Tear-Off Pads for Chores

Household chores are a big part of homeschooling.  A family home all day creates more chores to be done because more meals are cooked and more messes are naturally made.  I like to switch up the way I manage chores every few years or so.  Starting the summer of 2013, I made tear-off pads for each of our sons, and a more open-ended one for me.  Due to the rotation of chores we have, it made sense to have a Monday - 1, Tuesday - 1, etc. and then for the next week's rotation Monday - 2, Tuesday -2, etc.  I took these into the local Office Max store and had them make 3 months' worth, cutting theme down the middle vertically and then horizontally, and putting tear-off glue on the top end of each.  It cost $13.  The boys have to turn them into me at breakfast and then again at the end of the day.  This is how they earn their morning snack and drink.  We've done this since June of 2013, and now it is January of 2014, and I just had my next set of 3 months' worth of pads made.  It worked out so well!  Here is a copy of our Monday - 1...

Keep in mind I've been working on chores with our sons every year for many, many years, so these are a compilation of all of the chores I've taught them.  If starting chores for the first time, you'd want to chose 1-2 chores for each child and teach them diligently for several weeks and then oversee them doing the chores more independently for another several weeks.  I've found it best to have each of our children keep the same chores for 3 years or so, and I usually add 1 new chore for each of them to be taught each summer.  I usually move one chore down each year or two to the next youngest child, and and teach the oldest something new.

I try to take into account what each child likes.  For example, my oldest son loves to do outdoor chores, so most of his chores are outdoors.  My middle son loves to do special things for me, so I added making my K-cup coffee and smoothie each morning.  He also loves to use the spray bottle, so cleaning the counters in the mirrors and bathrooms are a favorite.  My youngest son loves running our morning IPOD praise music as he does the chores, so many of his chores are near that.  He also loves to run water in the sink, so I added that for him to do as we rinse the breakfast dishes anyway before putting them in the dishwasher.  They are all quite happy with this arrangement.  In fact, none of them wanted to give up any of their chores for new ones last year, so we left them as they are for this school year.  HTH as you all try to figure out how best to do chores in your home!

In Christ,
Julie