We are constantly in a state of reorganising Chore lists in our home.One list will work for a while and then life circumstances change and we try to reassign chores based on these and the new abilities of children.
I must admit that as I come to making this list I think I need to re think what it is that we are trying to achieve with the children doing these chores, apart from the obvious cleaning and helping to keep the home running smoothly so ALL can enjoy the home environment.
We have always believed that a home is a home for all within it's walls and that the keeping of a home neat and tidy is the responsibility of all. The training that occurs from the responsibility of doing chores is then able to be put to use in other matters in life latter on. We have seen this in our older children who have very good work ethics and the ability to take on tasks and opportunities in life as they are presented to them.
I have realized that our younger children do not do as many chores as the older children did when they were at the same ages. Partly I think this is because we have the older helpers and frankly I just am used to the competency and of these children. But how I remember the times when we were teaching the older ones to do these tasks, how we had to be content with less than perfect to help them gain competency and confidence in the assigned tasks.
However the results are evident now in the fact that our older and middle children can handle pretty much any household task. So In keeping a balance between continuing to have competent help from the older children and a 'teaching theme' with the younger children I am trying to adjust chores to fit.
This is I believe a continuing and non static task for the children as well as myself as we evaluate what is working for us now, and whether this is still working for us even three months from now, for example, when our baby is due.
Of course even though I have only a few personal tasks on this list. I will be helping our younger children learn what is required of them and doing other tasks as well. There are many things not on the list that need to be done to continue to make 'our house a home'.....and these really are my responsibility.
MORNING:
All~ Individual area of bedroom tidy (bed's made, bookcase tidy, under bed tidy, top of bed tidy, wardrobe tidy and doors CLOSED)
Autumn help Arwen
Vellvin supervise and help where necessary Moran
Eden supervise and help where necessary Myffwyn
Rogan help Corbyn
Personal Grooming: including face washed, hair done, dressed before breakfast (team pairs help younger ones)
Saxon: open curtains
get stove ready
put porridge on
milk on to warm and make milo
collect/chop firewood (Corbyn help)
collect kindling too (Corbyn help)
Vellvin: Put washing on and hang washing out
Autumn: Put washing on and hang washing out
Rogan: Bring down hampers
fill bedtime bags
garbage out
kitty litter, food water and tidy
Eden: stack dishwasher and wash up extras
wipe down ALL benches and tidy them
sweep areas in kitchen that need it
Moran: unstack dishwasher
wiping down chairs
sweep upstairs bathroom
Myffwyn: unstack dishwasher
wiping down vanities
sweep M and D bathroom
Corbyn: help Saxon with wood
wiping over toilets
sweep downstairs bathroom
Mummy: make bread 2 loaves
All: 10 min tidy up
LUNCH~
Moran: Unstack the dishwasher
wipe table and chairs
Myffwyn: Unstack the dishwasher
wipe table and chairs
Corbyn: Unstack the dishwasher
wipe table and chairs
Rogan: Setting the table with all lunch food items
Eden: Setting the table with all lunch food items
Vellvin: Clearing the table and stack the dishwasher and wipe all benches
Saxon: Sweep through the family room up to and including the lounge room.
Autumn: sweep kitchen, pantry and laundry
AFTER SCHOOL TIDY UP:
Library room tidied up and swept
Monday: Autumn
Tuesday: Eden
Wednesday: Saxon
Thursday: Vellvin
Friday: Rogan
AFTERNOON CLEANING: 20 mins
2 areas per week..3 week cycle
Cycle 1: Bedrooms, Lounge room, family room
Cycle 2: Kitchen, pantry, library room, loft
Cycle3: Butterfly room, guest room, study, all tiled areas.
*Dust, polish, window sills, skirting boards, sweep (if needed) mop, clean under lounges and cushions, pictures, railings, vacuum rugs, cupboards wiped down
All: 15 min tidy up
EVENING: Groups rotate task on a fortnightly basis
Group 1: Autumn and Vellvin
Group 2: Saxon and Eden
Group 3: Rogan, Moran, Myffwyn and Corbyn
Task 1: Help Dinner prep
help bath prep
Task2: tidy up veranda
folding up
putting away
close curtains
Task 3: get washing in
unstack dishwasher
set table
AFTER DINNER CLEAN UP:
ALL: clear and stack dishwasher, wash up, sweep floor,
set table for breakfast,
Medicine for Moran
Little children teeth cleaned
FAMILY TIME:
Read to little ones
Bible read aloud
Read aloud
Rosary
Little ones to bed while Middle children do own thing
Then Mummy and Daddy to play card game, short board game, or read alouds while doing
crafts together with these children
MORNING TEA SCHEDULE: to make something of your choice on the appropriate day to be put in freezer or eaten that or next day or even for sweets if we have an abundance. This can be done at any time of the day to suit the person involved.
Monday: Vellvin
Tuesday: Autumn
Wednesday: Rogan
Thursday: Eden
Friday: Saxon
Saturday: Mummy
Sunday: Mummy
Well that is a look into the workings of how we would like our home to work at the moment. Who know it might actually work for us too!
Blessings to you and your homes,
7 comments:
Here in the cottage, my boys are responsible for the cat and the dog; for the cleaning and maintaining of their bedroom; for drying the dishes after every wash; and for putting away their clothes.
So far, this has worked very well and have kept the boys involved in the maintenance of the cottage.
You are such an encourager to me Gae. I am not the only one that believes that children, either male or female, should be given chores depending on your lifestyle.
Blessings dear friend,
Maria.
Gae, it's so interesting to read about the division of the household tasks in your home.
I can well understand the need for a routine, such as you have implemented, to be adhered to in a large family.
It makes perfect sense on many levels!
I also think it's important for boys to share the chores such as cleaning, cooking and caring for clothes. Our sons have been able to take care of themselves and their abodes, for years now, because they never felt it too 'girly' to help around the house when they were younger.
I like the way you pair up the children to help each other too.
With homeschooling added to the routine, your must be days very busy indeed!
Inspirational to us who have far less to manage on a daily basis!!
God bless you, dear lady...Trish
Doors closed! That's the one I am constantly reminding the kids about. It never occurred to me to put it on their chore charts!
Hi Gae, I love your chores list. I have always had a jobs roster. Once when a friend came to visit, she looked at the roster and said, "But what do YOU do!" Maybe she thought I was a hard taskmaster and made my children do everything while I was lazy. I reassured her I had enough to keep me busy too. My aim is to train my children well, and it is good to know the house will still run efficiently even if for some reason I am not available. Thanks for sharing!
Once again ladies thatnk you for your input I am always incouraged by tyour comments
I was a bit hesitant about posting this becasue on the surface it looks like I as the mother don't do much, I have been critisised in the past for the fact our children do do these seemingly 'mother' tasks and that it was my responsibility to do them myself.
However i still belive that the responsibilities and work ethic is what they are learning as well as being a servant to others as Jesus calls us too
Blessings
Gae
Gae what is a bedtime bag & a butterfly room ?
Dear Rox,
Here is the link to the bedtime bags
http://cherishedheartsathome.blogspot.com/2009/09/bedtime-bags.html
and the butterfly room is a play room that I decorated here is th post on it too
http://cherishedheartsathome.blogspot.com/2010/07/butterfly-room-and-cheap-decorating.html
Blessings
Gae
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