Burkley's New Chore Chart

I love charts. I love lists. I actually love doing chores if they are on a list that I can mark off when I've accomplished each one. My mom used to leave us chore lists on index cards for when we got home from school. Next to each chore, there'd be a little box she'd drawn that we could put an "X" in as we did them. I loved it!

I started thinking that Burkley was old enough to start be aware of what is needed to make oneself "ready" for the day or for bed and what kinds of things have to be done in a house to keep it organized.

I combined this new idea with my love for charts and made Burkley a chore-chart. I got clip-art from the Internet for each "chore" and made a column for morning chores and bedtime chores. I should note that we're not really calling them "chores," but rather just his "chart" of things he can do to be helpful and responsible.

They are certainly not difficult tasks and my main goal in creating this is to teach him that there are things he can do on his own, so we needed to start the habit. I take him potty, brush his teeth, dress him, clean up after him, basically, I do everything for him. He has neither expressed interest in doing these things on his own nor shown the ability, and when he was my only child, I just did it for him, without thinking about it. Now that he's two and a half and I have a baby to care for, I thought we should start working toward a little more independence.

So, I made the chart and laminated it and hung it outside his bedroom in the hallway at his height. I put a dry-erase marker there so he can mark off each item on the chart as he does it. He LOVES to color in each picture.

In the morning, he has to go potty, brush his teeth, comb his hair (have it combed), and make his bed. I'm happy to help him with any and all of these things, it's more just that he is now becoming aware of things that need to be done. The bed-making one I just put on there because he likes to do it. I do not make my bed everyday and making his seems kind of silly since he naps in it every day anyway, but still, we do it. :)

At bedtime, the list includes going potty and brushing teeth again (which he calls "toothbrushing"), putting his clothes in the laundry basket, and cleaning up any toys he got out during the day. He also always insists on coloring in the moon and stars at the top of the bedtime column.

So far, the chart has made accomplishing these tasks a bit easier since he is a willing participant. In the past, I didn't mind at all if he sat in front of the iPad or laptop for a few minutes watching something while I just did everything on those lists for him. Now though, he is growing up, and taking a more active role in his own "readiness" for the day and bed!