This post was created in collaboration with Creative QT. I was compensated for this review, in return for my honest opinion of the Chore Sticks from Creative QT. The opinions stated are 100% mine.

Fun with chores is possible:

I have written quite a bit about chores over the years. As with anything related to parenting, it takes a few tries before you figure out a system that works for your family.

We have used chores sticks for years, but I recently changed our rules quite a bit and with raging success, might I add. (Here’s my original “chore stick” post describing how we set up our chore system over three years ago.)

Currently, our four kids, ages 12, 10, 7 and 4, have daily and weekly chores they each have to complete in order to earn their allowance.

I know – I know! There’s much debate about whether or not kids should be paid to do household chores. In my opinion, it makes sense to expose the kids early to the responsibilities of money management. Additionally, I feel, linking allowances to the successful completion of chores teaches the kids good work ethics, or at least I HOPE it does!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen that we moved this summer. We did a big diagonal move across the country: from Florida to Washington State. When you uproot your family of six and spend the next 12 weeks together enjoying summer break, exploring your new home and neighborhood, there’s all of a sudden a new appreciation for family time.

Our move has been an incredible experience for all six of us. The glue that holds us together as a family has gotten stronger and we enjoy spending time together like never before. So before school starts with the rigid daily routines and busy schedules, I wanted to start a tradition that celebrates our family bond and promotes family time.

This is something you can easily adapt to your family’s needs and dynamics.

Having Fun with Chore Sticks, no really… I mean it!

I sat the kids down a few weeks ago and presented them with the new Chore Stick system and explained how they can earn privileges and even more family time. They immediately wanted to know how much money they could make, but as I explained: the new system isn’t about earning money. It’s simply about finding new and fun ways for us to spend time together. They all nodded slowly in unison and said “ohhhh, this will be fun!”

I wanted their 100% buy-in, so we came up with a list of rewards together. I have attached a list of our rewards and how many “Chore Sticks” they cost. You are more than welcome to print our list, or come up with your own.

Either way, you can’t lose with this Chore Stick system: you will have a cleaner house and your kids learn to appreciate family time!!! Win win… because TRUST ME, once the kids hit double digits in age they become little hermits who enjoy their alone time (as much as you do)… so anything you can do NOW to promote the awesomeness of family time is a win!

[By the way, our family has LOVED using chore sticks long before they were cool! In fact, check out how we got our kids to love doing chores in the first place!]

Now, before you tell me that your kids are too young for Chore Sticks, let’s talk about age-appropriate chores. ANY of the chores listed on the Chore Sticks can be modified to work for the young ones (toddler/ preschoolers). Our four year old can do all of the chores listed on these Chore Sticks, he may need modifications or help, but seeing the look of accomplishment on his face when he’s “swept” the kitchen floor is priceless.

(Granted, his idea of “sweeping” doesn’t involve a lot of “collecting dirt into one pile,” it’s more like “let’s spread the dirt far and wide.” – But none the less, he’s trying and learning!)

I put together a quick list of chores by age, but remember that every child and their ability is different, which is why these chores are broken into broad age ranges instead of specific ages.

You know your child and their strengths, so take my age-range with a grain of salt!

Important reminders to keep chores fun:

Your child can most likely do more than you think, with a little guidance.
Lower your expectations! The goal isn’t for you to have a completely clean and reorganized home by the end of the week.
The goal is to teach your kids important life skills and make them a productive member of your household/ society.
If your child knows how to operate electronic devices (ie. video games, TV and laptops), they can also learn to run a washer, dryer and dishwasher.
Keep the chores fun and as a shared household responsibility.
Even the youngest members can participate in an age-appropriate manner.
Remember that the older kids can do all the things listed in the younger age groups.
- Delegate chores according to your family’s needs and your child’s abilities.

The beauty of parenting is that YOU, the parent, can change the chores if you feel that they are too easy or too challenging. You have worked hard for 30-40 years to get to this stage of adulthood and parenting – you are fully entitled to change your mind mid-stream.

In summary, here’s our Family Time Chore sheet, which our kids helped me create and they are currently working hard to earn their Chore Sticks. (Go ahead and print ours or make your own.)

When our kids have “down time” during the summer months (and once school starts), they are encouraged to grab one or two Chore Sticks per day.
The awesome part about the Chore Sticks from Creative QT is that they have snuck in a few “fun” surprise “chores.”
Not every Chore Stick puts you to work, but they all count the same in our family’s system.

Oh… and as a quick reminder, keep a “note” on your phone of how many Chore Sticks your kids have earned. Don’t leave it up to them to track… I know how that would go in our house!