Question: What Effect Does Back to School Have on Children's Chores?
Andrea is a mother of three children ages 12, 8, and 3. The chore chart her family set up for the summer functioned well, but it's been chaos since school started. She's looking for a little help. <p> <i>"How can I modify my chore chart so that all the little things associated with school and our home get done?"</i><p>
Answer: The chore chart that kept the house clean and functioning during the summer won't usually transfer to the fall. Backpacks, school activities, and a continuous flow of paper signal the beginning of a new year at school, and they should signal a change up in your chore chart. Here are a few things to keep in mind, when setting up a chore chart for the school year.<p>
1. With kids out of the home most of the day, things stay more clean.
2. Hectic school days and activities will require quick clean ups more often than intense cleaning.
3. A schedule will help you. Create a cleaning schedule and write it down in a daily planner or on a chore chart to keep yourself on track.
4. Even with homework and activities, some chores are still necessary to keep your kids in a routine and responsible. They don't have to be overwhelming, just consistent.
While a back to school chore chart may look different than your summer one, the goal is still the same...to get through the necessities of home management as a family, so that the fun times get to happen as a family, too.
