Do you find yourself having a hard time keeping track of chores your kiddos are supposed to be tackling? Things they've done, things they forgot, what should be rewarded, what shouldn't be?? When you add up all the possible chores that come with running a household and then throw in several kids to keep track of on top of that, it won't be long and your head will be spinning!

To get yourself and your house organized and on track, check out this creative idea Erica came up with over at Confessions of a Homeschooler. The chart setup makes it super simple to keep track of who is responsible for what chore(s) each day and who earned their reward(s) for the week.

Chore Chart Setup

Supplies You'll Need:

Once you've gathered your supplies, setup and implementation is relatively simple! In the left hand column (slot 1) place each child's name. Slots 2-6 will make up the days of the week where you will keep the chore cards (the days are color-coded to make it easier to keep track). Slot 7 on the right will be used for sticker sheets, reward tickets, and best 'Bee'-havior awards.

At the beginning of the week, put the chore cards into the slots based on the child's age and when the chores should be completed (morning should be in the front, evening at the back). As the child completes a task, he can turn the card backwards and slide it to the back of the cards for that day. When the day is done, hand out reward tickets for each completed chore and store them in slot 7.

When you've reached the end of the week, count the number of reward tickets earned and let each child pick out a reward from the prize box (assuming they've earned enough tickets to do so). The rewards should be small - think pack of gum, pencils, candy, 10 minutes computer time, etc. Or, if you prefer, you could allow your kids to earn money per ticket in place of the prize box!

The sticker sheets come into play when a child completes all of their tasks for the day. Each day that all tasks are completed earns a sticker on the sheet. Once the sheet is full, provide a selection of rewards a bit larger than the prize box (could be ice cream for dessert, a small set of legos, 30 minutes play time on a game console, etc.). Erica also provides best 'Bee'-havior awards. These are used for times when a child goes above and beyond to be considerate or helpful to a family member or friend or has a great attitude for the day. These rewards are for great days or efforts only and should be rewarded accordingly - maybe a trip to the park and ice cream, or a sleepover with a friend. The rewards are all up to you! Base them on your kid's personalities and likes and what you feel will provide the best form of motiviation!

Erica also provides a chore chart for younger kiddos that doesn't look quite so daunting:

For the printables and instructions on the preschool chart, head over to Confessions of a Homeschooler.