This is our Pinterest inspired new Family Job Chart System! It was a lot of work, but so fun to make, and now I feel really inspired to do my housework and all the other jobs I have). Hopefully the boys feel the same way. If this mornings excitement over “flipping” their job is any indication – then this is a sure hit to no more fuss over room cleaning! 
I used some scrapbooking paper to create 3”x3” cards and then stuck on a job to each card. Then I laminated and hole punched them. I got cork and hooks and…TA-DA:
When someone has completed their job, they flip the card over. This way mom and dad know the work is done – and it offers a little fun for chores!
I had originally planned to use push pins to put up the jobs, but the cork was too thin and the pins wouldn’t stay in well enough for me to not worry about them being all over the floor at some point. But I love the look of the cork background, so it all worked out in the end! A set of little clear 3M Hooks comes in 24 – the perfect amount for this little project. Unless you have more than 4 charts…lol.
For the boys I hang morning jobs (feed Samson, brush teeth, make bed, etc.), and then later I put up their evening jobs (setting the table, feed Samson, clean bedroom, etc.). And of course if I have other things for them I hang those too (help with laundry, fold towel, clean up outside toys, dust, Mom’s Choice, etc). I made a zillion cards, I was having WAY too much fun cutting paper – it must be therapeutic! I cut a 3” x 6” piece and folded it in half so I could have design on the back too. (So, a 12”x12” paper gets you 8 cards, if you were wondering).
I even did them for me and The Geek as well. I am keeping all of ours on the hooks , all the time. Just moving the ones for the day to the top. (I keep the boys’ cards in a old wipes container, sorted by type/boy in envelopes, on top of the fridge so they have only one card on each hook…less confusion for them.)
Now I feel so organized! It feels good to turn around a job I’ve completed – it really does! I am sure I have more than 6 jobs a day…but this helps me feel good about doing them all!
And now I can go turn around “Blog” for today – go me.
I really like the idea (and the colours and the general artistic look!)
For our four year old, I have pictures of activities he has to do every morning ( I have not managed to do the evening chores!) and he simply puts them on the “done” part of the magnetic board when he has finishes.
Thanks!
I am thinking of attracting our “younger THING” to chores and this might be a way.
My question – do you read the chores to the kids? I can see only letters, no pictures. So how do you that part! My kids cannot read yet. So I could do with pictures. But I was wondering how you do it.
Irena, Czech republic
Hi Irena! I began by reading them to they boys, but now my older son (about to be 5) has pretty much memorized his cards by the color or he has just memorized the words. My younger still needs a lot of help, but he’s not that into flipping his cards yet. But it works well for my oldest. He really likes getting something done so he can flip his chart. I think pictures would have been easier for them, but I realized that AFTER I went through the work of making them all!
I might do picture ones for my younger son if I find time. But I think it is working okay – I have to “help” them with most everything on their charts anyway, so reading them off is no bother.
[...] better use of our Job Charts for the boys and for me! We started strong, but have fallen off the wagon, so to speak. Flipping [...]