we have gotten into some bad habits lately. and by we, i mean my kids. they’re cute, but when it comes to cleaning, they’ve fallen a bit behind. a couple summers ago, i created a really easy summer job chart. i like to call them jobs instead of chores because i think maybe it will seem like they’re not as hard. jury is still out on whether my kids are buying it. but there’s no denying they respond better to a chart than anything else.

our summer chart had a positive effect on everything. especially my sanity. even though we called it the summer job chart, we used it past the summer and all through the year. it made life so much easier, but i stopped enforcing it. why? good question. sometimes we do that as moms. we put off making small changes even though we know they will have big results. i needed to change some of the jobs and also change some of the days, and it just never felt like a good time. now? it feels like a good time.

my kids {and all kids i think} respond well to a chart for 3 reasons:

{1} they know what to expect. when the chart is up, it is no surprise that we have morning and evening jobs. the less they feel like i am springing jobs on them, the better their attitudes.

{2} it’s not coming from me. the chart limits arguments because when it’s on the chart, they blame the chart instead of me. also, i don’t have to repeat myself. i just refer to the chart.

{2} we practice. for the first week of the chart, it’s important to demonstrate expectations and help. as they get the hang of the jobs, you can help less and less. this usually takes about a week for us. don’t skip this. it will pay off in the end!

our job chart is called the super simple job chart for a reason. it took about 25 minutes to create the first version and 15 to revamp some of our jobs to reflect the kids’ new ages. again, i have no idea why i put this off this time! with summer around the corner, i’m glad we are starting now.

if you’d like a copy of our super simple chart, you can download yours here. you’ll also gain access to a bunch of other fun freebies to help create a home where your family can thrive! our chart is a microsoft word document and it is so easy to tailor to your own family. there was a time when i thought a job chart needed to be super cute and fancy. then i got smart and decided it doesn’t need to be fancy, it just needs to work. this one works. if you’ve been waiting for the perfect free moment to make your own chart, make it easy on yourself and just download this one!

need some help brainstorming age-appropriate jobs that will actually help YOU around the house? here are 3 simple ideas to consider so you can make this chart work for your family:

step 1

consider the ages of your kiddos. mine are eight, five, and one. this chart will not be for the one-year-old, obviously. my eight year old is capable of a LITTLE bit more than my five-year-old. he can probably push the vacuum better than she can. but she can use the handheld vacuum. so they are about equal in the chores they can easily accomplish.

it is really important that the chores on the chart are age appropriate. otherwise, you will just have tears and half-way done jobs. keep that in mind for step 2.

step 2

consider the things that bug you the most around your house and make a list. remember, this list should include jobs that are age appropriate for your kiddos. i created this quick printable for myself so i could go room by room. it was helpful to have everything written down. it also saved time because when i made our chart, i just plugged in the jobs from my list and crossed them off as i went. you can grab a copy of this printable for yourself here.

this was my list of jobs. remember to stick to things your kids can actually help you with. it is also important to note that if you want kiddos to clean up toys, they have to have a good place to put them. until this weekend, our basement was a disaster. we have places for toys but we had too many toys so those place are overflowing. yesterday, i decluttered so that the basement job is now manageable for a five- and eight-year-old.

step 3

consider your schedule and natural motivators. if you have a before school activity on tuesdays, that is not the morning you want your child to have to clean his/her room. if you have after school activities, jobs might need to be done at a different time on that day. if you have a certain day where a certain uniform needs to be clean, you will want your own laundry routine, and the day your child puts away his/her laundry, to work with that fact. if you are struggling with your laundry routine, i have a crazy easy laundry system that has totally saved my life. you can use this link to check that post out next!

i use our schedule as a natural motivator for jobs. during the school year, morning jobs have to be done before they come downstairs for breakfast. my kids like breakfast so they are motivated to do their jobs. sometimes i have to set a timer to keep them on track. in the summer, morning jobs have to be done before they can watch a show. this is even more motivating than breakfast.

in the evening, jobs have to be done before dinner. i cook while they get their jobs done. their natural incentive is dinner, and the jobs are age appropriate and doable in 15 minutes. i am sure of it. for that reason, we’ve sat down to dinner a couple times with a kiddo still finishing up a job. having that happen once is usually motivation for them to move faster in the future.

you don’t always have to go overboard with money and prizes for jobs. consider your schedule and naturally occurring things your children look forward to already. or consider motivators that are already in place, such as the show my kids like to watch in the morning in the summers.

last summer, i added a layer to our chart to give the kids some extra incentive. we called our summer system the mom bucks system. i got the idea from my friend mary. it was great because it gave the kids a way to start “paying” for things like screen time. check back next week for a post describing this fun system!

now that you have considered your kid’s ages, considered the jobs you need done, and considered your schedule, you can fill your jobs into your own chart. when you can stop battling chores, stop saying the same thing a million times, and look in on a messy room but KNOW it will be clean before dinner? THIS will give you and your family the space and calm you need to thrive! grab your copy of this super simple job chart and discover the difference it makes in your day. while you’re in the LITTLE printable library, don’t forget to snag your copy of the rooms printable so you can make sure your most important jobs are on the chart.

**you will also see at the bottom of our chart, some paid jobs. the kids and i came up with these together. the truth? they rarely do these jobs. but when they ask me to buy something, the paid jobs are an excellent way for me to tell them to make some money to buy things themselves. there is also a row for extra jobs. sometimes, if we are having someone over for example, i might need the kids to do one or two extra things. i very rarely use that line but it’s there just in case.

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