How To Organize a Family Chore Chart

Organizing a proper family chore chart can make life so much easier, more peaceful and predictable. Whether you’re just splitting chores with your significant other or you want to include your children in day to day cleaning and maintenance activity, an aptly organized family chore chart can be just the tool you need to streamline the entire process.

But before you jump into it and start transferring task from your To Do list to other members of the household, let’s go over some basics.

The Basics Of Organizing a Family Chore Chart

Predictability and specificity are two of the most important features that you can include in your planning. The more ad-hoc your chore chart, the less likely it is that you will be able to properly implement it and also, the less likely the other members of your household are to actually stick to their designated chores.

If you don’t spend the time in advance to make things clear and concise to everyone involved, you might find yourself right back where you started. So what steps should you take to avoid this outcome?

Define Your Chores

One of the biggest issues that you can come across is poor definition of chores. Oftentimes, the person who takes on the mantle of Family Chore Organizer is also the person who had previously cared the most and therefore done most of the chores.

This means that certain things that are instinctual to you might not be easily defined. Maybe for you ‘Doing The Dishes’ means washing, drying and cleaning the counter while your 12 year old might be content to just clear the sink. Or maybe ‘Clean The Floors’ means a thorough vacuum, a steam clean and a once over the corners.

The bottom line is that everyone participating in chores needs to know what a completed job looks like. This will avoid conflict down the line as well as foster some appreciation for past effort.

Devise a Schedule

Some chores might need daily attention while others can be done once a month. It’s important to attach both a duration and a frequency to a chore. Everyone who gets assigned a task should have a clear understanding of how often they would be expected to perform it. 

Here is where things might get a bit complicated. You might have to have a family meeting to decide whether you want everyone to be able to pick the chores they prefer or if every chore should be cycled through each member of the family. Depending on whether you’re including your children in their process, as well as how old they are, that might not always be possible to distribute evenly. 

Leverage Technology

Nowadays there are plenty of apps that can make the process of assigning chores and making sure they get completed much easier. You don’t have to chase down every member of your household to remind them that the bathroom cleaning is overdue. You can simply use an app like Enzo and have their phone notify them as their chore deadline approaches. 

From creating the perfect family chore chart to organizing bill payment and splitting expenses, everything can be managed from the app. Your kids might even want to set a reminder or two for their weekly allowances. Setting everything up is easy and intuitive but even if you run into trouble, there’s an FAQ available where you’ll find all the most common fixes.

Have A Family Meeting To Reassess

Regardless of what system or app you decide to go with, you’ll want to make sure that everyone agrees and is aligned on the organizational details. What’s more, you’ll want to set up a weekly or monthly check up point to see how well the new family chore chart is working for everyone. Is everyone sticking to the schedule? 

Maybe some members of your household would like to try a different system or maybe they’re starting to appreciate you a bit more.

As the system becomes more robust and everyone gets used to it, it will need fewer dedicated meetings, but for the first few weeks or months, this can make the difference between a lifelong habit and a feeble attempt at organization that ends up with everyone just falling into old patterns.

Why Is A Family Chore Chart Good For You?

Although this seems like a great idea on its face, you might be wondering if it’s worth the hassle of organizing everything and everyone. The answer is a resounding Yes. Although it might take a bit of effort initially, setting up a good foundation will ultimately mean less effort in the long run. You’ll get some great help with household chores and you will minimize your own frustration at your family members. 

When work is divided in a way that everyone finds fair, there are less opportunities for fights over the dishes but there is also less unspoken resentment that can affect your quality of life and even your overall family relationships.

Why Is A Family Chore Chart Good For Your Family?

Making sure that everyone does their fair share isn’t just a bonus for you. It can serve as a valuable lesson for your children, getting them used to the type of responsibilities that they will have to face in the real world.

What’s more, it creates a solid organizational foundation that can easily seep into and positively influence other aspects of their lives such as school work and interpersonal relationships. It fosters a sense of independence, which is crucial to instill in both kids and teens.

Word of Caution

It’s almost never too early or too late to start including your kids in household chores. In fact, from toddler to teen, the benefits can be lasting at all ages. However, there are some chores that might be unsuitable for younger kids.

Here’s a comprehensive list that takes into account the principles of child developmental psychology that can guide you through including everyone in the process of maintaining a tidy house, even from the earliest ages.

And there you have it. These are the basics of what you should keep in mind if you’re considering adopting a family chore chart.

Now you can start brainstorming how to include your particular requirements into your system and planning the next family meeting. Good Luck!