School will be starting soon, and parents around the country are feeling the crunch as they purchase supplies, establish earlier bedtimes, shop for clothing, and prepare their children for the more taxing schedules they must begin. This article offered a great suggestion that might help kids get back into a routine: chores! Maybe your family has established chores that continue throughout the summer, or maybe you are looking for suggestions to start something like this. I think you will find this article helpful and inspiring!
How to Help Get Your Kids Ready to Go Back to School
(from www.livelifeshopsmart.com)
Change may be good, but it’s not necessarily easy. Trying to ease your family back into a routine after a laid-back and carefree summer can be a challenge for both kids and parents alike. Moving from days that consisted of going to the pool or beach, movie watching & friends to homework, new teachers & classes, extracurricular activities and more homework is quite difficult. One thing I have found to be very helpful in easing my kids back into a routine are Chore Charts. Not only do they help establish a daily routine at home they also give your child a sense of personal responsibility which, filters over into the classroom.
Providing consistency will help keep children on track and organized. I have pulled together a list of what I think are some great ideas for Chore Charts that will have your kids back into the school routine in no time. Keep in mind that depending on your children, and the areas in which they struggle, some of these will need to be tweaked to better fit them and your family’s lifestyle.
This chore chart (above photo) centers around one large magnetic chore board and individual, personalized magnetic boards for each child. Each chore is broken down and listed on a magnet. You can choose to have a monetary value attached to it or not. Once a child performs that chore, they move that magnet onto their personalized board to track progress. This gives kids a clear understanding of what needs to be done and recognizes when they have done it. This chore chart is genius!
Alternative Ideas to a Chore Chart
- Write chores on small pieces of paper and fold them up into a jar. Let your kids pick from the jar and see which chore they randomly get. It adds some excitement and surprise into the mix.
- Turn on music! Designate a certain time and day of the week for chores and play loud fun music. Dance, sing and clean all together.
- Create individual clipboards for each child that outlines the tasks they need to complete to prepare to leave the house in the morning and a separate list that outlines the weekly chores they must complete. If they follow the clipboard and mark off each item, then you clip a dollar bill to the clipboard. You can also create personalized “coupons” that they can redeem for a reward of their choice, some ideas are a movie night, new toy, ice cream trip, sleepover with friends, etc.
- Time it! Bring out your child’s competitive side and see if they can complete their chores before the timer goes off. According to Empowering Parents, this makes it more exciting and stimulating for the child. And while your child won’t lose anything if he or she doesn’t get it done, you can reward them with something if they do. That kind of reward system is always preferable to one in which the kid loses something, because it’s more motivational and less punitive. You’re giving your child an incentive to do better.
Age-Appropriate Chores/Tasks
2-3 year olds:
- Pick up toys and books
- Take laundry to the laundry room
- Help feed pets
- Help wipe up messes
- Dust with socks on their hands
- Pile books and magazines
4-5 year olds:
- Clear and set the table
- Dust
- Water flowers
- Bring in mail or newspaper
- Help cook and prepare food
- Carry and put away groceries
6-8 year olds:
- Take care of pets
- Vacuum and mop
- Take out trash
- Help make and pack lunch
- Fold and put away laundry
9 years and older:
- Help wash the car
- Learn to wash dishes
- Help prepare simple meals
- Clean the bathroom
- Rake leaves
- Operate the washer and dryer
*Editorial Credit: Family Sponge
**If you’d like to purchase a chore chart you can here.