I’m so excited to share the chore routine with you that has helped me to stay on top of cleaning all the areas of my home, plus given me space for rest in the evenings and a full day of rest on the weekend. This routine may look different for you based on your season of life and the number of children in your home, but it has worked incredibly well for us and I hope you find that you can adapt it to your lifestyle as well.
First, let me say that I am a task-oriented person and I love making “to do” lists and checking things off. This method will probably work best for those who have a similar personality, but even if you are not a list person, these things could be beneficial to you as you learn to balance the workload in your own home. I am learning, however, that all of my lists and tasks can easily become an enemy of intentional, focused time with my family. Even though having a clean house is a good thing, and staying organized is a good thing, and cooking meals from scratch is a good thing, if I do those things and neglect caring for the emotional and social needs of my family, it ceases to be a good thing. So here’s my challenge as you work to keep your house clean (a good thing): learn to be OK with the messes too; learn to say, “it can wait.” Your children, your husband, and your family are much more important.
The Story Behind This System
Several years ago I was feeling like I was having a hard time keeping up with my chore list and I couldn’t remember the last time I had cleaned the bathroom, much less mopped the floors. I always felt like I should be doing something else and I never felt as if I could just sit and relax. Once every couple of weeks I would scramble to clean all of the things all at once and leave myself feeling overwhelmed.
On a whim one day, I decided to assign each room of my house a day of the week and then do a deep clean of that room on the assigned day. I divided the rooms and chores between weekdays and used Saturdays to catch up on anything that I missed during the week. Sunday became my day of rest and I did not do any chores – including dishes – unless absolutely necessary.
As I started to clean this way, I learned a couple of things. First, it allowed me to rest in the evening knowing that my daily chores were done and I didn’t have to feel guilty about quitting for the day. Secondly, I felt more comfortable letting things slide from time to time knowing that I had time built in later to catch up. I began to rest more, I enjoyed my family more, and I learned to say “yes” to my daughter more.
Lastly, building in a whole day of rest on Sunday keeps me going during the week knowing that rest is coming. I do not do any laundry, cleaning, or dishes on Sunday and very little cooking. This isn intentional choice we have made for our family to allow us time to rest and enjoy being together. We often spend Sunday afternoons napping, playing games, reading, taking long walks, and simply enjoying time together. This routine has been incredibly life-giving in our home and staying focused and intentional during the week makes it so much sweeter.
If you struggle with time management, this chore system will be the perfect way for you to learn to balance your household chores. In 20-30 minutes, plus the time to run the washer and dryer, you can have the bulk of your housework done for the day, allowing you more time to be with your family and rest.
There is no perfect solution, but I hope these ideas will help as you develop your own system for chores and household tasks.
Free Printable Chore Chart
In this printable you will get one chore chart with rooms in your home divided up between days of the week. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but a list of basic chores intended to get you going. There are daily tasks to do as well as weekly tasks. I have also included blank pages for you to fill in your own chore ideas. You can download it here by dropping your email into the box provided.
What Chores are on the List?
Here’s how the chart is broken down:
Monday – Kitchen:
- Clean microwave; wipe down stove and outside of oven; sweep and mop the floor; clean out the fridge; wash kitchen towels; scrub sink, make a meal plan for the week.
Tuesday – Children’s Rooms:
- Vacuum floors; wash sheets; wipe down furniture; organize toys and books; wash, fold, and put away laundry.
Wednesday – Bathrooms:
- Clean mirrors, wipe down sink and counter; scrub toilet; clean bathtub/shower; sweep and mop floors; wash towels.
Thursday – Living Room:
- Vacuum/sweep and mop; dust furniture; return toys and clothing, and misc items to proper locations; organize toys and books; wash throw blankets and pillows, if necessary.
Friday – Master Bedroom:
- Wash sheets; dust and wipe down furniture; vacuum; organize closet/drawers.
Saturdays are the day I leave intentionally open to play catch-up on chores I missed earlier in the week – because let’s be honest, real life happens and we miss things! I also use Saturdays for things like preparing food for Sunday (our day of rest) and ironing and laying out church clothes.
Include Your Kids in the Chore Routine
If you are feeling especially overwhelmed, and even if you’re not, don’t be afraid to include your whole family in the daily chore chart. Yes, it takes longer when you take the time to teach children to do a task, and you’ll probably have to do the task over yourself, but it will be worth it when the child CAN do the chore alone. Even young children are capable of learning skills that will allow them to contribute to your home. Start by giving them simple tasks such as clearing their own plates and cups from the table or helping you switch laundry from the washer to the dryer. Young kids often enjoy “helping mama” and find great delight and accomplishment in their work.
Take the opportunity to teach children to help while they enjoy helping and find it fun to help with chores. The best way to do this is to invite them into your work and allow them to work alongside you from a young age. Teach and explain everything you are doing, let them help when the task feels right, and give children their own age-appropriate chores.
Giving children their own chores is a great way to teach children responsibility and older kids would benefit from having their own weekly chores to accomplish. Remember, you are equipping them for life and adulthood by teaching them valuable life skills, and they will have a sense of accomplishment when they can look back and see how they contributed to the household. Kids of any age will enjoy having their own chore chart and reward system, even something as simple as putting a sticker on their chore chart in place of a check mark for completed chores.
When you sit down to begin a new routine, especially with older children, always make sure that you lay out clear expectations and then follow through and check in on their work, praising and giving further guidance where it is necessary. Remember to celebrate hard work and consider what rewards or incentives they might earn for helping. I do not think that all chores need reward, helping is a part of being in a family and contributing to the workload, however, there can be benefits in giving small rewards, especially for the very little ones.
Stickers for accomplishing a task or even a small treat at the end of the week, such as ice cream, for completing a given list of chores can be a powerful motivator for younger kids. For older children, you could consider letting them earn a little extra money by volunteering for bigger tasks that need to be done.
One easy way to get children excited about their chores is to create a fun chore chart that has lots of bright colors and allow them to use small, bright colored stickers to mark off completed chores. My daughter was SO excited about doing her little chores and couldn’t wait to add stickers to her chart. That in itself was reward enough for her.
What Products to I Allow My Children to Clean With?
In my house, I lean towards more natural products, especially when I am letting my toddler help clean. You’d be surprised how many things you can clean with baking soda and vinegar.
Hopefully this simple method for cleaning will help you establish a good routine that will allow you to find freedom from constant overwhelm and give you the ability to rest in your completed work. Here’s the link for the printable cleaning list – simply drop your email below and the free printable will be emailed to you.
Happy cleaning!
