Keep Your Household Chores from Becoming a Chore

For most of us, household chores are not the most fun or pleasant thing we do a daily basis. The list of things we need to do around the house seems nearly endless at times, especially when there are several family members living under the same roof. There always seems to be so much to do and often so little time to get it done. Fortunately, your household chores do not need to be a "chore" in themselves. Do not let your chores rule your life and steal all of your spare time. Take control and share the responsibility with your family members, and outsource what you cannot get done.

First, have a family meeting and make a list of all of the tasks that need to be done around the house. Assign each family member some individual tasks that they alone are always responsible for, such as making up the bed, keeping their room clean and picked up, rinsing out/wiping down the bathtub or shower when they are done, etc. Next, review all of the common household chores that need to be done around the house, and discuss what each member of the family likes to do most and least and then assign chores according to preferences if possible. For instance one person may hate to hand wash the dishes, but may not mind drying and putting them away. However, try to make sure you balance the chores somewhat evenly. Perhaps one person may have several smaller chores that are equal to one bigger chore done by another person.

To avoid monotony of doing the same chores all the time, you may want to design a revolving chore chart where tasks can be rotated on a regular basis. You can do it more often such as daily or weekly, or a little less often such as monthly rotations. Discuss it with your family members and then agree how often you will change chore duties.

If you are the parent or head of household, try to avoid being the "boss." When first learning how to do the chores you will want to guide and supervise, but as the child or family member becomes more proficient at doing the job, back off and let them be responsible for the results. You can be a coach Or a cheerleader, but let them take ownership and responsibility for their assigned chores. Resist the temptation to keep checking up on or redoing their work.

If you need more help getting your chores done in a reasonable amount of time, you may consider outsourcing –that is, hiring some outside help. One option is a professional cleaning or home maintenance service that can come in periodically once every week or every other week. If this does not fit within your budget, you may consider other sources of help that are less expensive. Possibilities include college students, school children, neighbors, retirees, or others who may be willing to take on some of your household chores like housecleaning, ironing, grocery shopping and yard work. You can hire this kind of part-time help for a lot less than the cost of a professional service. As you can see, your household chores need not rule your life.

In conclusion, to better manage your household chores you can divide them up among family members and let them take responsibility for getting them done. While you do not want to be the boss, you can act as a coach or a cheerleader to guide and encourage. Rotate chores periodically to provide variety, and consider getting extra outside help if you cannot get it all done in a timely manner.

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