Creating a household chore chart is a great way to make sure eveyone is keeping up with their chores.
If your family is disorganized or you have trouble getting everyone to do their share, you could benefit from a household chore chart. Creating a chart will show every member of your house just how many jobs need to be done on a regular basis and who needs to do it. You will be able to see just who is doing their share and who is slacking off. This might sound like a useful idea, but where do you start such a task?
First you need to know what jobs have to be done. To start, make two lists: things that need to be done every day, and things that need to be done once a week. You might find that you also need to list chores done twice a week or three times a week. You could also make a third list of monthly jobs if you find you need it. If you have trouble remembering, pay attention to all the chores that need to be done over a few days.
When you are satisfied with your lists, sit down with your family and discuss how the jobs should be assigned. To be fair, find out which chores each person finds the most undesirable and try to assign it to another. If there are any jobs that more than one person dislikes, try to work out a compromise. One solution could be alternating weeks so no one person is stuck with the job. This would also be a good time to discuss what each chore entails. For instance, does doing the dishes include washing, drying and putting away or are they three separate jobs?
When you have the details all worked out, it's time to make the chart. What you use to make your chart is up to you. Some families prefer to use poster board so they can hang it up as a reminder. Others prefer to use a smaller size that they can keep in a household binder. Whichever size you make yours, there are a few things you should think about.
Do you want a monthly or weekly chart? Obviously if you decide on a monthly chart you will need a larger chart, but if you found many monthly jobs on your lists this might be a good idea. Another solution could be to create a separate chart just for monthly chores. With either one, you should not date the days so that you will not need to create a new one each week or month.
To create a weekly chart, start by listing the days of the week. You can list them however you like as long as there is enough room to list the jobs beneath each day. Using a different color for each member of the family write in each day's chores. Keep in mind you may want to add pictures if there are young children. The final step is lamination. If your chart is laminated or covered with clear contact paper you will be able to reuse it. With a dry erase marker you can check off each chore as it is finished, then clean it off and start over again. Now everyone in your household will know exactly what is expected of them!
