How to Get Kids to Do Chores in the Summer {Free Summer Chore Chart Printable}

Are you looking for a great way to have your kids help with daily chores this summer break? We’ve got a Free Summer Chore Chart Printable for you to teach kids responsibility and hard work.

 

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Another school year will be over before we know it and the kids could not be more excited for all of their free time. Except that you know that they will inevitably be saying that they are bored within a matter of days!

What better use of the extra in the summer than to get your kids on board with doing household chores!

How to Get Kids to Do Chores in the Summer

Summer is a great opportunity to get your kids in the habit of helping with around the house! Hopefully your family has a little bit more of a loose schedule and that you have time to teach kids how to do chores. If you get kids in the habit of doing chores in the summer time, it will be a lot easier for them to keep doing them when school is back in full swing.

One of the biggest challenges in getting kids to do chores is teaching them the expectations. Sometimes we can get frustrated with our kids for not pulling their weight around the house. But, in reality, we might not have given them clear expectations of what they are supposed to be doing. Teaching kids to do chores in an investment that really pays off. Not only is it helpful for the family for everyone to pitch in. But, we are helping kids to understand the value of hard work and how to actually take care of their homes! These life skills are absolutely necessary for being an adult!

So, how can we get our kids to do chores most especially in the summer time?

These are the 7 Ways to Get Kids to Do Chores:

Set Expectations

The first thing to do, is to sit down with your kids and make sure that they understand what they are being asked to do. It is also important to give your kids, especially teens, the “why” of helping with chores. So not only is important to contribute to the chore load as a family member, but that it is helps to lighten the load for everyone. If everyone pitches in to get things done, there is more time for fun! Most especially this benefit is true in the summer! If everyone helps to get things done on a weekend afternoon, there is more time to enjoy all the great things about summertime!

It is a great idea to talk with your kids about when chores should be done!. For instance, if you are wanting their chores to do be done first thing in the morning, you will want to make that expectation clear. Along with your kids, decide on when the chores should be done. If there is a particular day of the week that a chore needs to be done, like taking out the garbage or mowing the lawn, make sure this is discussed.

Have a Visual Reminder

It is really important to have a visual chore list for your kids. Chore charts are not just for little kids! Big kids and teens still can benefit from a visual chore chart! This really helps to clear up any confusion and to prevent any miscommunication, which can often be a problem with older children.

Just think about how helpful it is to have a daily checklist of things to accomplish. When kids have visual checklists, they not only feel productive but also have a sense of autonomy. Younger kids will love having their own chore charts. It gives them a sense of independence they do not often get to experience.

Teach Kids Exactly How the Chores Should Be Done

You do not want to just write down a bunch of chores and then send your kids off to do them. Make sure your children know exactly what you expect them to do for each chore. For example, if your kids need to clean the bathroom, you might want to provide an instruction sheet along with the cleaning supplies. If you are asking one of your kids to mow the lawn, you want to be sure to be work with your child and the mower until they get comfortable using it on their own.

Keep your Expectations in Check

Are your kids going to do their chores exactly as you would do them? Probably not. But that is okay! In most cases, done is better than perfect. Eventually your kids might master the chore to a level even better than you can do it. But, it will take a lot of time and practice for kids to get really good at doing chores. Let go of those high expectations and recognize that your kids are learning.

Check in on Progress (But do not over nag tween and teens)

It is important to keep tabs on how your kids are doing with their chores. Younger kids might want consistent reassurance that they are doing good on their chores. Big kids might want less involvement from you but it is still good to check on progress. You want to remind that they the chore chart is there but you do not want to necessarily nag them. Since expectations have been outlined, you should not have to constantly check in with your kids. Once kids know their daily responsibilities, you want to give them room to succeed, or even fail, on their own!

It is good to talk with your kids about how often you will check in the chores. For younger kids, who might need daily rewards, you are checking in frequently. But, with teens, you might just review the chore chart at the end of the week.

Adjust the Chores List as Necessary

If your kids are struggling to get their chores done, you might want to take at look at their chore list. Make sure that the chore tasks are age appropriate. If your kids schedule changes during the summer, you might need to adjust the chore chart. The nice thing about the Summer Chore Chart Printable is that you can print out as many copies as you would like!

Make it Fun and Rewarding

At the end of the day, ultimately we want our kids to have a fun summer. There is nothing quite like a childhood summer.  Chores are a necessary part of life. So if we teach kids that its just something that we do, then it becomes less of a punishment.

Our family motto is work hard, play hard. We might spend a summer day working on the yard. But then, once we are done, we try to have fun as a family! As a family, come up with some fun ways to spend time together. You might want to create a Summer Bucket List or pick a few Summer Traditions to work towards. Then, as a reward each week for summer chores, pick a few fun activities to do!

To Pay or Not to Pay?

One of the biggest questions that comes up with kids doing chores is whether to pay them. It is really a personal family decision on paying kids for chores. So there is not a right or wrong answer. Older kids are really motivated by money. It is great for them to be able to earn money and learn how to budget their money on things they want and need.

Even younger kids benefit from have some of their own money to manage. You might decide to pay for chores above and beyond the daily tasks. Or you might decide to pay kids for chores as their reward.

It also really depends on what your kids are responsible for paying for (like spending money, clothes and entertainment) and if they have the ability to work anywhere else to earn money. For kids in the pre-teen to early teen years, often times they are very eager to get a job but are mostly to young to work anywhere. So, by paying them for some of their chores, they are getting a taste of what it is like to work for money.

Sometimes it is a bit of trial and error to decide if paying your kids for chores is the best thing. Nothing is set in stone. You can always change course if something is not working.

Summer Chore Chart Printable

This printable chore chart is specifically created for the summer. These summer chore chart printables are perfect for parents who want to come up with the list of chores. You can print out new chore charts each week. Sometimes, you might vary which chores need to be done. Or you might want to laminate the summer chore chart so you can use the same one week after week.

I have free printable summer chore charts to choose from. There are spots for you and your kids to write down what the daily tasks and any weekly chores. Then, there is a place to decide on a fun reward. There might be a daily reward, like screen time or playing video games! Or as a family, you might decide on a weekly reward like a trip to get ice cream or a day at the beach.

Download the Free Printable Summer Chore Charts!

 

If you strike the right balance between a few summer chores with a lot of family fun, your family will have a great summer! Chances are your kids will not remember the simple tasks they were asked to do but will instead remember that wonderful feeling of summer vacation!

Sign up here to download the Free Chore Chore Printable and get access to the entire Free Printables Library.

Another printable you might like is this Screentime Chart Printable. This is a good option for kids who are always asking for more screen time!

 

Organization Coaching for Moms

If you would like help with home organization, routines, meal planning, chores and family organization then you can benefit from organization coaching! We work 1:1 to tackle your challenges and find the best solutions that bring peace and order to your home. Book a free 30 minute consult here. 

 

 

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