Keeping up with housework while homeschooling or blogging or doing other work can definitely be a challenge knowing that there are only so many hours in a day to accomplish it all. Thus, as soon as children are able to help with the housework the better.
Now that Peanut and Teacup are getting a bit older we are starting to transition from a routine chart to a chore chart system since they both know our normal routine. In my research for the “perfect” chore chart, I found some pretty neat chore chart apps available for your tablet or phone. Some were free. Others cost only a few dollars.
At first I was a bit skeptical as to their effectiveness because kids are so image oriented, but I liked the idea of not having to keep up with one more bit of paperwork, reward tickets, or dry erase boards. In the end we ended up finding a happy medium by using BOTH a physical chore chart list AND a chore chart app.
Choosing a Chore Chart App
After downloading several apps (okay…nearly all the chore apps) and trying them out we decided to go with iAllowance for our app and here’s why:
- It allows you to keep track of chores, paid jobs, and behavior in one app.
- It provides images you can use alongside a chore so that even my little Teacup who can’t read yet knows the chores she is assigned.
- It lets you create multiple bank and reward systems for each child.
- It lets you assign chores to unique schedules whether it is daily, weekly, sometime during the week, or monthly.
- It provides a physical indicator to let children know how close they are to earning their next reward.
- It can automatically calculate how much money should go into each bank (church, saving, spending, etc.). While it is great for older students do this on their own, I find this super helpful when handing out the money at the end of the week since my children cannot quite calculate percentages yet.
Phew! After all those reasons, you’d think I was paid to promote iAllowance but I’m not. I just share because we really like the app even though it did cost $4. Once purchased, I set up both girls with daily and weekly chores in which they earn stars, jobs for hire in which they can earn money, and a behavior section where I can add stars for exceptional behavior or subtract stars (or money) for unacceptable behavior. You could even add your schoolwork checklist on there if you were desiring a compact workbox alternative.
Choosing a Printable Chore Chart
At first I thought I would leave our chore chart as a digital only prop, leaving the iPad on the kitchen counter for them to mark off their chores as they completed them, but instead I discovered that having a physical chart on the refrigerator helped them SEE things much easier. Thus, I created a chore chart list for the refrigerator which they follow by day and then each night before bed I come in with the iPad to mark off their chores via the app. Finally, on Sunday, before church, we have pay day in which the girls put the money they earned in their piggy banks or their purses take to church.
While the girls don’t mark the items complete on this chart, if you choose to use it that way, all you will need to do is laminate it and have your child put an “X” on the picture each day with a dry erase marker. You can then wipe the chart clean each night with a rag to start over the next day. And the BIG highlight of this download is that it’s EDITABLE! Meaning if you have Microsoft Word, you can insert your own pictures and your own chores to your liking.
Click to Download This EDITABLE Chore Chart Now
Our Chore Chart
As far as WHAT we have on our chore charts, here’s our current list. Each chore is worth 1 star each time it is completed.
Teacup (currently 2 1/2)
Chores
- Make bed
- Brush hair
- Brush teeth
- Get dressed
- Pick up room
- Put away toys (outside of room)
- Put away silverware after lunch
- Set the supper table
Jobs for Hire
- Feed the dog ($.10)
- Feed the fish in the morning ($.05)
- Sort clean laundry ($.25)
- Clean doorknobs ($.10)
- Wipe down baseboards ($.25)
Peanut (currently 5)
Chores
- Make bed
- Brush hair
- Brush teeth
- Wipe down bathroom sink
- Get dressed
- Pick up room
- Put away toys (outside of room)
- Put away silverware after breakfast
- Set the lunch table
- Clear and wipe the supper table
Jobs for Hire
- Feed the fish at night ($.05)
- Clean light switches ($.10)
- Wipe windowsills ($.10)
- Sort clean laundry ($.25)
- Clean doorknobs ($.10)
- Wipe down baseboards ($.25)
- Sweep kitchen and dining room floor ($.25)
- Sweep sun room ($.25)
Both Girls
Behavior
- Good behavior (2 stars)
- Whining (-1 star)
- Disobeying authority (-3 stars)
- Hitting (-5 stars)
Rewards
Once they have earned several stars for completing their chores they can redeem them for rewards. For instance when they earn 50 stars they get to choose between an extra bedtime story or a movie. When they get to 100 stars they get to choose between a picnic or a trip to a special park. And so on. For now we are letting the stars accumulate but once they reach 400 stars we will payout (or clear our star count) and start over.
- Extra bedtime story (50 stars)
- You choose the movie (50 stars)
- Go for a picnic (100 stars)
- Trip to a special park (100 stars)
- Day at the museum (200 stars)
- Day at the zoo (200 stars)
- Ice cream date (300 stars)
- Soda pop date (300 stars)
- Spend the night at Papa and Meemaw’s house (400 stars)
Take it to the next level with these resources:
- Age Appropriate Life Skills List (aka a great list of chores listed by age)
- Chore Chart Apps for Kids on PopSugar
- Kids: Chores Pinterest board for more chore chart ideas and links to many free chore chart printables
