Kids and Chores

So this past week has been a little bit crazy in the household.  I am trying to figure out my 5 week old's schedule.  Seems he still likes the eat every two hours, with little sleep in between and a lot of crying schedule best.  So as I start pulling my hair out because I can not seem to get to do much of anything I realized that we are a family and a family needs to work together.  So I made this.... a chore chart for my family.
First I read this really cool article, here. (The big thing I got out of it was the structure part.)  We can all use a little bit of that right now.  Then I made a chore chart from this website, here. 
What I did was print out two of the toddler (My First Chore Chart) ones for my two girls.  My 5 year old loves it.  Even though they each need help with a chore or two it is nice to see them understand that they each have a job.
Second I printed the pre-teen chart for my two boys.  Then I went and made a table in MS Word and modified it to say more things such as, see Family Chore Chart.  You think that you would not need the basic stuff on there for a pre-teen, but you do.  In my experience if it is not spelled out for them then don't expect them to do it.  Think of the Cosby episode where Theo test his parents with "exact words".  That is how my kids play the system too.  
Third, I then took the idea of the Family Chore Chart, again modified it some in a table in MS Word.  I then put the names of the people whose job it was to do that chore that day.   Then highlighted each person with their own color.  Below is a picture of what I did. (it is unfinished because I need a pink highlighter for my girls.  On this chart is even chores that me and my husband have to do.  It was nice to show the kids what all we do, do.  As you can see I even left some blanks on the bottom to add things in later.  

All the charts were places in a sheet protector.  That way on the boys charts they can mark off with a dry erase marker.

So what is my "and That Too"?  Well as a family this morning we made breakfast and even got the girls to help.

 

 

Well I hope you all had a great extended weekend.

Signing off.

Chaun V.