Disclaimer – This is a sponsored post brought to you by Canon. All opinions are 100% my own.
My kids do chores and are increasingly obsessed with charts. Who can blame them!? There is something super satisfying about checking things off lists. We were trying to keep up with multiple different chore lists and charts so I decided I would put it all in one place to simplify it for all of us. Here is our 2019 kids chore chart!
So first things first. I created this chore chart to have all four boys names on it. Obviously there is a limited number of things we ask from the kids because of age. But we do feel like they can do simple things on a daily basis so we broke it down into three different things…
- behavior (we believe they should always show love and respect to each other but reminding them and rewarding them with a check mark is a great way to reinforce this especially with my ‘words of affirmation’ kids)
- hygiene (brushing teeth, washing – either just their hands and face or taking a bath)
- household (making bed, putting clothes in drawers, picking up toys, and that daily chore)
Next it was time for creating and printing…
I made the chore chart in Photoshop and used my favorite craft printer – the Canon TS9521C – to print it on Canon Matte 8×10 paper.
This is my favorite paper for framed art because it is matte but has a sturdy weight to it and gives it a poster quality print. I can’t describe it to justice but just trust me….you will see the difference when you try it.
Then I decided that I wanted to use the same chore chart week after week. So to make it reusable, I popped it in an old frame from my stash that already had a thick mat. I actually put the chore chart in the frame BEFORE the mat so that it is fully visable.
Now as the kids do their items, I just use a regular fine point marker to check off their items.
The other great part is that I can write reminders for the week around the chore chart so I won’t forget things like games or practices or recitals or school events.
Of course, the kids are all different ages so we try to remind them that life isn’t fair and sometimes you will get a chore and someone else won’t. And we also have 2 boys share a room so they alternate picking it up. Of course, if one kiddo made a tornado style mess – love you Max! – then he may get a daily chore that day that relates to that particular space.
In general, we do ask the bigger boys to do more daily chores (the chart filled out above was just an example for this photo and not a reflection of what our reality is!)….so that does help with things that the little boys just simply can not do. If you need help with ideas on what is age appropriate, the best way to come up with your list is to have your little one HELP you. We always do a training period where the kids get to be the helpers first. This allows you to train them how to do things. It can take time and effort and be frustrating at first but it is an investment in the future!
So for example, I may have the boys help me clean windows. They get to do three sprays (SO FUN!) on each window and then together we show to to scrub the extra dirty parts and then wipe the entire surface with a flat hand (“up and down like a trampoline, this is how the window gets clean!”). Sooner than you might expect, they will be able to do it all by themselves. And the same goes for dishes (you get those knives out first!) and dusting and vacuuming and wiping down baseboards, etc. Of course, the idea here is not perfection…the idea here is working hard and not complaining. And then we always take a step back and say “AHHHH! So nice to have a clean______!!!”
And speaking of clean….this chore chart is very easy to erase and reuse!
Just simply wipe it with a damp bit of paper towel and you can start your week off with a fresh chart!
After I posted about this on Instagram, tons of you asked if I would share the template. I am here with the free printable just for you!
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FREE CHORE CHART PRINTABLE
(you can opt to add your own kids name in with a photo editor or you can just simply write your kids names at the top. Or if you are just using it for one kid, then you can use it for multiple weeks!)
That’s it! Hope you guys love it as much as we do! And happy chore charting!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Canon USA. The opinions and text are all mine.