Chores in our Home

We are constantly in a state of reorganising Chore lists in our home.
One list will work for a while and then life circumstances change and we try to reassign chores based on these and the new abilities of children.

I must admit that as I come to making this list I think I need to re think what it is that we are trying to achieve with the children doing these chores, apart from the obvious cleaning and helping to keep the home running smoothly so ALL can enjoy the home environment.

We have always believed that a home is a home for all within it's walls and that the keeping of a home neat and tidy is the responsibility of all. The training that occurs from the responsibility of doing chores is then able to be put to use in other matters in life latter on. We have seen this in our older children who have very good work ethics and the ability to take on tasks and opportunities in life as they are presented to them.

I have realized that our younger children do not do as many chores as the older children did  when they were at the same ages. Partly I think this is because we have the older helpers and frankly I just am used to the competency and of these children. But how I remember the times when we were teaching the older ones to do these tasks, how we had to be content with less than perfect to help them gain competency and confidence in the assigned tasks.

However the results are evident now in the fact that our older and middle children can handle pretty much any household task. So In keeping a balance between continuing to have competent help from the older children and a 'teaching theme' with the younger children I am trying to adjust chores to fit.

This is I believe a continuing and non static task for the children as well as myself as we evaluate what is working for us now, and whether this is still working for us even three months from now, for example, when our baby is due.

Of course even though I have only a few personal tasks on this list. I will be helping our younger children learn what is required of them and doing other tasks as well.  There are many things not on the list that need to be done to continue to make 'our house a home'.....and these really are my responsibility.

MORNING:

All~ Individual area of bedroom tidy (bed's made, bookcase tidy, under bed tidy, top of bed tidy, wardrobe tidy and doors CLOSED)
Autumn help Arwen
Vellvin supervise and help where necessary Moran
Eden supervise and help where necessary Myffwyn
Rogan help Corbyn

Personal Grooming: including face washed, hair done, dressed before breakfast (team pairs help younger ones)

Saxon: open curtains
           get stove ready
           put porridge on
           milk on to warm and make milo
           collect/chop firewood (Corbyn help)
           collect kindling too (Corbyn help)
Vellvin: Put washing on  and hang washing out
Autumn: Put washing on and hang washing out
Rogan: Bring down hampers
           fill bedtime bags
           garbage out
           kitty litter, food water and tidy
Eden: stack dishwasher and wash up extras
           wipe down ALL benches and tidy them
            sweep areas in kitchen that need it
Moran:  unstack dishwasher
            wiping down chairs
            sweep upstairs bathroom
Myffwyn: unstack dishwasher
                wiping down vanities
                sweep M and D bathroom
Corbyn: help Saxon with wood
             wiping over toilets
             sweep downstairs bathroom
Mummy: make bread 2 loaves 

All: 10 min tidy up
LUNCH~

Moran: Unstack the dishwasher
            wipe table and chairs
Myffwyn: Unstack the dishwasher
               wipe table and chairs
Corbyn: Unstack the dishwasher
             wipe table and chairs
Rogan: Setting the table with all lunch food items
Eden: Setting the table with all lunch food items
Vellvin: Clearing the table and stack the dishwasher and wipe all benches
Saxon: Sweep through the family room up to and including the lounge room.
Autumn: sweep kitchen, pantry and laundry

AFTER SCHOOL TIDY UP:
Library room tidied up and swept
Monday: Autumn
Tuesday: Eden
Wednesday: Saxon
Thursday: Vellvin
Friday: Rogan

AFTERNOON  CLEANING: 20 mins
2 areas per week..3 week cycle

Cycle 1: Bedrooms, Lounge room, family room
Cycle 2: Kitchen, pantry, library room, loft
Cycle3: Butterfly room, guest room, study, all tiled areas.

*Dust, polish, window sills, skirting boards, sweep (if needed) mop, clean under lounges and cushions, pictures, railings, vacuum rugs, cupboards wiped down

All: 15 min tidy up
EVENING: Groups rotate task on a fortnightly basis
Group 1: Autumn and Vellvin
Group 2: Saxon and Eden
Group 3: Rogan, Moran, Myffwyn and Corbyn

Task 1: Help Dinner prep
            help bath prep

Task2: tidy up veranda
           folding up
           putting away
           close curtains

Task 3: get washing in
            unstack dishwasher
            set table

AFTER DINNER CLEAN UP:
ALL:  clear and stack dishwasher, wash up, sweep floor,
          set table for breakfast,
          Medicine for Moran
          Little children teeth cleaned

FAMILY TIME:      
          Read to little ones
          Bible read aloud
          Read aloud
          Rosary

          Little ones to bed  while Middle children do own thing

          Then Mummy and Daddy to play card game, short board game, or read alouds while doing
          crafts together with these children

MORNING TEA SCHEDULE: to make something of your choice on the appropriate day to be put in freezer or eaten that or next day or even for sweets if we have an abundance. This can be done at any time of the day to suit the person involved.
Monday: Vellvin
Tuesday: Autumn
Wednesday: Rogan
Thursday: Eden
Friday: Saxon
Saturday: Mummy
Sunday: Mummy

Well that is a look into the workings of how we would like our home to work at the moment. Who know it might actually work for us too!

Blessings to you and your homes,