Many years ago, I noticed a piece of paper on a refrigerator door at my friend's home. It was her children's “Job List.”
As she observed me looking quizzically at it, she proclaimed, "They can't argue with the list!"
Not long afterward, I became a mother and soon employed her method. As the children grew and became more capable, the job list looked something like this:
Laura:
Set the dinner table.
Sweep the kitchen.
Clean the downstairs bathroom.
Sweep the front porch.
Karen:
Clear the dinner dishes.
Mop the kitchen.
Clean the living room.
Sweep the bank porch.
Mickey:
Load the dishwasher.
Clean the windows.
Clean the upstairs bathroom.
Take out the garbage.
Wendy:
Unload the dishwasher.
Clean the family room.
Sweep the front entryway.
Fold laundry.
Tom:
Wash the dishes that don't fit in the dishwasher.
Vacuum all hallways.
Wipe fingerprints off of walls.
John:
Straighten shoes by the front door.
Pick up the toys.
Straighten books in the shelves.
Certain tasks were done daily, others less frequently. On a special day, I would say, "When everyone has completed their jobs, we'll go to the beach!" (Or the park, library, sledding, etc.) They worked quickly and happily.
Needless to say, tasks are age appropriate. All of the children began helping in the kitchen as soon as they could stand. It's great to see them enjoy peeling, chopping, dipping, flipping, smashing, and mixing! It tastes so much better when children grow it in a garden or cook it themselves!
Heavy duty jobs, (snow shoveling, lawn mowing, brush clearing) were often compensated with cash. Our eldest son built chicken nesting boxes and a goat milking stand when he was about 13 years old. Babysitting was also rewarded because it was also a heavy duty job.
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When our sons and daughters are rewarded for their labor they learn firsthand that "in all labor their is profit."
MARY SCHUCH
(Mary is a mother of 11 grown children and now a greatgrandmother which a heart to bless, teach, and encourage young mothers).
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Woodstock, Illinois, USA
Pictures:
Mary’s little greatgranddaughter doing dishes.
Two of Mary’s grandsons preparing the garden.