the most part our kids' chores stayed the same. I did ask them for suggestions/preferences before I made the chore chart. They expressed that they like working together on things, like the living room, so we kept that the same. Ella also wanted a partner for laundry because she gets lonely, so that's why I assigned Audra to her. Isaac wanted to keep sweeping but I could tell he'd rather not keep clearing/wiping (hence: Adelia), so I plugged him in for collecting and cleaning the eggs and helping with the dishwasher. Isaias is still doing the garbages. He wanted to be Ella's partner for laundry but I knew that combo wouldn't fly (they'd goof around too much) so we nixed that idea.
We've been at it for a little over a month and it all seems to be going well!
Love it! You have the prettiest handwriting and make the best pictures too.
ReplyDeleteWill they get promotions if they keep at it? How do you decide when they change?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Wendy!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, whoever you are~
Promotions? I don't know if there is such a thing in chore-land-- at least not at our house. :) No chore is the sought-after chore around here. We change when another fit (chore and child match-up) would work better for the schedule or if a child wants to do something else and they have displayed enough responsibility for that particular chore to be given to them.
Cutest chore chart in the history of chore charts! I am loving the tidy back porch chore idea, and do you guys really run your dishwasher three times a day???
ReplyDeleteJodi~
ReplyDeleteThank you!
As for the dishwasher: some days we do. Most of the time it's just twice a day, though. In those cases (when it's listed as their chore but there's nothing to unload) I have the kids help me finish loading or clean up toys from the kitchen floor or some other such kitchen-y project. :)
what a pretty chart Stacy! I unfortunately am a miserable failure at charts. sigh.
ReplyDeleteI just implimented a new cleaning system for my children. Each is assigned a day to clean their shared bathroom. from the second youngest girl to oldest...with the boys doing Saturday together. (the three year old isn't cleaning much yet. but offers help when asked. mostly).
I still probably do too much on my own. I am fussy and somehow no one quite manages up to what how I really like it. hmm, guess I should either change my views or ask God to unveil their eyes (hahah).
love to you.
Kimmie
mama to 8
one homemade and 7 adopted
Thanks for sending the link- what a wonderful blog you have. I have one too, but it has definitely taken the back burner over the last couple years :( I got all inspired seeing your chore chart though. This last year I feel like I've dropped all systems and am just trying to make things happen. But really, maybe some systems here and there would help the cause. There's something good about predictability and clear expectations. So, anyway, now I'm inspired to make one- it won't be as cute as yours though!
ReplyDeleteKimmie~
ReplyDeleteHow's your new cleaning system going? :)
Love ya!
Shannon~
Thank you. I'll have to come peek at your blog! You and Lucy should work on a chore chart together for a school project! :) She could draw cute little pictures! :)