Managing Chores

Friends of ours have an awesome family of 5 boys and their mom was generous enough to share their method for keeping up with her kids' chores. It was quite good. After seeing that, I felt inspired to share our system as well.

Our family is quite unique. Since hosting international students is what we do, we have students come and go, so our family members are ever changing. So we needed a system that could be changed at a glance, so to speak. Most of our kids are over aged 10, so our system is more geared to the upper elementary/middle schoolers. We give an allowance based on work actually done to the best of their ability. They don't get partial credit for work half-done. They also get bonuses for things like A's on tests, and especially good attitudes, etc. The flip side is they get fined, too. Breaking house rules and doing things like putting socks in the laundry turned inside out can get them a fine of usually a quarter. The fines go into a jar and the money is used for charity.

In the past, we had trouble breaking their bills and making change, but we solved that problem by purchasing a cash box. We used to print a customized chore chart page for each child. That wasn't too bad, but this time I consolodated everything onto one chart. They just circle the chores they did and at the end of the day, get one of our initials. At the end of the week, they tally up their earnings and we check their math and give them their allowance. To teach tithing and saving, we often use ABC learning banks, which make it easy.

Teaching kids a work ethic and how to manage money is a full-time job. It never seems to end. I'm thankful for the tools to make the job easier, and the kids who are so helpful around the house. But most of all, a wife who feels the same way I do about teaching kids to be responsible. There is such a harmony when each member of the family is a team player and we all enjoy the fruits of each other's labor.