Daily Chores

As parents, one decision we had had to make was whether or not to give our children an allowance for the chores they do. I developed a chore card system using the clip art in the Microsoft Word program. We have 15 picture cards, each representing a different chore (wash dishes, feed pets, vacuum, dust, sweep, make beds, clean living room, help cook, clean bedroom, take out garbage, clean bathroom, clean one area of the basement, help with farm chores, help with laundry and set/clear table). I will mix the cards up and Faith, Seth and Anna will each draw 5 cards. Even Anna is old enough to participate with some help and the kids earn one dollar for every five chores they complete. I try to have them choose 1 card for each weekday, but some days, if we are extra busy or go to town, I don't.
Each child has a chore chart hanging on the wall where they can list their chores and mark them off when completed. Loren and I still expect them to help with small tasks or extra chores if asked, without a reward, but for the bigger chores we do give them an allowance. Once all 15 chores have been completed, which usually takes a week or two, we mix the cards up again and start all over.

We also try to incorporate 5-minute cleanups each day so picking up does not become a long, overwhelming task because we let toys pile up on the living room floor all week. For example, I will set a timer for 5-minutes and we will all work together to see how much of the living room we can get cleaned up before the timer rings. If someone refuses to help they lose privileges like TV time or computer use.

One of my goals is to get into a better habit of having the kids help every day. Mainly, it's just fitting it into our daily routine, which usually ends up being at the end of the day when we're all feeling tired. So, this is something I continue to work on.

What we like about this system is it teaches the kids money management skills and also to recognize the different coins and dollars. When we go to town and they want to buy some candy or a small toy that I normally would not purchase they can use their own money. They need to look at prices and decide if they have enough money or if they need to make another selection. Sometimes they buy an item and then afterwards learn that it was not worth the money they spent. Now, if I would have paid for it then it probably would not matter so much, but because it was their hard earned cash, next time they might remember to not impulse buy or to be more careful with their choices.

They have also learned to save money and right now Faith and Seth are both hoping to buy rabbits this spring. And they have felt the reward of giving to others by buying treats or gifts for friends and family and putting their own money into the Sunday school offering plate.

One other tip I picked up somewhere, is to have a set of morning routine cards. This really helps me to not have to remind the kids what to do after breakfast and before school each day. Anna still needs my assistance at getting ready in the morning, but Faith and Seth each have a set of four picture cards on a key ring that reminds them to brush their teeth, comb their hair, make their bed and get dressed. When everything is complete, they return the key ring to me and I know they are ready for the day.