Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Chore Chart

When we were kids, my parents were never really all that strict, but I guess they didn't really have to be. We didn't have set bedtimes that had to be followed. We also didn't have specific chores that were tied to allowances. We would clean our rooms (well, I would clean my room), do the dishes and take out the trash when asked, but there wasn't a rigid schedule.

After have four adults back in the house, each bringing with them their own habits, priorities, and preferences, my mom decided to come up with a chore chart. When she first mentioned it, my brother and I were like "Is she serious?" We didn't think she really was, so we joked about it for a couple of days. Perhaps that's where we went wrong because, with each joke, she was reminded of the idea and would threaten to really make one.

Sunday night, she went through with it. Displayed on our refrigerator is a list of household duties down the left side of the page and the days of the week across the top. Then all of our names are scattered throughout the the middle of the page. I did notice today that on Tuesdays, I have no chores. I happen to be the only member of the family with a "day off," which my dad did not find fair. I think it's fantastic. Or I think it will be down the road anyway.

It just so happens that my mom is out of town, working, during this inaugural week of the blessed Chore Chart. I'm not sure how she's going to police what gets done and what doesn't. And, so far, everyone has done something that wasn't their specific chore, so it's all messed up. For instance, retrieving, sorting and distributing the mail is a chore (yes, we get that much mail), but my brother usually gets it every day. He isn't so good about the sorting and distrubiting, so he has been bringing it inside and I have done the remaining steps of that chore. And I ended up doing the dishes yesterday, even though it was my mom's day. I've also done a lot of laundry lately, just to get it caught up. I suppose the point of it all is that it gets done, some way, some how, so as long as that happens the chart will have served it's purpose.

Here's my beef, though: There's no sticker chart to go along with the chores. How am I to keep track of what I've done and show that I'm doing the most chores so that I get the most privileges?

4 comments:

Melissa said...

Wow...I found your blog. Finally. Love the chore chart idea....but heaven forbid I am having to make one for my adult children and husband!! Dang people, shake a leg over there. I think she should attach chocolate to the chores, forget those worthless stickers, lets get something that motivates!

Jacquelyn said...

Finally! ;-) The chart was less a result of people not doing any chores and more because the washer and dryer are always in use by someone other than the person who needs it. I guess I should've made it more clear that we aren't living like pigs, our schedules just clash. Oops! Missed you yesterday, but will see you Friday, if not before.

Melissa said...

Awwww.....sorry about that. I was mostly teasing you though. But yeah, that makes sense about the schedules. Missed you to! You are going to have to work your hiney extra hard to make up for missing you know..!!

Jen said...

A chart is nothing without gold stars!