Our kids have chores. We’re not awful parents, we’re not slave drivers, our kids have chores. There are always age appropriate chores that kids can do. Even from little on. They can pick up their toys, help dust, feed pets, etc. When they get a bit older, they can help load/unload the dishwasher, take out the garbage, sweep and vacuum, etc.

Starting this from a young age teaches our kids SO much! Let’s really look at what we’re teaching them – work ethic, responsibility, appreciation for their home and the ‘stuff’ in it, team work, prioritizing, etc. Then when you dive a bit deeper and look at the money side of things, what does it teach when they have to earn money vs. just receive an allowance?

This part is HUGE! When kids earn their own money and are not handed it, they learn so much. Like the value of money, how to save, generosity, etc.

So how does our family handle chores and earning money? We have a kids chore chart.

Every day the kids need to go through their chores and not only do they earn marbles for each core they complete, they have to complete their chart before they can get on electronics for the day or go play with their friends.

Kids Chore Chart

I created my own chalkboard kids chore chart using an old large picture that I picked up from Goodwill. Using chalkboard paint makes this project super easy.

Once dried, I added cup hooks to hold each of the kids’ chore cards. The cards are organized into morning, chores, evening and extra. So not only are their chores on these cards but so are their other daily ‘to dos’ such as brushing teeth, making bed, doing school work, taking vitamins, etc.

I purchased colored index cards, cut them in half and hole punched them. Each of their chores and ‘to dos’ were written on the back.

The kids know that they need to complete their cards and flip them over before getting to play games, play with their friends, etc. Again, this is a great one for teaching responsibility but also helps me out. It’s a lot easier to answer when they ask, “Mom can I play?” All I have to ask is, “Did you do your cards?”

Marble Jars

Marble Jars are how we handle them earning money. Each chore is assigned a marble value. When they complete their chores, they can put marbles earned into their Marble Jar. When the jar is filled, they earn $20. Then that $20 is split into money to save, spend and give.

Our kids are learning that they don’t get something every time we go into a store and they know that if they want to buy something, they need to save up their money. They might even choose to work extra chores to earn money faster. They are in control of their own money, however, I still try to help them make the right choices in how they spend it.

You can determine how many marbles to assign each chore. The harder chores would earn more marbles. Our older kids can fill up their jars in about a months time, just to give you an idea.

You have to do whatever works for your family but so far the chore chart and marble jar have worked great for us. I realize now that this definitely could have been split up into two posts with more detailed info. 🙂 So if you have questions, just comment below and I’ll do my best to answer.

Topic: Kids Chore Chart