Chore Can

I have been trying to come up with a creative but productive way to get my kids to do more around the house. I was reading about the chore can on a family website and thought it was worth the try.

The idea was to have can with sticks in it. Every stick has something wrote on it. Some of them include:

• Wash the windows
• Load or Unload the dishwasher
• Sweep the front entrance
• Vacuum the Living Room
• Sweep the Kitchen
• Wash the Shower/Tub
• Bring down the hamper in the upstairs bathroom
• Set the dinner table
• Clear the dinner table
• Water the plants
• Free chore
• Dust the hard surfaces

There are actually 2 of the free chores in there. They never know when it will be their lucky day where they do not have to do a chore. Anyways, they have to pull a stick out of the can everyday and that is their chore for the day. If they are naughty, we may ask them to go and draw a chore stick.

I didn't even have a chance to finish painting my can and they were begging me to let them draw a stick. Well, why not? They drew their first chore and got right to work.

Then they drew their second chore, then their third, and they kept going until they did every chore in the can. Terry and I sat back and just laughed because we never intended for it to work that well but anyways, my floors are clean, hard surfaces dusted, windows are sparkling, and I will have a clean tub to shower in, in the morning. Bravo!