Happy Friday: Summer Chore System
Sent from reader, Wendi:
It’s about this time during the summer that I start to realize my house is a disaster due to the “extra bodies” that spend more time here, and said “bodies” have turned into zombies from too much screen time! I decided to create a system to help gauge the kids’ screen time and also get a little bit of help with chores around the house.
The first green cup has Popsicle sticks with “rarely-done” chores listed on them (things like “wipe down baseboards and window sills”, “thoroughly scrub the kitchen floor”, “weed the flower bed behind the shed”). They are placed in the cup with the “tape side” up. My kids randomly choose a stick and perform the task listed. Then, my girl’s completed tasks go in the pink cup and my boy’s completed tasks go in the blue cup. (You could easily just label cups with kids’ names.) Each stick can then be exchanged for 20 minutes of screen time. When the screen time has been used, it goes into the second green cup, this time “tape side” down. When all the sticks have cycled through, they are transferred once again to the first green cup, and the process restarts. The kids are loving it, and my house looks remarkable (if I do say so myself!). I also love the fact that they are learning new skills and are increasing their awareness of “saving” and “spending” using a “screen time” economy!
HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀
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I am so doing this ASAP! Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Very smart idea and a great way to help kids understand the concept of earning things they want from doing work! Way to go!!
That’s a smart idea! When I have kids, several years down the road I should do this.
Such a great idea.love this. Cute and practical ☺️☺️
Can’t wait til my kids are old enough, can’t see my 4 and 1 year old scrubbing the kitchen floor lol 🙂
Barb: My “little one” is 11, now. When he was about 3 I started having him help with chores. Your 4 year old is probably old enough to do basic things around the house. Maybe start with a Swiffer type duster/sweeper on wood or tile floors (the handles can be made smaller), collecting the laundry, helping put laundry in the washing machine and/or dryer. You could also have kids tidy rooms by giving them baskets to fill with their toys or better yet (mom and dads stuff that is laying around!) They can help feed and water the pets. My son now teases his dad about all that he can do (well) that his dad can’t.
I started my 9 yr old with chores when he was 3. He would drag/push the laundry baskets to and from the laundry room. He’d collect dirty dishes around the house and bring them to me and he’d put away the pots and pans since they were on the bottom. He loves helping and after helping with 3 chores he got a goodie from the top shelf in the pantry (fruit snacks, dried pineapple. Basically a sweet treat he didn’t get regularly). Now he has a regular chore everyday and then there are 4 additional chores where he earns 30 min of screen time for each. That extra pair of hands makes a big difference
So cool!
Love it… and sharing it!
Too late for my kids, but if grandkids ever come along… Excellent suggestion!
Love this idea! My big kids are 5 and 3 so I don’t think there will be any floor scrubbing or cabinet sorting but this would be great with some simpler chores like putting away laundry, picking up and sorting toys, etc.
@Jesse, I thought the same thing but my cousin who has teenagers recently came to visit and she taught my 3yr old how to help do chores. Now he is ecstatic! For example she gave him baby wipes to clean the base boards and coloring on the walls. It
worked! He was exhausted by bed time. My son is closer to 4 though so that may make a difference.
How awesome, thanks for sharing!
Such a great idea! Glad to see other moms limiting screen time!!!
I know every child is different, but start your children young on household chores. 2 is old enough to pick up toys and 3 year olds can do more then you think. By 5, my daughter was cleaning the bathroom, all except the toilet bowl, and folding all the childrens clothes, and she can vacuum the hard floors. My 2 yr old son thinks its a cool game to swiffer dust baseboards and walls! Haha! I look at it this way, the more dirt they clean up, the less I have to do. And when theyre little, they think its fun.
I don’t have any children But I’m going to try this with my boyfirend! LOL
Great idea I will pass this on to my sister!
I absolutely love this idea!!
You are doing your children such a huge favor by spending the time to start this young, as they are learning so many life skills at a very early age that will help them for the rest of their life. Don’t think I need to list them, but I am so proud to see parents actually fulfilling their role, rather than just having children. Children need to see from their parents that both work is necessary and play happens after the work is done, or that is the way that I was brought up.
Children have a soft spot in my heart, especially infants, the younger the better. 🙂
Had a day care in my home when I was younger, and had three of my own, and at one time had 3 infants plus 2 toddlers and 1 preschooler. They were so precious.
Just want you to know you made me smile and brought back memories, and made my heart warm with joy reading this post. May you all be blessed, and enjoy them! They grow up so fast.
Thanks so much for your comment! Warmed my heart:)
I like how you “incentivized” doing the chores using the draw-“straws” popsicle system you created!