Chore Checklists

There are a million and one ways to help your kids with chores.  I've tried a lot of them!
As my kids get older and their responsibilities increase- I thought it would help to have a checklist for them.  I found a few on pinterest that were for younger kids.

So at the end of this post are my "older kid" versions. (feel free to download for your personal use)

    It's hard for kids to meet our expectations if we don't make it clear to them what those expectations are in the beginning.  I help my kids with tasks that they don't totally have down yet.  It's important to know your kids and whether you can give them a list and say "have at it", or if you need to use the list and work along with them.  Either way- it's creating good habits and helping the family by not putting the burden of cleaning on one person.  Most of all, it's training them for adult life.  Who wants to be married to the guy or girl who thinks beds are magically made while you're at work or school, or that baseboards never get dirty and things that litter the floor somehow magically find their way to where they should be??

Note: There are some things on the list that don't have to be done every time- like baseboards.  But seeing them on the list creates awareness that this is something to look for when cleaning.

You'll also notice the last thing on each list is:  Double check that everything was done correctly.   IMPORTANT step in my opinion.  :)  

 Don't tell your kids where you got these lists!  LOL.

Not right, not wrong, not good, not bad...DIFFERENT

 Can you voice your opinion or strongly disagree with someone and not in some way...launch into a personal attack on religion,  sexual preference, gender, politics etc.

Dialogue is good. 

Discussing things with people who think differently than you can be awesome.  But you have to be willing to listen. Willing to open your heart and mind to the fact that maybe- you don't have it all figured out.  Maybe- you see only part...maybe someones life and faith has taken them on a very different journey than your own...DIFFERENT... not for you to decide the right and wrong of it..  just DIFFERENT.

Granted- in our own belief systems, there are very definite right and wrongs and moral choices.  However- when someone has a different belief system than your own... right and wrong become relative for discussion purposes.....and if you persist with being right and them being wrong...you are more than likely...coming across as a judgmental, self-righteous, know it all.

 A lot of people, have been hurt by :  a Christian, the Gay/Lesbian Community, Racial issues, Political issues, Abortion issues, Divorce/Marriage issues, weight issues.... ... all these things are personal...very much so...  BUT...Do any of these hurts give us a right to hurt others? To Judge Others? To condemn others? To stereotype a whole community of people? 


Stop trying to tell everyone else to SHUT UP so you can have a voice. 



 Whether you're in church, school, work, at a party.... ask yourself... who am I to pass judgement on that person because they believe differently than I do?  How/Why is it okay for me to be hateful, to smear their face in their sin/wrong/bad choice or my opinion of their sin/wrong/bad choice. Is it respectful...Is it necessary...Is it helpful.  Even if I see it as a right and wrong issue...is it really my place to condemn and cast blame or judgement on this person.   OR...would it be more productive, if I care enough to become involved..... to build a relationship...to find out a persons story...to understand how their life brought them to where they are right now...to let them understand how my life brought me to where I am now.... and co-exist...and have dialogue...have discussion minus hate and judgement. 

Do you find yourself angry after reading this because you disagree with me?  Hmmm....take some time to think before you respond.  I wouldn't want you to prove my point so quickly by posting something hateful or judgmental.   :)