The Chore Chart System That Works for Us

I have to admit we started and stopped many chore chart efforts over the past few years. However, I’m happy to say we finally found a system that works for us. We are using a magnet system that lives in our mudroom. This location works well for us since it is right by the door we exit every time we leave the house and also near the laundry room where the shoes, jackets, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. are stored. So the kids pass these chore charts many, many times during the day. There is no excuse to not see them.

Chore Magnets Are Amazing – How it Works

This system also works because the chores are magnets. There is nothing I need to reprint, reload, wipe off, etc. Paper plans did not work for us. Dry erase was a mess. Magnets? Magnets are the jackpot for us. Each morning the magnets are all on the chore charts above each child’s name. As the chore is completed, the child moves it below his/her name. At the end of the day, all chores should be below the name. It’s that simple.

Extra chores that aren’t assigned each day live on the “Chores” board. For instance, “Laundry” is not an every day item. But if I do Henry’s laundry during the day, I’ll add “Laundry” to his board so he is reminded to put his clean clothes away! And many chores live on the “Chores” board during the summer that are school related.

How I Chose the Chores

Most of the chores are the same for all three kids. Brush Teeth, Make Bed, Put Away Backpack, Do Homework, etc. However, we also picked out some household chores: Trash, Get Mail, Empty Dishwasher, Help in Kitchen, Set Table, Vacuum. These chores are split up and rotate every Sunday. So each of our kids receives 2 household chores to complete for the entire week. It’s definitely cut down on fighting over who has to or who gets to do those items every day.

Does It Really Work?

For us, yes. It’s the system that has lasted the longest in our house. We’ve used it for an entire year. I’d call that a success. The kids have gotten into the habit of checking it before school each morning and during the bedtime routine at night. Sometimes chores aren’t completed when I’d prefer (like getting the mail right before bedtime), but it’s completed. I check it every night after bedtime and move the magnets back in place above their names. And yes, there are evenings I check it and it looks as though not much is completed. My kids are nowhere near perfect. However, they are way better at completing things without a ton of nagging than they were a year ago.

How Do You Make One of Your Own?

This was an investment, but worth it. Basically, it cost more than just printing off a paper chart each week…but those never worked for us and this does!!!

• The Metal Plaques: I found the metal plaques at Michaels crafts. Some of the stores are phasing them out and replacing them with wood. So the exact ones I used might be harder to find in the stores. They are currently online, but more expensive! Search “ArtMinds™ Tin Parenthesis Plaque”. But any magnetic board that you can hang would work.
• The Names: I just bought some sticker letters at Michaels as well.
• Felt Chair Pads: I put these on the back of the plaques so they would not rub the paint off of my walls! The kids are constantly touching the plaques and moving them around which made a few marks on my walls before I added the felt pads. Learn from my mistake.
• The 1.5″ Magnets: Search for the store “UsefulButtons” on Etsy or on Facebook. This lady is amazing. Her magnets are the cutest. There are tons to choose from…her list goes on and on. You can customize your own set and her pricing varies depending on the number you order. With three kids, we ended up ordering 50 total magnets. She can also personalize a magnet with any image you have. Have a special logo? She can do it! She recently helped me with a special project for a friend and it was great!

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