Looking for a simple family chore chart and management system to implement in your home? This one has been a winner for our family!
Growing up, my mom rarely made me responsible for any household chores because she wanted to free up time for me to study and get into college. Maybe you’ve considered doing the same. Kids have busy lives with way more demands on them than they should have.
The trouble came when I moved out and got married. I didn’t have a clue how to clean anything. I had never done a load of laundry. And the stove? Well, I could make Rice Krispies treats and frozen waffles.
When I became a mom, I wanted to find a way to both teach my kids the basics they would need to take care of their home and give them time to study and learn amazing things.
I tried a lot of chore charts. I’d cut out the pieces, get all excited, bribe my kids for a while, and then give up hope. I just couldn’t get the typical chore chart to work for my family. Probably because I didn’t have time as a single mom to monitor their every move.
So I switched to a team effort. I created a family chore chart system adapted from something a friend was doing and I LOVED it! It works because it gives families a flexible lifestyle while also making sure things get taken care of.
Table of Contents
Why Should I Have a Family Chore Chart?
Chores are a valuable part of family life. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my kids to miss this opportunity! I have my children do chores because it:
- teaches excellent work ethics
- helps them learn to work for someone else
- builds a sense of loyalty toward the family
- prepares them for life
- enables mom (especially this single mom) to actually manage the whole house
Again, you don’t want to end up with a 20-something who can only cook waffles and Rice Krispies treats. Ha! It’s our job as parents to equip our kids for all of life, not just get them into college.
A simple family chore chart will help you prepare your kids for whatever God calls them to do, whether it’s a mom of ten, widowed dad, or even single man.
Family Chore Chart
I’ve played around with a lot of systems over the years. The family chore chart I have found that works the best is really very simple. Our chores are divided into zones. Zones 1-3 are done daily. For a long time, I had a recycled piece of cardboard and clothes pins that I rotated through each zone.
I tweaked and edited the zones until they contained an equitable amount of chores. Eventually, we settled on a piece of cardstock that I printed and put up on the fridge. I used clear glass beads and printed the first letter of each child’s name, then glued them on with mod podge. I glued a magnet to the back and the project was done. Super simple.
These are the zones —>
Zone 1: Dishes and Counters
The person in charge of this zone loads and unloads the dishwasher, makes sure all food is put away, and wipes the counters.
Zone 2: Living Room/Laundry
The person in charge of this zone makes sure everything in the living room is picked up and straightened. This includes the foyer and the hallway to the kids’ rooms. Once a week, this area must be vacuumed. This person is also in charge of starting a load of laundry and then making sure it gets in the dryer. Once it is done, he/she brings it out and sorts it into piles. Every child in the family then comes and folds his/her own laundry and puts it away.
Zone 3: Kitchen Table/Floor/Bathroom
This person is in charge of clearing anything left on the kitchen table (including school supplies) and wiping the table off after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They will sweep the floor after dinner and tidy the bathroom. Once a week the entire bathroom is cleaned (toilet, tub, counters, etc.).
At this time, all of the other zones are a group effort, such as the backyard and the car. As I mentioned, each person is responsible for his/her room and folding his/her own laundry. And that’s it. Simple huh? I wish I had figured out the zone thing years ago. It has been such a help to me.
Each day, our chores in our family chore chart are a part of our daily checklist for homeschool. Once completed, the kids check them off and turn in their notebooks. I “grade” their work for the day, along with their chore. They do get paid based on this checklist, but not for just doing the work. I only pay them for doing an excellent job.
Of course, if you adapted this idea in your home, your zones might look different. Your high traffic areas might not even be included in my list. I would suggest that you begin writing it down and, little-by-little, just tweak it until the zones seem to work for your family.
Chore Challenge Game
Sometimes I do a “chore challenge” with the kids. Once they have their zone finished for the day, the challenge begins. We can play one of two ways: Mom’s pick or peer judge. Both are pretty effective.
In Mom’s pick, I use the score cards to pick the zone that has been done the best that day. In my house, that person gets a bonus $.25 in their allowance for the week, but you could keep score for a period of time and reward with other things.
I really like this idea because it teaches my kids to be able to handle rejection, with a good attitude, when someone else getting picked. It also teaches them that excellence is the standard I desire the most. A “good” job is a good thing, but I want them to understand the difference. I’ve found that children really need us to help them grasp this.
In peer judge, they each trade zones and check off the score card for their sibling’s zone. I find that this one can be brutal. They are way harder on each other than I am! Just like in Mom’s pick, there is a winner chosen from the highest score and the 25-cent bonus is awarded.
The surprising result of this way was that my kids began to work together more to help their siblings attain the goal of a perfect zone.
If you need more ideas, here is an age-appropriate chore list and some chore chart templates.
Get Your Free Printables
I have made a fully editable version of the family chore chart. I pray that these free printables bless your family and help you bless others this year.
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When Should I Start a Family Chore Chart?
Simple chores can be done as early as age 3! That probably seems crazy, but at that age, kids are eager to help. Jump on the opportunity! If you allow them to learn while they are interested, it will be second nature when they are older.
That said, the family chore chart below has a few prerequisites. You should have at least two kids and they should be school-aged or close. If it’s too early for you, check out our chore chart ideas post for a better fit.
I am so thankful that I started chores with my kids when they were very young. If I had it to do over again, one thing I would have taught my kids was to play with one thing and put it away. As a small child, this can be taught. I just didn’t do that. Nonetheless, I did teach them a lot about chores and how to help around the house.
It is indeed more difficult to do my own chores when I am teaching a young child. I can easily see why many parents abandon the idea. Many times it just seems easier to do it ourselves, but we have to think long term here. Our goal is to teach them, not to make our own lives easier. (But eventually, you will get that too!)
I begin holding my children accountable for chores around age 3. This is about the time when they are constantly asking to help and think it is really exciting to have the opportunity. Capitalize on that and find fun ways for your child to be involved.
In the early years, our schedule looked a little like this:
- Nathan (age 4) was responsible for putting away the silverware, clearing plates from the dinner table, dumping the bathroom trash, and putting away his folded laundry.
- Rachel (age 7) was responsible for wiping the dinner table and counters, sweeping/mopping the kitchen floor, scrubbing toilets, folding ALL the laundry and putting away her own.
- Leah (age 8) was responsible for unloading and loading the dishwasher, scrubbing bathroom sinks, vacuuming the carpet, sorting and loading laundry to be washed, and putting away her own.
Today, years later, all four of them contribute to the family through chores. The older three rotate through a zone schedule in the family chore chart. Using the chart, they are responsible for the entire house between the three of them. They do bathrooms, sweep floors, do all the dishes, wash and fold all the laundry, and keep their rooms clean.
My youngest child, Luke, also has responsibilities, he’s just not ready for the family chore chart yet. He helps me with tasks as much as possible. He also unloads the silverware and dumps the bathroom trash. All the children rotate with helping me prepare the dinner meal each day.
As a single mom, this is a big relief. We are home most of the time and our house easily gets wrecked. Having the children responsible for almost all the chores really lightens my load so that I can tend to other tasks and it teaches them strategies they will use for years to come. Their contribution to the family takes only about 30 minutes of their day, but it saves me hours.
Through practical tools & Bible-based resources, Kim Sorgius is dedicated to helping your family GROW in faith so you can be Not Consumed by life’s struggles. Author of popular kid’s devotional Bible studies and practical homeschooling tools, Kim has a master’s degree in education and curriculum design coupled with over 2 decades of experience working with kids and teens. Above all, her most treasured job is mother and homeschool teacher of four amazing kiddos.
Bethany says
Your chart is great. I really like the idea of zones! Thanks for sharing this.
Brandy says
Will you be creating a editable version to sell or share? I would love to get one, if so. Thanks for all you do. You are a blessing.
Kim Sorgius says
I don’t have that planned presently, but I should look into it! 🙂
Ashley says
Dear Kim,
Hello, I am a 18 year old young woman who is going to college for engineering in a year. I read your fascinating article and while I am not pregnant, and not planning on becoming a mom anytime soon- I focused more on the beginning of your article.
I realized that there are a lot of similarities between our mothers. My mother also has big dreams for me (and bless her, I love her for trying in every way she can) she still insists she helps me by doing all the chores in the house.
Well, now I’m older and I realizing that puts me at a large disadvantage to those that have done chores since they were kids. It’s really embarrassing to admit that I don’t know how to clean or wash clothes, or iron, and I only know how to cook simple things like pizza and different pastas. She thinks that this will let me have free time to study and play sports but in the long run I can just see everything going downhill for me. I want to rectify this but I have no idea where to start.
What I wanted to know was how you taught yourself how to do these things, as doing it all yourself must have been impossibly hard-especially being out of school and married off. Now that I’m older I keep asking myself where can I start learning? What should I do first? What type of cleaning solutions should I use? How do you use a washer? How often should I do the laundry? How do I clean a stove?
So my final question is: How did you adjust to living on your own and becoming independent from a doting parent? And, how on earth do you manage a your time?
Thank you for your consideration,
Ashley
Kim Sorgius says
Ashley,
Your post made me smile. Take heart, you are not doomed! I learned how to cook watching the Food Network. Seriously. But you have it even better. You Tube has a video on literally anything you would want to learn? Want to know how to clean a bathroom? There are probably 100 videos for that!
As far as time management goes, that is an issue that most people truly struggle with. Yet again, there are some great resources on the internet. Dig around and find one that fits into your stage of life! Blessings to you.
Shannon says
Do you rotate the zones, and if so, how often?
Kim Sorgius says
Yes. We rotate every Sunday.
linda says
I love breaking everything in zones we do it inside and out makes it less stressful and seams like its easier even tho its the same amount of work-you just focus on the zone your working on 🙂
Kim Sorgius says
Great idea!
Sonia says
Hi. THank you so much for all your posts. I am a homeschooler of 3 (8.6,4), and struggle with setting chores and organizing responsibilities. I have tried different charts; and, either I stop using them, or they get too complicated. This one seems very simple, which is fantastic for me!! 🙂
I do have one question: your 7 & 8 year old…for cleaning toilets and sinks, what cleaners do they use? I am worried about them using harsh products, like toilet cleaners and soft scrub.
Just curious.
Thank you.
Sonia
Kim Sorgius says
We use gloves so I don’t worry too much. But I have taught them to be very careful to wash their hands.
Nicole says
by using Norwex cleaning products (microfiber) and water you don’t have to worry about harmful chemicals
Amanda says
I can’t find the free printable for the zones. Could you paste a link?
Kim Sorgius says
You can get both freebies from this link!
Leslie says
I can’t either and I don’t see a link.
Kim Sorgius says
Click on the image with the printables.
Sary says
Hi … i just find your idea and it’s look great. As a single mom with 2 children, usually they keep fighting to clean up. I’ll try your idea. And hopefully it also work for my family. Thanks 🙂
Kim Sorgius says
You’re welcome. Can’t wait to hear how it goes. I’ll be praying for you!
Apryl says
I can’t get the image to open the checklist either. When I click on it, it only wants to save to Pinterest ?
Kim Sorgius says
I’m guessing you are trying the wrong one. It’s the very BOTTOM image you ned to click.
Katarina says
I also cannot seem to find it 🙁 I click on the bottom picture and am told that it is not found
Kim Sorgius says
I’ve fixed this. Sorry! Please try again.
Juana says
All I can say is THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU! For all that you do!!!
I’m so glad I came across your site!!!!
Lacy says
Thanks!! This is wonderful, simple, and pleasantly presented. I’ve been searching high and low for something that would be easy enough to implement to be effective.. this is it!! Thanks many times over.
Karis says
This is so great. Thank you. I’m wondering if you have a recommended list of age-appropriate chores? I know what my 9 year old can do, but I think that I may be selling my 4 year old short in terms of his capabilities (not that he minds 🙂 ). I know I saw a list somewhere in a Kevin Leman book, but I can’t remember which one. Thanks!
Rose says
This is great! I’ve been doing a similar chores in the AM and zones in the PM system for my kids and it’s been working out well, but I’ve been seeing the need for a bit of revision. I think I’ll use these cards as a starting point. I LOVE that they’re editable. Thanks Kim!
Dana says
I’m curious you mentioned breakfast and lunch for 3-4 months was prepared in one afternoon . Would you share that please
Lilyan says
Greetings,
I have edited and printed the family chore chart previously but can not seem to get the link to work. Can you help me? When I click on the link it takes me to a banana phone and states the page does not exist? Please help, our whole family uses the chore chart as a guide for keeping our house tidy. Thank you.
Suzanne says
Hi Lilyan,
The link for the chore challenge post has been fixed, thanks for informing us!
To receive the printables, just fill in the request form in the post and you will receive the printable by email. If you are not seeing the form you may try turning off ad blockers or using a different browser.
If you are still having trouble please email us at joy@notconsumed.com 🙂
Suzanne@NotConsumed
Nicki says
Hello!
Can you please tell me how you pair the chore chart zones with the chore cards (I just read that post)? Would a Zone be an item on the chore chart or are the zones the responsibilities (unpaid unless exceptional job) that must be completed before working on the chore cards (paid chores).
Thanks!
Suzanne says
Hi Nicki,
We typically use the chore cards and chore charts at different ages, not necessarily at the same time. 🙂
Suzanne@NotConsumed
Katrina Tholen says
I’m having a little trouble wrapping my head around this for my house. We have 4,000 sq ft. 3 bathrooms on the main floor, 1 in the basement. We also have 4 bedrooms, 1 acre of garden, kitchen, dining, laundry. My kids are 7 and 10 years old and currently don’t do any chores. This has to change so I’m not gardening for 6 hours a day and then coming in and cleaning for 6 hours a day and then going to sleep. My husband is unavailable to help. He works 10 hour days Monday through Saturday and sometimes Sunday depending on the project.
Katrina Tholen says
2 of the bedrooms are on the main floor and 2 are in the basement. There is a living room on the main floor and a family room in the basement.