Chores

We started a new chore chart last fall and we've made some changes. The chores remained the same but the approach of pay has changed. Recently, we read about a mom who paid her kids to do chores. Yes, this is a huge debate in and of itself but she had an interesting take on the paid tasks. She paid on a scale: Poor quality, standard expectations and exceeds expectations.

We've decided to adapt a variation of this. The girls will still have the ability to earn their age in dollars as the maximum weekly, yet poor performance will result in less financial reward.

Our chore chart is simple, it follows tasks we need to perform each week and allows me to guide and help with each task. Each task focuses on what most people will need to know as an adult.

Monday- Laundry. Athena's responsibility is to put her laundry in the washing machine, switch it over and fold and put it away.

Tuesday- Dishes. Rinse the dishes, load the dishwasher and put them away properly.

Wednesday- Help create a meal plan, list of items to buy, find those items at the grocery store and put them away properly when we arrive home.

Thursday- Clean and organize room and play room.

Friday- Help organize the family room, this involves her doing any light dusting or sweeping that I may need help with.

Sunday- Help with tasks around the garage, lawn and house Raking, harvesting, canning, stud finding if using nails, pulling weeds and more. Obviously, not all of these tasks are completed each weekend.

If she does a poor job she will receive a quarter, if she completes the job to a respectable standard, she receives $.75 and if she completes the job beyond our expectations she will receive a dollar. Our chore system is not forced, it is voluntary so if she chooses to forego a chore, she will not receive financial reward.

This method made a lot of sense to me. As an adult, she will be rewarded for good job performances in the form of bonuses, promotions and respect earned by colleagues. If her performances are lacking, she will let down those same people which may (likely will) result in a loss of respect, job promotions or a job in general.

I've found this to be very motivational. While it is a Monday, I am finishing up a few apple/ pear sauces and she is dying to learn. Her performance in the kitchen today has been amazing!

Only being a few weeks in, I can't really say how the new system is working but I look forward to exploring the new opportunities and potential growth.

I would love to hear others experiences and philosophies so feel free to share.