How to Take the Chore Out of Chores
Weekly chore lists, check sheets, and allowance levels. These are the trappings of an organized attempt to get household tasks accomplished, teach responsibility, and build a lasting work ethic. Often other items appear on this list. Headaches, stress, conflicts, and manipulation are sometimes the byproducts of assigning chores.
When you have a lot of work to take care of, it is often helpful to remember that different personalities are attracted to different types of jobs. A quick identification of your family’s personality or temperament styles will help you to identify and assign jobs. Family members will more readily accept and complete jobs if they are in line with their style.
- Blues prefer jobs that make the home a more enjoyable place to live. For example: cooking, dusting, watering or feeding plants, and taking care of pets.
- Golds prefer routine jobs that involve order. For example: ironing, weeding, scouring sinks, and paying bills.
- Greens are great problem-solvers and troubleshooters. For example: fixing things that are broken, organizing bookshelves, balancing the checkbook, and returning library books, etc.
- Oranges prefer jobs with action. For example: mowing lawns, taking out garbage, sweeping or vacuuming, car care, and construction projects.
Once you know what household tasks are preferable to the members of your household, you can sit down with each member, discuss options, and make a plan. If everyone is to adhere to the plan, it is important that each member have some part in the planning. When each member helps to set his or her own goals, there is a better chance for success. A family meeting to present the plan puts the plan in action.
In undertaking the responsibility of assigning chores, it is important to communicate that there will be times when it is appropriate for everyone to do things that are outside of their style. For example, your child may need to learn a new task or simply understand that there are times that we must do tasks that we don’t particularly care for.
Assigning chores based largely on preferred style will take some of the headache out of getting your family to help out around the house. Taking time to set up a family game plan will help ensure that all members are given the chance to contribute their suggestions and, most importantly, understand their role in making the plan work.