Summer Break Chores

Our family has four children, ages 4, 6, 7, and 8.  We homeschool, so our daily chores don't change too much. Summer break is a good time for getting back in to good habits, or developing new ones, though.  When we start back to school, I also like for us to start with a clean, organized home.  Even though by the end of our term, it will need it again!

Here are the chores, and when we do them.  I include morning hygeine as chores, because some of my children like to freshen up upon waking and greet the day with a (clean) smile, but others would probably not notice if they wore the same clothes for a week.

On a laminated chart on the refrigerator, they are reminded to do the following before breakfast (which is at 9:00 in the summer.)  These are things they can all do on their own.

• Get Dressed
• Brush Hair
• Brush Teeth
• Make Bed
• Bring down dirty laundry

We then eat breakfast and each child has a meal chore to do afterwards.  

• 8 yo - Sweep kitchen floor
• 7 yo - Unload dishwasher
• 6 yo - Clear and wipe table
• 4 yo - Help Mom load dishwasher

After that, they have a few housekeeping/farm chores to do.  

• 8 yo - Check chicken feed & water
• 7 yo - Feed and water rabbits
• 6 yo - Feed cats
• 4 yo - Mist lemon and lime tree with spray bottle
• All - Tidy up bedrooms

Later, after lunch, we have a different rotation of meal chores, and the 8 yo, who has an egg business also has to collect eggs.  It looks like this.

• 8 yo - Load dishwasher & collect eggs
• 7 yo - Clear table
• 6 yo - Use handheld vacuum where needed around table
• 4 yo - Wipe table

The last scheduled chore is a 5 minute tidy.  We have a rotation of five rooms, so each child is in a different room.  They get to their place, I start a five minute timer and yell "GO!"  We stop when the timer is done.  I usually help wherever the four year old is.  

When we're keeping up with these things over break, everything stays looking neat!