Check out our tips and free advice on how to make your life easier
in
dealing with day to day chores.
CHORE.com
- What is a chore?
A household
chore is a specific piece of work required to be done as a
duty
or for a specific fee,
related to or used in the running of a household.
Household chores can be divided into two categories,
indoor and outdoor. The indoor chores have
long had a negative connotation, "I have to go do my chores"
being a common unhappy statement, while the outdoor chores
are sometimes seen as more pleasant.
The indoor
chores include cooking,
setting the table and washing
dishes; cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting
and mopping ; picking
up clothes to the washer and laundry; ironing;
lift and carry
things, putting things away; child and elder care;
paying bills.
The outdoor
chores include decorative and vegetable
garden
care, lawn and
grounds maintenance, animal care, snow removal, driveway
maintenance, outbuilding maintenance. In Neo-classical economic
analysis, such household chores performed by members of the
household are not included in economic output.
However, Feminist Economists have argued that housework and household chores are a
vital part of the economy and society. Chores
are commonly assigned by parents worldwide as tasks for children
to complete around the house. The parents give their child or
children chores as a way of learning disciplinary skills. Many
parents create chore charts that are used to track the
completion of these tasks. Common chores assigned to children
include: cleaning room, making bed, emptying trash, feeding
pets, washing car, laundry and yardwork. Some parents have used
chores as a way for children to earn allowance in order to
create a connection between hard work and reward, while other
parents believe that chores should be done as a family
contribution and not compensated for with rewards.
FREE downloadable/printable
Charts and Lists:
Kids Chore Charts
Kids can be a handful, and they naturally know how to
make a mess. To help get them started with
responsibility and get you some organization back,
download and print for these free chore charts (aka behavior charts
/
reward charts).
They provide structure for the tasks
you expect your children to complete each week and are
great for motivating children and tracking goals at home or
in school.
To-Do Lists
Keep your day on track with these free printable
to-do lists.
Family Chore Chart
Keep the whole family on track and the house
organized when the entire family works together toward
one common goal with this family chore organizer.
Housecleaning List
When it is time to clean the house, this free printable
list will keep you going in the right direction, with
just about every house chore, house keeping and cleaning
item listed.
HOW
KIDS CAN HELP WITH CHORES:
Some ideas on what Kids can do
at what ages
Ages 2 - 3:
Help make the bed (pull covers up)
Pick-up toys
Hang clothes on hooks
Carry laundry to and from the laundry area
Help feed animals
Help wipe up spills
Bring in the newspaper
Mop a small area
Pour from a small pitcher
Help pick up the living room
Ages 4 - 5:
Any of the others plus:
Make their own bed
Clear dishes from the table
Set the table
Retrieve the mail
Dust the furniture
Help in the kitchen
Help carry and put away groceries
Ages 6 - 12:
Any of the others plus:
Take care of pets
Cook simple foods
Help wash the car
Vacuum, sweep and mop
Clean the bathroom completely
Rake leaves and shovel snow
Use the washer and dryer
Hang and fold laundry
Take out the trash
Ages 13 and Up:
Any of the others plus:
Change light bulbs
Replace vacuum cleaner bags
Wash inside and outside of windows
Clean out refrigerator
Clean stove and oven
Prepare a meal
Make grocery lists
Do all laundry functions
Mow the lawn
Household Cleaning Cards:
Household Cleaning Cards in a changeable form, you can change these to make
them fit your home.
These cards can be very helpful for any member of the family. Each card
outlines the job and gives a job description. By having these cards you
family will know what is expected. When a job is completed, you can let the
person in charge of that area evaluate his own work. By having these cards
they can see if anything has been left undone.
Make these cards for each area or job in your home.
BATHROOM Daily:
Straighten towels
Put away clothes
Straighten counter; put away make-up, curling iron, etc.
Wipe out sink and bathtub
Wipe off toilet
Shake rug
BATHROOM Weekly:
Empty trash
Polish counter top and mirror
Scour tub, shower, sink and fixtures
Clean toilet bowl, replace toilet paper
Straighten towels dirty ones in laundry
Sweep and mop floor
BEDROOM Daily:
Make bed
Fold pajamas and put away
Pick up clothes and toys
Take care of books and homework papers
BEDROOM Weekly:
Change sheets
Empty trash
Straighten closet and drawers
Wipe / dust dresser and around door
Wipe / dust window ledges of windows
Dust furniture, baseboards, doors
Dust ceiling fan
Vacuum
FAMILY ROOM Daily:
Pick up toys, books, etc.
Straighten pillows and blankets
Stack newspapers and magazines
FAMILY ROOM Weekly:
Water plants
Clean TV screen
Wipe walls, base boards and around doors
Wipe window ledges
Wash windows
Vacuum
Dust bookshelves, furniture, baseboards, and doors
Dust ceiling fan
FRONT ROOM Daily:
Pick up and put away anything that has been left out
