If you’ve ever tried to convince a kid to get their chores done, you already know that it can be a task that’s, well, easier said than done.
Most kids aren’t likely to just jump in and feed the dog without being reminded, but if you’re trying to promote more of a “self-starting” approach, there are a few different tacks to take.
There’s the classic “Do it or no TV tonight” approach, but the negative here is that you’re still forced to cajole and threaten, and your child will internalize the idea that they don’t have to do the chore until you make them.
Another classic is paying your child an allowance for chores completed, which can have really positive outcomes, as we saw with this little tyke who donated his allowance to people in need.
On the other hand, it means that they may equate just being a good citizen in the household with getting paid.
So, the last solution is the best, but also the trickiest to perfect: make the chores FUN.
They say it’s only been achieved by a few Olympian parents, but we think we, at least, have a good starting point with our spectacular Cookie Sheet Chore Chart that makes housework almost like a game, and just in time for the busy start to the school year!
To start, you'll need a few simple materials, lots of which might already be in your house!
We used:
If you don’t have any of these items at home, you should be able to find them online following the links!
Get started by laying your cookie sheet out on a flat surface, and begin to decorate and organize the space with your decorative tape.
The great thing about the tape is that it's easy to remove or adjust if you mess up, and it can be used both to add style and to divide your tray up into the perfect organizational chart.
We used it to frame the cookie sheet and to make three sections for our chart.
The top section is the "name" section, which helps to make the chart feel special and personalized for your child.
It's also a great way to keep chore charts straight if you have more than one kiddo, with potentially different age-appropriate responsibilities.
Under the name, we divided the sheet into two columns, one for "To Do" and the other for "Done!"
Next, we grabbed a handful of clothespins and our very brightest Sharpie markers!
This part of the tutorial is all about writing down which chores your child should be responsible for, so it's a good idea to have a game plan before you start and know what tasks should be accomplished.
We chose tasks like walking the dog and setting the table, appropriate for a child around 10 to 12 years of age.
Once you have five to 10 clothespins filled in with chores, you can start on the next step.
Break off strips of the magnet tape, and attach them to the blank sides of the clothespins.
This will fix the clothespins to the cookie sheet, and make them easy to move from one column to the other.
Now, you can go ahead and line up all of your chores in the "To Do" side of the column.
You can color-code your clothespins depending on the job. For example, pink for a weekly chore and green for a daily chore.
Depending on how you arrange things, you may even be able to clip little notes into the pins, especially if a chore is particularly urgent or temporarily on hold.
Now comes the fun part!
It's not a game per se, but every time your child is able to move a pin from the "To Do" side to the "Done!" side, they'll feel like they scored a point, and there will be a feeling of gratification.
As a parent, you may even implement some kind of reward system for a week or month of successfully completed chores.
When it's all done, you can hang your pretty new chore chart up on the wall or on the fridge!
Wherever you choose to hang it, make sure it's in easy reach for daily tasks, and enjoy the workflow it brings to the new school year!
If you love this awesome tutorial to gear up for September 1, make sure to check out our back-to-school quiz below!
And don't forget to SHARE this awesome idea with fellow organizational mavens!
