How to Organize Chores around the House
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It’s important to organize chores around the house because the temptation is often overwhelming to postpone doing those household chores and cleaning jobs. There are always other things that are more fun to do. Here is one way to organize chores so that it makes it easier to keep up with them.
Identify the Regular Chores in Your Household
First identify all the chores in your house that should be done on a regular basis. Make a list of these along with estimates of the time required to do each chore properly.
Inspect Each Room in the House
Go through each room of the house systematically and add any chores you missed initially. There may be unique aspects to some rooms that require special attention, such as ceiling fans, for example.
Analyze and Categorize the Chores
Analyze the chores by the length of time each requires and categorize them into quick jobs (less than an hour), medium jobs (1 or 2 hours), half-day jobs (3 to 5 hours) and full day jobs (6 hours or more). Make up small cards for each chore with the category and time estimate listed.
Make Specific Plans
Take the four piles of chore cards and each week plan when one half-day or full-day chore will be undertaken, and which quick and medium jobs will be done on which specific days of the week. You will now have a plan for the week and daily plans as well. Review the plans to be sure that they are realistic.
Make Chore Assignments
Recruit other household members into the plan, letting each one take turns choosing one job per turn until all jobs are allocated for the week. This method has the advantage that others will be rushing to choose the “better” chores and the laggards will get the more burdensome ones. There will soon be a competition to be the first to start choosing chores!
Final Tips on Chores
Chore time should come out of TV or play time, not out of homework time or family outings.
Adjust the list of chores and time durations as you observe and gain experience measuring each one.
As you learn how to do the chores more efficiently, incorporate “best practices” into each one so that whoever does them will know the best ways to accomplish them.
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Excellent advice which I will be utilizing with my family. Thanks!
A very good plan. However, I could not help thinking, would that not make it a chore itself - planning it. However, it is a great idea to avoid procrastination.
These are great tips, especially for those of us who are often too tired from working to even think of the word 'chores'. Thanks for sharing!
I like the idea of having the whole family involved, especially during TV or other times. It would be neat to try and get the little chores done during commercials during favorite shows.
When we do the bigger chores in my house, music is always involved to keep up motivated. Time flies when you're having a bit more fun. :)
Voted up and sharing!
Great Ideas!! I love the chore cards and planning out the week ahead. It also makes it easy to adjust when the schedule goes awry! Good hub! Voted up, useful and interesting! Thanks for sharing these ideas! God Bless!
Really like your thoughts on observing each room and organizing the chores. We are just getting ready to redo our kids commission jobs for the year and these tips will really help. Thanks for sharing.
ktrapp Level 7 Commenter 8 months ago
Oh, how I wish I could get a do-over with my kids and make rotating chore cards for all of us. This is very useful advice that parents should latch onto especially when kids are young and want to help.