Chore organization

If you don't have little kids, this may be a very boring post. Sorry :)
I thought I'd write up a couple of posts about our daily organization. This one is about our chores. A few months ago, we started with the envelope system of chore organization. It's definitely not unique to us or new and fancy! But I like that it clearly shows me what's been done, who still has work to do and who is responsible for what.

This is our board. Don't mind the crooked picture. I'm physically unable to take straight pics for some reason. Each girl has an envelope for AM chores, PM chores and completed chores.


I sat down with the girls and figured out what chores I wanted done each day, each week, etc. We also have a card for Saturday chores - monthly cleaning tasks I rotate through.

Every morning (or if I'm really with it, the evening before) I'll put each girls' cards in the proper envelopes. We also have an envelope for "Daddy cards." No, I didn't give Josh a chore list. These are cards for each girl listing how she is doing with the character traits she struggles with. Josh checks them periodically to issue rewards or punishments if needed.
I keep all the cards in a file box on our school shelf. Each girl has divided section with cards already separated for Monday-Saturday. There is no flipping through to find the right card, it's all presorted. This was a lot of writing when I first did them but it was definitely worth it.


Here is a list of what chores each girl does:

Lael (age 10)
5 Fingers (get dressed, put dirty clothes in hamper, make bed, brush teeth, brush hair)
alternating breakfast and lunch prep with Alyssa
feed Max
sweep
put away lunch dishes
practice guitar
quick clean living room with Lauren
quick clean bedroom
pick up outside toys
wash dinner dishes
laundry - M, Th
daily chore - M,W, F
Saturday chore

Alyssa (almost 8)
5 fingers
alternating breakfast and lunch prep with Lael
put away dinner dishes
school clean-up
wash lunch dishes
quick clean bedroom with Lauren
pick up outside toys
dinner clean up
laundry - T, F
daily chore - T, Th, Sat.
Saturday chore

Lauren (age 4)
5 fingers
put away utensils
dust
quick clean toy area
quick clean bedroom with Alyssa
quick clean living room with Lael
wipe dining room table after dinner
Saturday chore