My husband was unhappy with my older son's efforts in cleaning the kitchen on his day so he went off schedule and added on extra days to his kitchen chore until he got satisfactory results.
It worked.
By the end of the week, the kitchen was the cleanest it had ever been when he did the job. So, in shaa Allah, we'll be trying to hold the rest of the kids to the same standard. It's time to get "tough" again and by tough, I mean more diligent in checking their work and requiring that they keep at a job until it's done correctly.
To help with that, I made up a list of daily and weekly expectations and printed them out for the kitchen and bathroom:
Bathroom
Daily
- Clean sink (and wipe/dry faucet fixtures)
- Straighten/wipe counters
- replace toilet paper roll if necessary
- fill istinja bottle
- Pick up trash/empty trash can as needed; sweep if needed
- Make sure bath rugs/mats are neatly placed/wash and replace when super wet or really dirty
- Mop floor as needed
Weekly
Sinks, Cabinets & Mirrors
- Clean sink and straighten and wipe counters
- Wipe cabinets (side, front, and doors)
- Windex all sink fixtures and mirrors (main, door, and medicine cabinet)
- Straighten medicine cabinet
- clean toothbrush holders (inside and out)
Walls & Doors
- Wipe both sides of door, door handles and door frames
- Carefully wipe light switch plates and switches
- Wipe walls, including baseboards
Shower/Tub
- Scrub tub and shower walls/doors including outside of tub and doors
- Windex faucet fixtures
Toilet
ALL toilet surfaces
- Toilet bowl (inside and out)
- Tank top and sides
- Toilet bowl tank connector (area where seat is bolted down)
- Wipe handle
- Toilet pedestal/base
Floors
- Empty trash and replace bag
- Sweep floor
- Mop floor (all the floor including behind toilet and around sides of toilet and under cabinets)
- Wash AND replace rugs and mats
Kitchen
Daily
- Wash dishes
- Dry and put up dishes
- Wipe counters and stove (including counter near clean dishes)
- Clean sink (clean out drains, wipe sides and around faucet and backsplash wall
- Sweep floor
- Mop as needed
Weekly
- Sanitize counters
- Clean out microwave (inside and out)
- Wipe down appliances and clean under them
- Toss out old food and clean out refrigerator (inside and out)
- Straighten, wipe down spice racks/pantry area
- Wipe cabinets
Trash
Daily
- Empty trash can
- Replace trash bag
- Sweep up any mess you make from collecting the trash
Weekly
- Clean out/sanitize trash can (outside and inside)
- Wipe the wall/cabinet near the trash can
What about Rotations?
I also made up a new schedule. In this schedule, the kids do each chore by the week. Over the years, the rotation has fluctuated between rotating daily chores, weekly chores, or picking a chore card each day. I have seen some parents rotate chores on a monthly basis. I think for us, I've found that the weekly chore rotation seems to work the best. Daily rotation is easier on the kids but harder for me to "police" and I'd get "Do I have to clean this, so and so didn't clean this from yesterday...." The weekly rotation is more forgiving for me (if I don't check a chore on a given day, there are more days to check.) Plus, the weekly rotation (or even a monthly one) gives you more time to ensure that the kids really know how to do a particular cleaning job or room. A weekly rotation also makes it easier to remember whose chore it is. When we went day by day, I was always having to look at the chore chart each day until we memorized whose day was what.
It's About More Than Chores
So, I'm trying to gear up myself up to be more diligent in checking their work as well as making them go back if the job's not done satisfactorily. As my husband and I discussed, it's not about making the kids do chores; it's not just about a clean house. It's about building a strong work ethic, learning to take pride in your work, and learning how to see a job all the way through to the end. In shaa Allah, these efforts don't just result in a cleaner house, but also children more prepared for their adult lives on their own.
What type of chore rotation do you use? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Something else?
Have you recently stepped up efforts like me to ensure chores are being done correctly?
