Describe Your Chore Chart
I use two chore charts. They are both web applications: charts you customize, print and store online. The first is called "Whose Job Is It?" It assigns chores we do all year long, like laundry, walking the dog, etc. The second is called "Do, Due, Done." It reminds families of less frequent tasks like having the chimney swept, having the furnace serviced or even renewing passports.
How Is the Chore Chart Working?
I keep both on the family bulletin board. Instead of nagging to have my husband change the water filters in the garage, I can just point to the due date on "Do Due Done." We sit down at the kitchen table with the family at least once every six months to revise household chores. The software provides a comprehensive list of suggested chores - not just the obvious ones like "take out the trash." Who does the summer camp research? Who stays home from work when the kids are sick? Having all of those less obvious tasks on a chart helps both kids and spouses appreciate everything that's involved in managing a household.
Advice
- Change jobs frequently so no one gets stuck with the unpleasant ones.
- Team up occasionally for hard jobs.
- Try not to assign jobs according to gender. A girl can take out the garbage, and boys need to know how to do laundry, too
