Even Toddlers Can Do Chores

I saw a great idea for a toddler chore chart on this blog: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com and I tweeked it a little bit to work for my family. First, I decided which chores I want my kids to do each day or weekly, etc. Then I made an index card for each chore. On each index card I glued a picture related to that chore and then wrote the words of the chore. For example, I took a picture of Pumpkin brushing her teeth and glued it to the index card next to the words, "brush teeth". Then I took a picture of her clean room and glued it on the card next to the words,  "clean your room". I also made cards for Princess with pictures of her room and her brushing her teeth or hair, etc. 

Then I made two envelopes for each child. On Pumpkin's envelopes I wrote, "Pumpkin TO DO" and "Pumpkin DONE" and on Princess's envelopes, "Princess TO DO" and "Princess DONE". I also wrote a bible verse on each envelope to remind them why and how they are to do their chores (Colossians 3:23 and Matthew 25:21).

Then I taped the envelopes to the wall next to their rooms, where they would see them every morning and evening so that they could check their chore chart easily. Each evening, I go through the index cards and put the cards that they are responsible for the next day in the respective "TO DO" envelope. And each day, as the girls complete their chores, they move the card to their "DONE" envelope. Some chores don't need to be done every day, like clean your room and feed the fish, so those cards stay in the "DONE" envelope until I move them to the "TO DO" envelope.

We've been using this system for a few weeks now and it is working great. I am just so happy because I have tried several different charts (some home-made and others that I paid for) and nothing ever worked just right for our family. This chart is great because Pumpkin can look at the pictures since she can't read yet, and I can include daily chores, every-other-day chores, and weekly chores all in the same chart. I also love that it is so flexible (for example: the girls trade doing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom each week, so I can just move that index card to the other girl's envelope at the beginning of the week). The girls also love the pictures of themselves doing the chores.

If you've been looking for a chore chart that is flexible for your family, I hope you try this one and have success with it as I have.