Chores and household responsibilities are important to brain and self-development. In addition to helping your little ones learn critical life skills while giving them a sense of importance to the family and building self-esteem, it takes some of the load of running a household off your shoulders.
We frame them up a little differently here. Instead of a list of tasks and chores (what a sad word it is), our children rotate through three weekly roles. While the roles have rough job descriptions, they are subject to tweaks within the general context of each. That gives me the latitude to seek extra help when I need it - just like any manager might do. It also conveys the idea of being a part of household operations more holistically. Our roles:
The Kitchen Boss sets and clears the table. He or she empties and loads the dishwasher, and wipes down the table and counters daily. KB puts away leftover food after the meal and pushes in chairs after the meal is complete. This is a heavy-lifting job, and it is always the least favorite in the rotation.
The Pet Whisperer feeds and waters our dog and two cats. One cat has a daily medication, and the PW makes sure she swallows her pill. They also clean up the poop accumulation from the yard and are responsible for picking up his poop when we go on a family walk. Sometimes they'll be sent on a solo dog walk, though generally, Mr. Toad hangs out in the yard. When he's stinky, this person gets to bathe him. Nobody resists this role.
The General Manager empties kitchen waste cans and brings trash and recycling to and from the curb. They are responsible for cleaning the half bath and vacuuming the main level. They are my go-to for random needs as they arise. This is considered the easiest role.
It's been interesting watching the kids lean into the roles, while also avoiding them. My oldest has been the biggest earner with her pet care business, and at one point last fall outsourced her Kitchen Boss or Pet Whisperer chores to her younger siblings who were cash strapped. They wrote up and signed an agreement, articulating who was doing what and for how much. The price changed based on the role and how much either sibling was willing to do it for. She tried to start a bidding war, but I halted that when it felt like she was taking unfair advantage of them.
More recently, it went the other way. The oldest decided she wanted more income and offered to buy the chores off the others. Once more, I required a written agreement (to avoid later arguments), and they're all enjoying either more money or fewer chores.
I had not anticipated chores becoming an outsourcing opportunity, and I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm staying out of their way while they experiment with home economics. On the other hand, I do want them all to play an active part in the running of the household. So far this hasn't gone on longer than 2 weeks running in either direction, so for now, I'm just happy the chores are getting done.
As a side note, if you're looking for age-appropriate chore ideas, download a free copy here! Then drop a comment below - How does your household allocate chores?
Not sure how to introduce money concepts to your children? Check out this online course: Raising Wealthy Kids
Stephanie Brooke Lennon is the author of Family Bank Blueprint, GoldQuest, and What Would Water Do? Simple Strategies for Navigating Life's Obstacles. Her titles are available in Paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com. Follow Stephanie Brooke on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Amazon, and at BrookeLennon.com.
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