Got Kids? Then you need the Choreganizer…a great way to ORGANZIZE CHORES!

Warning: this kit is NOT just for homeschool kids…it’s for any household where kids abound! Those who are homeschooling never have a day when the kids are gone at school and you can sit back and enjoy a clean house! No! Instead you find that you are always home, so you experience a constant cycle of “clean the house – n – mess it up again!”

What I love about it is, it’s totally flexible and can be used in different ways to achieve certain objectives like teaching kids a good work ethic and also to build up character qualities such as diligence. In other words, we don’t want our children to just DO chores but also to:

• Do a thorough job
• Do chores without being told
• Do chores without grumbling
• Contribute to the household working together as a “well oiled engine”
• Learn to save and spend money

You can read the whole story about how we got the idea to develop The Choreganizer, but for now, we’re going to jump in and explain how it works!

Inside, there are several pages of perforated chore cards so you’ll want to pull them apart.

Each little card represents one chore and there are cards for just about any chore you can imagine! You’ll find some repeats to be used for more than one child.

*Assign chores according to child’s ability level.

The back of each card describes how to properly carry out each chore. Take a few minutes to “teach” your children how to do each chore!

Next, you’ll find six “chore charts” so each child gets their own chore chart. Write their name in the spot at the top. (Works for up to six kids OR you can hang one chart in your child’s room assigning more personal chores like “Make Your Bed” or “Brush Your Teeth” THEN hang the other chart closer to the hub of the household.)

Now, either post the chores you wish them to do in each of the windows (slots) provided, or place them all in the lower pocket and have them hang them in the slots as they finish them!

Several blank cards have been included so you can draw pictures of chores we have forgotten like “Walk the Monkey” or ???

“Hey, Mom wants you to vacuum today!”

“It’s your turn to do the dishes!”

“Eh hem…we don’t leave our bed looking like that!”

“What? Grooming? Yes…especially those boys – wash behind your ears while you’re at it!”

And before you say “That’s so corny!” Dad Dollars and Mom Money really work! Tear apart the perforated sheets and keep them in “the bank” to be issued as you see fit. You can make the “dollars” equal dimes, quarters or whatever value you like. Remember, this system is flexible and you can figure out your own system using this tool, but here’s what we do: If all the chore cards are completed by the end of the day, (don’t forget to look for happy chore doers!) then the kids get a dollar (either the Mom Money or Dad Dollar) for each chore completed - but they must ALL be completed…we’re not “picking and choosing” our chores!

Tear out the storefront (the chore store chart) and attach it to a box which has been “stocked” with items the kids would like to work toward. You can offer extra credit incentives too! Shopping day is Saturday and THE CHORE STORE now opens for business. Everything is priced appropriately (not necessarily reflective of the retail price) and remains in the “store” until someone buys it. Each week when the Chore Store opens, the kids have to decide whether they want to spend the chore money they’ve made that week, or let it accumulate in order to buy one of the higher priced items in the box.

All pictures taken by Ree Drummond
For a review of the Choreganizer, check out her site: http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2008/10/choreganizers/