Chore charts — I’ve experimented with every type imaginable: magnetic, canvas, chalkboard, and even those flashy metallic star stickers. I’ve got reminders plastered in bathrooms to wipe toothpaste off the sink, notes in the laundry room to check pockets and avoid leaving sweaty socks in a pile, and messages taped to kitchen cabinets urging them to place dirty dishes in the sink and empty the dishwasher when it’s full.
We’ve tried them all.
I even crafted a few myself, hoping that a personal touch would spark some motivation in my kids. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. They’re completely indifferent. Well-meaning friends with exceptionally obedient children have offered their advice, suggesting I assign specific areas of the house for them to maintain. Guess what? That plan flopped too. It turns out, they don’t care if their designated area resembles a disaster zone; they’d rather just skip to a cleaner part of the house.
My kids have never been enthusiastic about chore charts, assigned duties, or any system that requires consistent household help. I’ve resigned myself to the reality that no list of tasks will inspire them to pitch in — it simply won’t.
Even bribes and reward systems, whether cash incentives or privilege exchanges, have failed to coax them into action. Instead, we’ve created a more relaxed, intuitive approach: “Just do it when I ask or when you notice it needs doing.” It’s as straightforward as that.
Some parents might criticize me for not instilling a sense of personal responsibility in my children by enforcing daily chores. They gasp when I reveal that my kids don’t handle their own laundry or clean the toilets. Honestly, with four kids aged 8 to 18, our daily life is a whirlwind of controlled chaos. Trying to implement chore charts only added to the stress — it felt like I was overseeing another job. Eventually, we all revolted against yet another to-do list.
After spending their school days buried in endless tasks, followed by homework and extracurricular activities, when do these stressed and busy teens find the time for household chores?
For now, we’ll stick with our laid-back system where I ask them to help out as needed, and they generally comply. I hope that by gradually shifting the responsibility onto them without a formal system, they’ll learn to take initiative and, perhaps, take pride in contributing without needing a reward.
Before long, they’ll be off to college, and I won’t have to worry about the state of their rooms, bathrooms, or laundry.
You might wonder, “If you never made them do their laundry, how will they know what to do?” Funny you should ask. I just dropped off my eldest at college, and on the way, he asked, “Um, how do I do laundry?” I replied, “Check the back of the Tide box. Good luck.” And guess what? He figured it out.
If you’re interested in more insights, check out this engaging post on our blog. Also, if you’re considering home insemination options, Make A Mom offers reputable kits for at-home insemination. For information on fertility and insurance, this resource is incredibly helpful.
In summary, my kids may not excel at chore charts, but I’ve found a flexible system that works for us. By encouraging them to contribute when necessary, I hope they will eventually take the initiative on their own.
Leave a Reply