Printable Chore Charts:
the tools you need to
organize your family
How can printable chore charts help your kids?
Well, from Jiffy Lube to NASA, checklists are used to clarify expectations and break big jobs into smaller tasks. Those small tasks are the individual steps toward completing big goals.
Okay, to clarify, when we say "chore charts," we're actually referring to several different kinds of printable checklists:
Customizable, printable chore chart
, which identify daily chores, like:
- I brushed my teeth
- I checked the tidy-up basket
- I got my jammies on
We have lunch responsibilities since we homeschool, but of course those could be removed, or different homeschool tasks could be written in.
, which explain step-by-step various cleaning jobs, like:
- how to turn on the washing machine
- how to clean the bathroom
We use a
, which is a template that I print out and then write on. We home school, so I am in charge of my kids' assignments. This kind of template would also work as a tool for kids to take to school and write down their assignments. It would be a challenge to make time to communicate with each other so that you can know what your child is responsible for, but a homework checklist is a great place to start.
Since two of our kids play a musical instrument, sometimes practicing can become a power struggle, so I made a
music practice log
, which are nightly recaps of various chores, plus:
- sibling behavior
- music practice
Here are examples of the printable chore charts we use. We just used a spreadsheet program to create the perfect chore chart for our family.
This is super easy to do, but if you'd rather download a free customizable chore chart from our store, click the link in the right column button "template" to create a version that will work for your kids and chores.
Take a look at the
chore chart for my 6-year-old.
He has some basic jobs, including morning chores, table jobs and getting ready for bed, in addition to violin practice. Notice that I bolded some of the chores that we've been working on lately. These checklists are completely customizable and can change over time to reflect changes in kid behavior and habits.
8-year-old's chore chart
is has a few more details.
chore chart for my 11-year-old
has the most items, but he manages to do them all every day. Each list does include one night of preparing (or helping to prepare) dinner for the family (woo hoo!). Additionally, each does his own laundry on a designated day.
You might also consider a single day format, which you can print out, slip into a sheet protector and use with a dry eraser each day. We have actually switched over to this format in our family. I find it easier to keep track of with multiple kids.
Okay, on to the reward charts. There are only small differences between the different ages, so I've included just one example. As you can see, the
includes items from their chore chart (I highlighted those parts in blue) plus family rules and sibling behavior. On the star chart for my youngest, I used to have a line on "Did I scream today?" because that was something I was trying to change in his behavior. These reward charts are not set in stone and can change to suit your needs.
Our reward charts do include a lot of items, and it does take at least five minutes to do the three start charts in the evening, which is sometimes a challenge. If time is short in the
, then consider shortening the number of tasks.
I think we can agree that kids benefit from being given reponsibilities, and so do you. Now you have actual tools that can make it a reality!
If you can
this system of printable chore charts, including cleaning checklists, homeschool checklists, and reward charts help clarify family expectations, hold kids accountable, and celebrate successes. Get ready to get organized!
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