Moms everywhere are overwhelmed. They’d be less overwhelmed if their families helped out, but you know what? It’s overwhelming to teach them. While getting kids to do chores makes a huge difference in mom’s workload over the long haul, the up-front work to coax, correct, and develop consistency makes it hard to even start. Frankly, sometimes it just feels easier just to do all the chores yourself.
No judgment, mama. We’ve all been there. But we also want to help.
We’ve developed a 30-day “chore challenge” for your kids (and you) to do during the month of June. But if you don’t start June 1st, it’s okay – you can start any time! The purpose of this challenge is NOT to develop a strict chore chart or get your kids to do everything perfectly, but rather to get them (and you) into the habit of completing a daily task for the good of the family. Each day for 30 days, your child will complete a new task. They’ll get into the habit of expecting a chore, and you’ll get into the habit of delegating one. They’ll gain experience trying new things, and you’ll get a better idea of the things they’re capable of handling on a regular basis. You might even find there are specific tasks they enjoy. After the 30 days are finished, you can use what you’ve learned to develop a long-term chore plan that works for you and your kids.
If you’re the type of mom who’s already got a solid plan and your kids have been cleaning toilets since they were 4, this challenge isn’t for you. But for those of you who don’t know where to start, or who have developed fancy chore charts only to abandon them after a week and a half – you’re my people. Let’s get this train on the track together.
A few tips before you start:
- Choose a regular time to do your daily chore so your kids know when to expect it. Choose the time that best works for you – as soon as they wake up, right before or after lunch, or before their outside play time. There’s no “wrong” time.
- Print off the PDF and stick it somewhere everyone can see. Check off each item as you do it!
- Don’t be super critical, but resist the urge to avoid correction completely. Praise their effort, but do make suggestions on how to improve their performance. That’s how they’ll learn. Example: “You did such a great job wiping off the counter! There was a LOT of dried toothpaste on there. Let me show you how to hold the rag so this will be easier for you next time. You’ll probably get done sooner!”
- Don’t get discouraged if you skip a day. Just pick up where you left off!
- Make adjustments for your child based on their age and ability. But DO challenge them – I think you’ll be surprised by what they’re capable of.
Our printable PDF tells you which chore to assign to your child each day, but see below for specific tips on each one. And follow us on Instagram during the month of June – we’ll be posting daily pictures! If you want to show us how your kids are doing, tag us @allmomdoes and use the hashtag #30daychorechallenge. Let’s stop being overwhelmed and JUST START!
1. Clear your plate after your meal. Let’s start off with an easy one. You decide if they completely clear off their remnants into the garbage can or just set their dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter. Or maybe you want them to put them straight into the dishwasher. You decide! This is such an easy one I’m going to break the rules and say you might want to consider having your kids start doing this EVERY day.
2. Tidy the homeschool area. If your house is anything like mine, this “distance-learning” business has taken over a corner of your house. Have your child clean it up.
3. Tidy & wipe down the bathroom counters. Have your kids put the caps back on the toothpaste, put everything away, and wipe down the sink, cabinets, and counters.
4. Organize the front hall/shoe shelf. What is it about shoes?!? Have your child organize your entry space.
5. Take out the trash. Take out the kitchen trash, or younger kids can round up all the bathroom/bedroom trashcans and empty them into the main bin. You decide the parameters on this one.
6. Collect and sort all the household laundry. I’m all for kids doing their own laundry, but they’re also part of the family team. Have them gather all the laundry baskets in the house and sort them by color into different piles.
7. Wipe down the kitchen cabinets. The cabinets get so dirty from grubby hands. Give your child a cloth and have them clean ’em.
8. Clean the toilet. Parents shy away from making their kids do this because of the “ick” factor. But they’ve gotta learn sometime. Choose your comfort level – coach your child through the whole thing start to finish, put the bowl cleaner in yourself and have your child scrub, or just have your preschooler wipe down the outside. But regardless of the cleaning level you choose, remind them that as soon as they’re done they need to wash their hands. It’s not about “ick,” it’s about training them to manage it.
9. Tidy the toy area. Whether this means their room or a corner of the playroom, have them clean and organize a space.
10. Unload the dishwasher. Most kids can unload the whole thing. If you have younger kids, make sure to remove any sharp knives first. Or, you can delegate sections – one kid unloads the top, another the bottom, and another the utensil caddy. If they can’t reach the upper cabinets to put things away, just have them set the clean dishes neatly on the counter below. It’s not about perfection, it’s about creating habits.
11. Help do dishes by drying the pots and pans. Dishwashers are lovely, but some things still need to be hand-washed. Wash some pots and pans (or other larger items), and have your child dry.
12. Pull weeds for 30 minutes OR pick up neighborhood trash. Chores need to be done outside, too! If you don’t have a yard, see if weeds need to be pulled in a community area, or walk around your neighborhood or apartment complex and pick up trash.
13. Set the table. Self-explanatory. This can be done well in advance of dinnertime if your “chore time” is early in the day.
14. Organize the plastic food storage lids & containers. We all have that drawer or cabinet that gets messy fast. Have your child put it back together.
15. Dust the living room. No explanation needed.
16. Fold a load of towels. If your child isn’t accustomed to folding laundry, towels are an easy place to start. Show them how to fold the first one, and then let them finish the rest.
17. Go through pens/markers to find the dry ones. Your child will probably find this to be pretty fun! And don’t forget to recycle the markers that are dead.
18. Make your bed. Have them make their bed. Coach them to get the comforter smooth and neatly organize all the stuffed animals.
19. Wipe down the appliances. Have your child wipe down the fronts and handles of appliances.
20. Pick up/sort clutter. It’s amazing how surfaces collect junk/toys/trash/etc. Have your child go around the house and pick up all the random clutter – and then sort it into piles based on who it belongs to. Not only will this help them “see” the clutter (which they’re probably blind to), but it will provide a visual demonstration of who is responsible for a lot of the mess. (Warning: the results may surprise you!)
21. Sweep the front steps/walkway OR wipe down the front door. Have your child sweep the outdoor entry area. If your door opens into an interior hallway, have them clean the front door!
22. Clean the microwave. Maybe they’ll be better about covering their food the next time they heat something up.
23. Wash 1 load of laundry. Have them wash & dry one load of laundry. Yes, there are many tasks involved in laundry but the goal is to teach, not overwhelm. Just start with learning to operate the washer & dryer. Ideally they will be washing their own clothes for this task.
24. Fold 1 load of laundry. Today, sit with them and teach them how to fold.
25. Put away laundry. Next lesson: Put it away!
26. Re-organize a messy clothing drawer. Now that they’ve put their laundry away, they’re bound to have a messy drawer. You know – the one where the pants just got crammed in instead of placed neatly. Have them re-fold (since they just learned how!) and re-organize a messy clothing drawer.
27. Load the dishwasher. Teach them to rinse and load.
28. Sweep the floor. Sweep the hard surfaces in the house.
29. Vacuum. Vacuum the soft surfaces in the house.
30. Wash windows. Have them wash windows. Teach them how to avoid streaks.
