How to Create a Chore List

Washing the dishes is a chore older children can do.

Chores help a child learn how to take care of a house and how to complete housekeeping duties. Chores also teach children responsibility and, if given an allowance for chores, money handling. Parents should involve children in the chore list making process to make the chore list a family project. Some children will be eager to mimic parents and complete the chore lists, while others might be more reluctant and need more coaching. The list completion process is important to getting every child involved.

Things You'll Need

• Colored paper
• Markers
• Pencil
• Paper

Instructions

1. Hold a family discussion or meeting to design the chore list and the entire process. Write down items to include on the chore list. Group the list by tasks completed every day and tasks completed every week.

2. Decide on punishments and rewards for completing or not completing tasks during the meeting. Punishments might involve taking away television or computer time, while rewards might be an allowance or extra TV time.

3. Teach the child to complete every chore and perform each of them together. Discuss specifics about standards for completion. For example, if you want the child to fold towels in a certain way, tell him. Include notes about how to complete each task on the paper.

4. Write down all of the chores on different color construction paper. Write weekly chores on one color and daily chores on another. Under the name of the chore, write down the notes for completing the chore. Hang the paper on the child's room or stack in a pile easy for the child to reach.

5. Set a deadline for completion of each chore. Change the chore list as needed, as the child develops and can handle more chores. Add new chores to colored paper. When the child gets older, just write the list on a piece of notebook paper and place it on the refrigerator.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't assign chores too complicated for a child to accomplish.

References

• University of New Haven Cooperative Extension: Children and Chores

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish