As part of our chores and executive function expose, here comes another FREEBIE! The School and Home Chores list can be yours by adding your email below. This downloadable worksheet is part of a series of free resources including: age-appropriate chores, chores and executive functioning skills, foresight in a task, sensory chores, and a task tracker.
While any time of year is perfect for initiating and instilling chores in our children, Summer is the easiest. Chores are always one of my top picks as the perfect Summer home program! You have more time in the summer for teaching, practicing, and focusing on specific skills. Build your chore list and practice during the summer holiday, making it a breeze once school starts again.
CHORES checkLIST
Once you have reviewed and understood age appropriate chores, begin by making a list of what you think your learner is capable of learning. Our free Chores List worksheet is a great visual aide.
You can use this sheet to write in lists of daily chores and then the child can check them off as they are completed. Hang it on a fridge or in the home and use it to track chores.
Getting kids involved in chores can be a lot of work. There is no doubt it is faster and easier to do it ourselves, but then we rob our young learners of the opportunity to learn real life skills, build independence, confidence, and learn to problem solve.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DOING CHORES?
I mentioned independence, confidence, and problem solving above. What other opportunities can you build by working on chores with your kids?
- Build independence
- Establish routines, which creates a sense of comfort and security
- Become more responsible
- Develop a sense of confidence (or improve their self-esteem)
- Learn time management and/or organizational skills
- Understand the importance of teamwork
- Cope with frustration and delayed gratification
- Develop resilience, so they can deal with the realities of life
HOW TO GET STARTED WITH A CHORES LIST
Sometimes getting started is the hardest part for both kids and adults! Having a plan or foresight in a task, can help. Here are a few pointers to get you started:
- Start young…teach expectations early. Young children get excited about helping around the house. Build this sense of purpose early, to help keep the momentum when the tasks get harder or less fun. Starting while your learners are young can have a lasting impact.
- Explain the purpose of chores…explain that everyone in the family has a role in maintaining the home. Everyone should contribute in some way. Help them see that dividing the work makes it easier for everyone and frees up more time for the fun stuff.
- Begin small…start in small doses or chunks. Try backward or forward chaining. In backward chaining, teach your learner the last step of the task. You do all the items while they watch, then have them do the last part. This gives them a sense of finishing something. Forward chaining is the opposite. Have your learner do all the pieces they can, then you finish it for them. Start first with demonstration, moving on to cooperation, then independent work. Try mastery of one task before adding another.
- Keep chores age appropriate… understand the unique needs and skills of your learners. Not all learners are going to fall in the exact range of the age-related chore list. If something is too difficult, it may cause defeat and can hurt their confidence, making it less likely they will want to do chores in the future.
- Let your learner get involved…if your child has expressed an interest in something around the house, start there. Some kids love the heavy work of using the vacuum, or sorting toys.
How to use the free chores list
This chores list is simple and straight forward. The free printable may either be your jumping off point, or the resulting list, after chores have been established. Sometimes less is more. Limiting visual information can be helpful to making the important information stick out.
Make a list for each day of the week. In the “other tasks” section, you can add other jobs, or a reward tracking block. Everyone needs to work for something to stay motivated. As you make your chores list, you can add the everyday daily living tasks that are expected, such as brush teeth, shower, get dressed, etc. Then add the weekly chores to the list such as laundry, vacuuming, dusting, sorting toys, dusting, or whatever your learner can do.
- Try laminating the chores checklist for ease of reuse.
- Decorate the list in fun colors, or print it on colored paper
- Younger learners may need picture symbols instead of phrases
- Enlarge the list if needed to make it stand out
Add additional resources such as this great life skills and chore activity packet bundle.
HOW TO HELP KIDS BE SUCCESSFUL AT COMPLETING THEIR CHORES LIST
Starting your chore list and teaching the tasks is just the beginning. Here are some great tips for helping kids be successful:
- Be clear about expectations. Kids cannot read between the lines, so don’t leave anything up for interpretation. Be clear and direct about the expectations. For example, asking a child to clean their room is vague. Be clear about what a clean room means. For example, put away clean clothes in drawers or their closet, place dirty clothes in their hamper, put books on their bookshelf, etc. Some kids may also benefit from having a chore chart or other visual reminder of what chores they are expected to complete and when they’re expected to complete them.
- Create routines, and be consistent. If something is inconsistent, it’s hard for kids to understand the expectations, which can cause confusion or frustration. Try to be consistent when it comes to when and how chores are completed. For example, make the bed every morning and put dirty dishes in the dishwasher after meals.
- Be a good role model. Kids are more likely to do something if they see us doing the same thing.
- Try to have fun. It is normal for kids to dislike doing chores. Many grown-ups feel the same way! But simple things, like playing music, can make cleaning more enjoyable. Get creative by turning chores into games. Make sorting laundry into a basketball game by tossing lights and darks into separate laundry baskets, or set a timer and try to beat the buzzer (complete the chore before the timer goes off).
- Encourage self-praise by asking kids how they feel when they complete their chores. Do they feel satisfied, accomplished, or proud? If giving praise, try to focus on their effort rather than the outcome. For example, instead of saying, “You’re doing a good job!” Try saying, “I notice that you’re working really hard to get that surface cleaned.”
ROADBLOCKS TO COMPLETING THE CHORES LIST
There will be roadblocks and setbacks as the chore list is designed and implemented. That is real life. Try and problem solve some of the road blocks.
It is normal for caregivers to get frustrated when the chores are not being done right, or kids are refusing to try. This is normal on both sides. Try and understand why they might be refusing, or not completing the tasks as instructed. Are they unsure of expectations? Is the chore developmentally appropriate? Do they have the focus to complete the chore? How are their executive functioning skills (problem solving, task initiation, self-reflection)? Is there something else going on entirely (sensory)?
Keep your expectations realistic. Understand that the chores are not likely to be done the way you do them. Except mediocracy. Pick your battles. Try and be patient, resisting the urge to jump in and help too soon.
Keep following the OT Toolbox for more free worksheets like this chores list to add to your resources.
Victoria Wood, OTR/L is a contributor to The OT Toolbox and has been providing Occupational Therapy treatment in pediatrics for more than 25 years. She has practiced in hospital settings (inpatient, outpatient, NICU, PICU), school systems, and outpatient clinics in several states. She has treated hundreds of children with various sensory processing dysfunction in the areas of behavior, gross/fine motor skills, social skills and self-care. Ms. Wood has also been a featured speaker at seminars, webinars, and school staff development training. She is the author of Seeing your Home and Community with Sensory Eyes.
