Managing a home and keeping it clean can be a lot of work, especially if all the labor falls on one person’s shoulders. Finding a way to share tasks with everyone who lives in the home not only makes the overall job less time-consuming, but also fosters camaraderie. It can also help kids develop valuable life skills and a strong work ethic. 

Make a List of Tasks

Start by making a list of all the chores that need to be completed around your home. It’s often easier to delegate, once you’ve outlined a complete picture of the work involved. After you’ve finished your list, sort the items by how frequently the tasks should be done. Here’s a list of chores to help get you started:

• Wash dishes
• Load dishwasher/empty dishwasher
• Clear and clean off the kitchen table
• Meal plan
• Set the table for meals
• Take out the trash/recycling
• Clear and clean out the refrigerator
• Clean out the oven/microwave
• Disinfect counters
• Put items in shared spaces away (toys, games, technology)
• Wipe down bathroom sink/countertops
• Clean the toilet
• Scrub the shower/tub
• Change out towels/bedding
• Do laundry
• Make the bed
• Dust
• Vacuum
• Clean windows
• Water plants
• Pet care (feed, exercise)

Call a Family Meeting

Once you’ve determined what needs to be cleaned, it’s time to loop everyone else in. Getting the whole family involved in the process can help kids feel like they have a stake in the family’s success. Start by asking if there’s anything else they’d add to the list. Then, establish which tasks are suitable for each family member. Give kids the space to ask questions. Be sure to set expectations about what a job well done looks like.

While discussing responsibilities, remember that some chores may be more appropriate than others for different age groups. It may be hard to determine at which age to involve small children, but kids as small as two often show interest in helping around the home. Reward their curiosity and facilitate ways they can get involved. Learning how to complete a task when they’re eager to help will encourage the habit as they age. Younger children can still help pick up their toys and place clothing in a laundry basket or hamper—especially with supervision. School-aged kids can set their clothes out for the next day, set and clear the table, and sort clothes that are ready to be washed.

Make a Visual Reference

During your family meeting, discuss the frequency of the tasks. What’s a daily task vs. a weekly task? Try scheduling a special day each month to tackle less-frequent chores. Then, determine how to ensure that everyone feels empowered to stay on top of their responsibilities. Consider creating a reward system for a certain number of chores completed within a predetermined timeframe. Many families benefit from creating a visual schedule or chart that’s accessible in a high-traffic area. This could be accomplished with magnets or stickers placed in a “done” column after finishing a task.

Some families benefit from a free-form choice list. This often works best with children at middle school age or older. Start by making a list of daily responsibilities to choose from, and, each day, everyone picks three tasks. This system works well if every chore doesn’t need to be completed daily, allowing kids to choose which jobs they’d like to tackle.

Revise Your Strategy Accordingly

After a month has passed using your new system, call another family meeting and discuss what has and hasn’t been working. Are there tasks that need to be completed that the original list didn’t cover? Are there some tasks that should be completed at a different frequency? Do certain family members prefer to swap tasks? Don’t be afraid to tweak your schedule and adapt to what works for your unique family!