Nurturing My Nest Blog

Routines and Rhythms of Homemaking
Intentional Homebuilding & Custom Built Education
 Based in Tennessee. Available for travel.

CONTRIBUTIONS: Teamwork In Cleaning Your Home

 

 

How do you manage a team?

How do you run a successful business?

How do you complete a sizable task efficiently?

 

When functioning as a domestic engineer for a family of seven, research, charts and new ideas are a must for success. Recently, a plan to combine the on-going need for clothes with the incessant need for cleaning and cooking, led me to this formula.

Below is a list of daily morning contributions, kitchen duties and weekly jobs. Completion of assignments for each of these areas ensures the young ones living under our care contribute to the financial means to purchase clothing and shoes. From a parent standpoint, this is a win-win. We have been providing the clothing and shoes while “asking” and “expecting” each individual to “contribute” to the listed areas with cheerful speed.

Confession here leads me to share that I currently have only two reliable cheerful helpers.  These children light up with any new plan as they will benefit for any new motivators and are already doing everything on the list. With the latest plan, funds are allotted for each child for the month. The money dissipates if any of the expected contributions fail to be completed properly and on time. Each of the tasks has been previously taught, supervised and evaluated. The kids know how to do each job well. So it is completely up to them to succeed with a new plan. The cleaning responsibilities change with the beginning of the year, the summer and the fall. Two goals accomplished with contributions are to allow teamwork to lighten the load of one person caring for a home. The second advantage is the mature children into young people prepared for domestic responsibilities that are certain to be theirs in adult life.


Example of a Daily & Weekly Chart

Daily:

K – Pets, food, fresh water, pet 🙂

M – Vac 1st floor ALL

J – Dishwasher, Clean dishes in left sink

Jo – Brush Pets

Kitchen Cooking & Cleaning for Summer

Day         Meals        Cleaning

Sun         Mom         M

M             K                 J

T              Jo                M

W            K                 M

Th            Jo                 J

F               K                  J

Sat           Mom          M


Thursday – Contributions 

(1hr- personal space (bedroom), 2hr-family areas)

K – Laundry, Ironing, Food prep & purchasing & cooking, Pantry

M – Downstairs bathroom & Kid’s Bathroom, Mop ALL 1st floor –
wood and tile, Dust 1st floor, glass doors

J – Vac Stairs, 2nd floor, outside front door, shoe basket, litter box,  clean and vac one vehicle

Jo – Straighten & Vac Basement, garbage – whole house, ALL- fur, sweep outside back stairs,  garage


Future Success as Goal

Over the years we have worked with a number of charts and motivational systems based on current needs along with the children’s capabilities. Developing a system is only the beginning.  Implementing and carrying it out is even more challenging. Plan the work and then work the plan.

Keeping the goal in mind will encourage you along the journey. Determine not to quit. Celebrate the end of your weekly contribution day with fun food that everyone will look forward to while they work. Remind yourself that this training is invaluable to your children’s success as an adult, as a spouse as a roommate, as a co-worker and in nearly all situations as an adult. Keep your eye on the end goal.

Here are some downloadable charts to help you succeed with home maintenance and other ideas:

NMN Monthly Goal Sheets

Contribution (Chore) Chart Sample

Contributions Chart

Age Appropriate Contributions

 

For more inspiring ideas on home and family, subscribe to this blog to be the first to receive new information. Share any ideas you have for a more efficient systems in keeping your home in the comments below.

What ideas work at your house with your kiddos?

Networking is the best!!

Don’t be shy.


For books to take you deeper and explore more subjects on HOME and FAMILY, order these books from Amazon.

Nurturing My Nest:  Intentional Homebuilding and Custom Built Education

Hum of the Home: Routines and Rhythms of Homemaking 

 

To join the conversation with Tim and Leah on this subject, listen the the companion podcast on this topic at Embrace Your Everyday.

More blogs on FAMILY and CLEANING:

Teaching Children Chores

Purging: Making More Space

Laundry Simplified

6 Ideas for Speedy Seasonal Cleaning

10 Ideas for Preparing for Overnight Guests

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