Chore charts are back in my life, and honestly, I thought I had seen the last of them. Yet here I am, staring at those energy-draining pieces of paper on the fridge, their smugness almost palpable.
“Listen up, charts. We’re not going to be friends,” I silently vow.
A couple of years ago, I ditched chore charts. What began as a simple way to teach my kids responsibility spiraled into a test of my patience. I swear I needed a chore chart just for myself to survive the ordeal.
Don’t lose your cool while reiterating the expectations of the chore chart for the millionth time (every single night).
Don’t bite your tongue to avoid yelling at your children as you lay out those expectations yet again.
Don’t down a bottle of wine while feeling the urge to scream.
And for heaven’s sake, don’t end up crumpled on the floor, allowing your kids to step over you to put a sticker on their chore chart for a task they barely completed.
The whining, the pleading, and the endless IOUs for tasks not done—it’s enough to make anyone question their sanity. And let’s not even talk about the stickers!
“Who put a sticker next to ‘Don’t place stickers on your chore chart without my say-so’? Remove it. Right now!”
Good luck getting that sticker off. No amount of scraping will erase the evidence that there was a sticker there, leading my kids to believe they’ve scored a victory. “Look, Mom, I had a sticker here! I’m amazing!”
My past experience with chore charts has certainly reinforced my hesitation to revisit this method. But, in the spirit of second chances, my kids were genuinely excited to try again.
One child, eager to prove that she can be responsible, is genuinely trying to “help out.” The other? Well, she just loves stickers.
As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, not happening.” This time, no stickers! Task completion will be acknowledged with a simple smiley face drawn with a soft pencil—because let’s be honest, the responsible one deserves it.
Her chart fills up daily, often with bonus smiley faces for extra tasks she takes on without prompting. The other one, however, has sat next to me as we outlined her responsibilities.
- Pick up your toys without complaining? “Sure, Mom.”
- Do your homework without a fuss? “Okay, Mom.”
- Eat dinner in under 90 minutes without playing with your food? “Fine.”
- Brush your teeth for more than half a second without a dramatic outburst? “Whatever.”
- Be nice to your sibling? “Seriously, Mom? That’s way too hard! This isn’t fair!”
A month has passed, and her chore chart? Completely EMPTY.
In fact, I’ve relocated it to the bottom of a stack of papers in the corner of my kitchen, just waiting for recycling day.
“Do I get a smiley face for recycling, Mommy? Saving the planet is good, right?”
I couldn’t help but draw a frowny face in response.
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In summary, chore charts can be a humorous yet exhausting endeavor, especially when you have different personalities involved. While one child thrives on responsibility, the other may struggle, leading to a mix of laughter and frustration in the household.