Job Board

Chores, the dreaded chores. Things that are not always pleasant but must be done. Things that could be completed quickly and easily if done well on a regular basis, but add the complaining and whining, and it takes forever. Getting kids to do their chores is like pulling teeth, except I'm the one having the extractions and the good doctor forgot the drugs.

I've tired EVERYTHING over the years to get my kids to do their work daily. I've used job charts, stickers, tokens, prize boxes, point systems, rewards, punishments, incentives, you name it and I've probably tried it. Nothing seems to last for very long and I've decided its because I've made it too complicated for myself. Several months ago I created a job board and listed each kid's daily assignments. The job board hangs in the laundry room. This has worked really well for us. Everyday, each kid knows exactly what he/she must do before watching TV, playing video games, playing outside, etc.

This job board has 2 flaws. Number one, its kind of an eyesore. And secondly, one child has gotten in the habit of not checking the board for new or updated assignments. This child tells me the work is all done, when in fact, she doesn't know if it really is or not, she's just guessing. So, here is our new job board:

I saw a similar idea on my friend Courtney's blog a couple of months ago and adapted it to fit my needs. My hope with the new board is that all the kids will check their assignments daily because they must actually move the card when the task is complete, so hopefully chores don't go unnoticed. We'll see how it works.

I have color-coded the jobs. The yellow cards are things that must be done on a daily basis such as make beds, clean rooms, put clothes away, etc.

The blue cards represent weekly assignments, the child has the responsibility for a week. The Sanitation Engineer must take out the kitchen garbage and recyclables every evening and also the laundry room garbage when needed. The Domestic Assistant is my kitchen helper and must unload the dishwasher, set the table and help with dinner. (This seems to be Brooklyn's favorite job.) The Zoo Keeper is in charge of feeding the dog and, when the weather is good and the snow is gone, scooping the poop.

Red cards are extra jobs for which the kids can earn money.

The green card, which you can't see in the picture, is the Yard Ranger. This chore will be a new one for us and is not yet in action. The Yard Ranger will run a 3-week term and then rotate to the next child. The responsibility of the Yard Ranger will be to walk around the yard at the end of the day and check to see who has left toys and bikes outside. The Ranger will then let others know that their belongings need to be taken care of and put away.