Cleaning

Ok mama, time for some tough love. You need to get help with the chores at home. You deserve help. This free chore chart printable may get you one step closer to getting that help.

I don’t care if you are a stay at home mom, working mom or a single mom. It is time to bring in help.  Who is the help? Your sweet family.

We mamas carry a big burden, and often times that means we try to do it all, even when we don’t have to do it all. We also seem to be the only ones that care that a mess even exists.

Talk to your spouse

First thing, talk to your spouse or partner. Tell them you need help with the chores at home, and ask him where he thinks he can help. He may surprise you!

I told my sweet husband early on in our marriage about how much I hate mopping the floors and cleaning the bathtubs. He totally volunteered to do these two tasks for me!

Turns out, he even enjoys mopping. (Weirdo.)

Talk to your kids about helping with chores

Our kids often want to help us more than we give them credit for. They love to be like us, and they like responsibility, even when they push back sometimes.

Talk to your kids about how they will be pitching in to help you more often. Like your husband, they may be more willing than you think.

A happy mama is a happy family after all!

Assign everyone their weekly tasks

Once you have spoken to your family, assign everyone their weekly tasks. Your kids are able to do more than you may think.

Need help? Download my free chore chart printable to get you started!

I learned my kids could clean the bathrooms at a fairly young age if I removed the dangerous chemicals from the equation.

Do they clean the bathroom like I would want it cleaned? No. If guests are coming over, I usually go behind them and give it a more thorough cleaning, but I do let them start it.

When we decided my kids would start cleaning the bathrooms, they were 4 and 5 years old. I created a homemade cleaning solution, and I gave them both their own washcloth.

I taught them how to clean the bathroom a couple of weeks in a row, and then they took over.

Related Post: A Cleaning Schedule That Actually Works!

Give your kids a zone to clean

Each month, my kids get a new zone to clean. This month, my little one is responsible for the dining room. My oldest is responsible for the living room. Every day, they must clean their zone. They don’t have to put stuff away for others, but they do have to take it to the bottom of the stairs for others to put away.

This system makes it painfully obvious when I’m the one leaving stuff lying around!

The zone system has worked great, as it makes them aware of stuff left behind. It also holds them accountable for their own stuff, as they don’t want to be called out by their sibling.

Each week, my kiddos have to dust, sweep and/or vacuum their zone. I’ve been so surprised by the pride they take in their zones!

My kiddo doing the living room carefully places the throw pillows in her own unique way each night before bed.

My other kiddo was found one day cleaning the candle sticks for the dining room! She even learned how to fancy fold napkins and set the table because she was so proud of her space.

Give your kids a space where they can take pride in their work, that’s not just their room.

Stop doing assigned chores for your family

This one is the kicker. If you want help with the chores at home, you have to stop doing the chores for your family!

Sometimes, this means letting your family work in their own time frame to complete the chores.

For example, I may want to get the floor mopped on Monday, but if my husband wants to mop it on Friday, then so be it. I will not be one to complain.

I am super guilty of doing chores when I want them done, even if others are willing to help. Don’t do this!

I have learned from years of stress and overwhelm that if I stop doing the chores assigned to my family, then they will get to them.

If you have to, remind your family of your agreements.

Don’t criticize how your family helps with chores at home

If you are lucky enough to have your family help with the chores, don’t criticize their efforts when they help.

Instead, praise them for their work. Just because they do it differently from you (a well-practiced mama), doesn’t mean they are doing it wrong.

Getting help with the chores at home means letting go of your expectations of perfect.

I like my bath towels folded a certain way and put into the linen closet a very specific way.

In the past, when I would get help with the towels, I would secretly refold them all and put them back into the linen closet the “right way”. Finally, I had to let it go.

Doing everyone else’s chores they so graciously helped me with was exhausting!

Train your kids how you want chores done

When you get your kids to help with the chores, don’t criticize them and then, help train them. They are helping! Your biggest hurdle is complete.

Now, train your kids to clean your preferred way, especially if they are young. If you like towels folded a certain way, take the needed time to teach them. Their future families will thank you for your efforts!

Have a mandatory pick-up every evening

One of the secrets to a clean house and having less chores to need help with, is to have a mandatory clean-up every evening.

Don’t do it when everyone is cranky and ready for bed. I recommend doing it right before bath time.

It doesn’t have to take long. The whole family can spend 10-15 minutes picking up and make a big impact.

Thank those who help you with the chores

I am a firm believer that household chores are part of being part of a family and household. I don’t get paid to do chores, and neither do my kids.

A simple thank you, especially to your husband, will go a long way. Believe it or not, they want to help you, but we have to let them!

If my kids want to make extra money, I request they do extra chores, that take the load off my list.

For example, my daughter had an upcoming book fair and wanted to buy her own book. That week, she did the dishes every night, helped with laundry and took over any extra feedings for our pets. These small tasks over the course of a week earned her an extra $5 for a book she wanted.

Allowance alternatives for kids doing chores

When your kids help with chores at home, you can reward them in ways other than an allowance, if that’s not your thing.

For example, you can set up a chore chart on the fridge or on a family command center. (Download my free chore chart printable for kids.) Once the kids earn so many checks you can reward them with alternatives like the following:

• An extra cartoon or half-hour of screen time for the week
• An extra dessert-type snack
• A half-hour or hour later bedtime
• A homework-free night
• Extra phone time to talk to friends
• A playdate for an extra helpful week
• Get creative! Sometimes, an extra reward is something as simple as a donut when we go to the grocery store or me surprising them with chocolate chip cookies on pizza night.

Chore chart printable for free: A simple chore chart for kids

Want even more help? Use this FREE chore chart printable to get started! It is the perfect chore chart for kids so they know how they can help you with the chores at home.

Use this chore chart template to explain to your kids what is expected of them. Kids love filling in the chore chart template. You can use stickers, special markers, or whatever motivates them!

I don’t pay my kids per task. I am a true believer that maintaining a home is a family responsibility.

If my kids do “extras” on the chore chart template, I will reward them for those tasks. The type of task dictates the reward. The bigger the task, the bigger the reward. Find what works for you!

Related Posts:

The Benefits of Being a Minimalist Family

11 Brilliant Decluttering Tips for the Messy at Heart

Things for Kids to do When BORED

Inspire Your Kids to Help with Chores (Free Printable Chore Chart)Read More

Want to give your house a good spring cleaning without feeling overwhelmed?

Did you know a clean, tidy home can actually make you feel better? It can lower your anxiety, make you feel energized, and generally put you in a better mood.

I’m not saying you should spend your entire spring season doing housework, but a little effort each day can have you feeling pretty good about your home in as little as two weeks. 

Catching up at home will also ensure you have a comfortable, happy place to work and hang out with your family.

Here is your Spring Cleaning Decluttering Plan:

1 – Catch up on paperwork

You know that pile of mail and paperwork that’s been sitting in the “to-do” spot for longer than you would like to admit?  Let’s tackle it.

No one wants to pay bills, file papers, and generally do anything financial when the pile is more than we can handle mentally. Tackle it now, before it makes you dislike everyone around you!

Need more help getting paperwork under control? Check out how my best tips for mail organization without a big DIY project!

2 – Polish all the furniture

I love the smell of fresh furniture polish, and I love the look even more!

Grab a bottle of polish and a couple of dusting rags and get to work! This task won’t take long, and your home will be shiny and pretty. 

This is a great task for kids too.  If they’ve never dusted before, give them a quick lesson and then trust them to get it done.

Want to get your kids involved in more chores? Check out this free downloadable chore chart for kids.

3 – Wipe down your kitchen cabinets

My grandmother wipes down all her kitchen cabinets daily. I’m almost sure of it.

Me, not so much.  I try to do it monthly.  They probably could handle it weekly.

Grab your favorite kitchen cleaner and get ready to put in some elbow grease.  Get all the “tacky film”, you know that grimy stuff that builds up, off and enjoy your sparkling clean kitchen.

After getting all the grime off, I enjoy an extra wipe-down using Murphy’s Oil.  It gives a nice, shiny look to your cabinets.

4 – Inventory your food

If you haven’t cleaned out your pantry in months, there’s a good chance you have some food nearing expiration (or is already past it).  You may even have more food than you think you have in your freezer, fridge, and pantry that you could be using in your rotation this week.

Grab a notebook and create three separate pages.  Title each page, “Fridge”, “Freezer” and “Pantry”. 

Next, write down every single thing you have in your inventory. 

For example:

• 3 lbs chicken breaks
• ½ bag of frozen broccoli
• 2 containers of yogurt
• 5 eggs

You might learn you can survive for weeks off of what is in your pantry! Talk about money saved at the store while prices are climbing higher every day!

Feeling lost on how to survive on just your pantry? Check out my No Spend Grocery Challenge.  It may be the tool you need to make it another few weeks and save a whole load of cash.

5 – Do a repair that’s been on your to-do list

You know that repair that’s been on your to-do list for weeks, maybe months? Now is the time.

Pick a repair or project you can do with the tools on hand, and get it done.

Don’t worry about something being outside your wheel-house.  YouTube can literally teach you how to do anything.  (I learned how to drywall from YouTube.  Seriously, you can learn anything.)

6 – Wash ALL your bedding

I wash our sheets often.  I don’t wash our blankets and comforters as often as I would like. 

Open a window, air out your room, and wash ALL the bedding.  You will feel so good when you crawl into bed later tonight.

7 – Wash your windows, inside and out

This is the task I never, ever do, but once it is done, there are is immediate gratification.

Check off this spring cleaning task no one really wants to do but we all enjoy it when it is done. 

Get your kiddos to help with washing the windows on the inside.  This is a task they can likely help with if they are in elementary school or older.

8 – Organize your spices

Pull all of your spices out.  Then, inventory them if you like.

Think about what spices you use and how often.

Some people like to organize their spices in alphabetical order.  That’s not my jam.  I like to organize by what I use.

Baking spices and baking additions go on the top shelf.  I bake less often than I cook. 

The weird spices we love but don’t use often, go on the middle shelf.  The least used go in the very back, on a stair-stepping type shelf.  The more popular go towards the front.

The spices we use daily go on the bottom shelf, with the most used spices in the very front.  It works!

9 – Declutter and organize a storage closet

I often call these “junk closets”. They literally become the dumping ground for everything we are avoiding decluttering or organizing.

Go find a box or two you’ve been meaning to tackle for YEARS, and start decluttering.  Then, get it out. Move your give-away pile to the trunk of your car and get the trash out.

Finally, organize what is left.

10 – Declutter and organize your clothes closet

With the change of seasons, it becomes painfully obvious what clothes we used over the past season and which ones sat in the same spot for months without ever being worn.  Use this time to declutter your clothes you don’t wear that often or have been meaning to go through.

Look for clothes you haven’t worn recently, still have tags on them, or don’t fit.

Need more help? Check out these posts:

• How to Declutter Your Closet Fast
• How to Create a Capsule Wardrobe: Beginner’s Guide Included
• 9 Proven Methods to Decluttering Your Closet Without Regrets

11 – Declutter and organize kids’ toys

Kids’ interests change. They outgrow toys. They bore of toys.

If your kids have a tough time keeping up with cleaning their room, there’s a good chance they have more than they can handle. That’s always the first sign we need to declutter.

Use this opportunity to purge toys your kids have outgrown, don’t like, or that you hate.  (It’s ok to hate a toy and find it a new home.  I’m not judging you!)

Related Posts:

• How to Manage Toy Clutter in 9 Simple Steps
• Get Rid of Toys (With The Help of Your Kids)

12 – Declutter and organize your craft space

It’s time to be honest with yourself about the types of crafts you enjoy. If you have a craft that used to be your thing, and now you don’t enjoy it anymore, move it to the give-away pile. 

Use this time to also finish any projects. 

Finally, organize what is left. 

Don’t go buying more craft supplies until you have used up what you have on hand!

Related post: Declutter and Organize Your Craft Room

13 – Tidy up your entryway

Your entryway is the first space you see when you or guests enter your home.  It can also set the tone for the rest of the space it flows into.

Use this spring cleaning time to tidy up your entryway and organize things like shoes, coats, and any other items you store in an entryway closet. 

I like to keep my shoes organized on a shoe rack in the entry-way closet.  Maybe you enjoy a basket or a door hanging organizer.  Find what works for your space, and get that project finally done!

14 – Clean out and detail your car

OK, so your car isn’t inside of your home, but with summer coming up and spring break road trips, it will be nice to have a spic and span car to travel in!

Bonus, make your kids help.  They can empty out trash, see all the fun treats they left under the car seats, and generally make the task a little less daunting. 

Spring Decluttering DONE, in just two weeks

Check off a quick task every day, and before you know it, you will feel calmer and have a clean home!

Good luck!

Spring Decluttering DONE: A Realistic Plan With Small Daily StepsRead More

As moms, most of us have those cleaning hacks that are our go-to options for messes.

I asked my readers what their best cleaning hacks were and these are the responses that I got. Some are hilarious, some are really great ideas, and some are both!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

Secret Cleaning Hacks from Happy Simple Mom Readers:

#1 When you are done with a Swiffer duster and ready to toss it, use it to dust around your toilets! It makes cleaning them later easier because you’re not wiping up wet dust. Then just throw it away because now it’s gross.  -Ashley G.

– OR – Put your Swiffer duster in a lingerie bag, wash, and reuse. -Rose Ann

#2 Hide everything and turn on my Scentsy. -Leah A.

#3 Clear counters  Wiping counters takes seconds when you don’t have to move anything except soap dispensers. In the kitchen, the Chemex and an electric kettle are always out but I have them sitting on a cheese board so I only have to move one thing. -Ashley N.

#4 I use wet dryer sheets to get bugs off the front of my vehicle. I also use dry dryer sheets on my baseboards to help keep dirt and hair off of them. -Keleigh

#5 Owning less and making my own cleaners. -Tina

#6 Put things where they go the first time. -Leah J. A.

#7 Put laundry away the moment it’s out of the dryer. -Yen

#8 Use Clorox wipes daily. -Bonnie B.

#9 Don’t answer the door. -Diann H.

#10 Use a kitchen roll, the thick kind, to dust (paper towels, for us Americans!). -Patricia G.

#11 Get a cleaner! -Jan M.

#12 White vinegar and baking soda. Natural and a great cleaner and brightener.

Get some baking soda (say a couple of tablespoons ) and pour about a couple of teaspoons of white vinegar on top. Be careful, as it fizzes up. If you put it in a container, be aware it will fizz up over the top, so allow room.

Make a paste from the baking soda and white vinegar, say on your dirty stovetop, and let it sit! You can leave it for a few minutes or several hours. Just wipe off with a damp cloth.

You can eyeball it for bigger projects. I use it to clean hard-to-reach built-up dirt in corners too.

This mixture has multiple uses- ovens, glass, etc. Sprinkle baking soda over the bottom of the oven and spray on the vinegar. Just put some in a clean spray bottle, let sit.

As above, wipe off with a damp cloth. Repeat as many times as necessary. It’s safe to use and has no fumes. -Lois T.

#13 Don’t put things down – put them away! -Lucie R.

#14 A feather duster! -Denise C.

#15 “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Apparently something my grandfather said. Keep only what you love. -Jen R.

#16 An old toothbrush. -Kate B.

I have several old toothbrushes for nooks and crannies! -Cornelia L.

#17 I set the vacuum in the living room and plug it in. If I get company, I say, “Oh, you caught me in the middle of cleaning.” lol. -Deborah F.

#18 People coming over. -Stacia B.

#19 The air duster spray for the tiny corners in the raised paneling on cabinets. -Suzette B.

#20 Steam it. -Kristen K.

#21 OHIO – Only Handle It Once. -Darina C.

#22 I really have applied the clutter-free flat surface rule! -Teresa N.

#23 Cut a Magic Eraser into 3-4 pieces – it lasts longer. Use ammonia overnight in a plastic bag to clean stove burner things! Burnt-on stuff wipes off. Can soak a paper towel that way too. -Elaine R.

I like to use off-brand sponges. They work amazing, and they cost half the price. -Happy Simple Mom

#24 I vacuum crumbs off of my stove and out of the microwave and air fryer. It takes a lot less time and does a better job. Then I wipe everything down. -Roxanne K.

#25 Cleaning the bath with a long-handled broom so I don’t have to bend. -Abigail W.

BONUS CLEANING HACK:

Declutter first. Then, cleaning will take half as long. Once you’re clutter-free, put your cleaning tasks on a rotation. If you don’t get to something this week, no big deal. You will see it again next week!

Download your free copy of the Happy Home Cleaning Schedule by filling out the form at the bottom of the post. 👇

Secret Cleaning Hacks from Happy Simple Mom ReadersRead More

Why can’t laundry be simple? Seriously. Like you, I’m always looking for the absolute best laundry tips to make life a little bit easier.

Real life laundry tips

We have a “laundry couch.”  It’s an actual couch in our basement that is used for laundry more often than it is used for sitting on. Sound familiar?

The laundry couch is that one piece of furniture that gets loads of laundry dumped on it when we get behind on washing and folding.  It collects load after load, and then, doing laundry seems like an impossible task. 

Admit it, you have a piece of furniture that is currently holding at least one load of laundry, right? I’m not alone here.  Anyone?…

To make matters even crazier, my daughters take everything off inside-out, and my husband often thinks his side of the bed is the laundry hamper.

Even though laundry is one of those chores that seems to never go away, we ignore it like it just might. 

Over the years, I’ve found a few laundry tips that simplify our laundry routine.  The solutions seem simple, but I promise you, they work (when you use them)!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

Brilliant laundry tips you should be using now:

1 – Put a hamper in every bedroom

I’ve tried the cute hampers in the laundry room or the shared hamper in the big closet.  They don’t work.  Put a functional hamper in each person’s closet.

When everyone has their own hamper, you start teaching responsibility for their own clothes.  Yes, you can start this practice even with very young children.

Before my children were old enough to help with laundry, they were asked to drag their hamper to the hallway to signal their clothes were ready to be washed once it reached a certain level.  If they forgot, they often wore dirty jeans for the day. 

My husband and I have two hampers, darks and whites.  Honestly, I wash all colors together.  Gasp, I know.  However, he likes to bleach his whites for work, so we keep those separated. 

When I was working in the office full time, I also kept a third hamper behind the darks and lights.  I kept my delicates in it.  I didn’t wash it as often, so tucking it behind the other hampers worked.

If you are looking for an easy, functional hamper that works well in tight spaces, here is my favorite kind of hamper. It stashes neatly into a closet and other small spaces. 

2 – Wash a single person’s laundry at a time

Another benefit to everyone having their own hamper is it allows you to wash clothes by person, rather than in one large mixed load. (This is probably my favorite laundry tip for saving time in the folding department!)

I have two little girls.  Their sizes are very similar.  When we would fold their laundry washed together, it became very difficult to distinguish whose clothes belonged to who without having to take a moment to pause and look at the tag for the size.  What a waste of time!

Now, if we mix loads, I try to mix one child’s clothes with an adult’s clothes, so it becomes easy to know what clothes belong to which person.

If your kiddos are older, they can start washing their own clothes.  My seven-year-old learned how to do laundry when I had knee surgery.  If you are unsure if they can handle the task, challenge them. 

Yes, you may have to let go of some expectations on what gets washed and what gets dried, or how it’s folded, but I promise you, they can handle it. 

Ultimately, no matter who does the laundry, washing clothes by person will save you time in the long run. Use this laundry tip, even if you ignore the rest!

Related post: Get help with the chores at home!

3 – Wash on the cold cycle

Simplify your laundry routine and wash on the cold cycle.  When you wash on cold, it eliminates the need for separating your colors.  

I wash my girls’ pink pants with white shirts without a second thought.  It took me a while to get here, but it really does simplify everything.

Yes, your clothes will get clean without warm water.  In fact, washing on cold will even help preserve the life of many of your clothes. 

I still wash sheets and towels on warm, or if someone is sick, I’ll use warm water.  Overall though, cold wins, which makes doing laundry super easy. 

This is my favorite money-saving laundry tip! Washing on cold will save you money, as you won’t be running your hot water heater as often.

4 – Don’t buy dry-clean only clothes

Want to save money and time on laundry? Wear nice clothes that never require dry-cleaning. 

Dry-cleaning is a guaranteed way to increase your laundry routine frustrations. 

When shopping, instead of buying dry-clean only items, look for items that can be washed on delicate and maybe hung to dry. 

My mother would have a fit, but I often buy sweaters, wash them with my regular clothes AND then throw them in the dryer! I know, terrible, but they survived.  I’ve got more important things to do with my time.

If you have clothes that need to be hung dry, you can invest in a small clothes drying rack to make the task easy.

5 – Buy wrinkle-free type clothes

I HATE using the iron.  I don’t know why.  Maybe I’m not good at it. 

In my 15 years working in the corporate world, I only ironed a handful of times.  This was not by accident. 

No, I didn’t go to work covered in wrinkles. 

When shopping for clothes, look for items that don’t wrinkle easily. 

You know that cute cotton, button-down shirt that looks great under a blazer? Yeah, I don’t buy those if you want to simplify laundry.  Those types of tops scream for an iron if you sit wrong, let alone after every single wash. 

Make laundry easy and buy clothes that don’t wrinkle. 

I often bought nice polyester blouses that could be dried and immediately hung, and no iron was ever needed. 

The same goes for pants.  Buy pants that can be dried and immediately hung up to avoid having to iron them every single wear.  You will save so much time for yourself and still look really nice.

6 – Use dryer balls

This is an eco-friendly laundry tip most can get on board with trying!

Buy dryer balls and start using them today with your laundry.  You will never have to buy fabric softener or dryer sheets again, as they do the work for you!

Bonus, wool dryer balls cut down on the drying time for you. Less time doing laundry is a win in my book!

These cool little balls are also chemical-free, soften your fabrics naturally, and help eliminate static. 

7 – Do a single load of laundry a day (start in the morning)

Doing more than one load of laundry a day can feel overwhelming.  Instead of looking at a chore that should take 10-20 minutes, you are looking at day of washing, folding, ironing and putting away for hours.  No fun!

If you want to eliminate the piece of furniture holding your laundry for good, start a load of laundry every day, in the morning. 

I’ve tried to make a habit of putting a load in the wash nearly every morning… yes, even before caffeine. 

Every time I get into this practice, I stay on top of the laundry.  This laundry tip simply works, as you are making sure you are hitting your goal before the day even gets started. 

Then, as soon as you get home from work or finish up your other tasks for the day, quickly pop the laundry into the dryer. 

Keep your dryer buzzer on, so you can fold clothes before they make it to the laundry furniture to sit for days at a time and get all wrinkled. 

One load a day should be sufficient for the average size household.  If you have a larger family, maybe consider doing two loads per day. 

8 – Always fold before drying a new load

Never ever start drying a new load of laundry until the first load is folded.  Ever. 

If you follow this simple rule, you will never have piles of laundry to manage.  Sometimes I need simple rules to follow.  This rule may be silly, but I promise you, it works. 

If you have a load of clothes in the dryer and a load in the washer, you are now doing two loads in a day (see tip #7, one load a day is always easier).  Don’t make the day harder on yourself by piling up the clothes to all be folded at once and increasing the wrinkles.

Commit to folding that load in the dryer FIRST, before moving the clothes in the washer over.  If you do this, you will avoid the pile up, and it will save you time and energy in the long run.  I promise. 

9 – Create a folding station

If you want to simplify your laundry routine, you need a folding station.  It doesn’t have to be fancy.  I use the top of my washer as a folding station.  Sometimes, I use the couch. 

If you have a front-loading washer and dryer, you can use the tops of your appliances. You can even install a nice counter on top of them to make things real easy. 

Try your best to keep your folding station close to the laundry room.  It seems once the clothes hit the laundry basket or the piece of furniture that holds clean laundry, it is doomed to sit there for days without getting addressed.  Don’t do this to yourself!

For clothes that need to be hung up, try installing some sort of rod system.  Again, it doesn’t have to be fancy.  It can be a wire shelf over your appliances, or a closet rod hung low on the wall under any shelves or cabinets. 

If you have a small laundry closet, you can hang a closet rod from one wall to the other, just inside the doors, over the appliances. 

Whatever you do, make it easy to fold your clothes so they are easy to put away. 

Related post: Small Changes to Organize Your Laundry Room

Laundry tips to make life easier

You deserve an easy laundry routine.  Get your family involved and cut corners where you can with these brilliant laundry tips. 

Some of these laundry tips may go against the norm.  (My mother would have a fit if she knew I washed pink with white or dried my jeans with my t-shirts.)

Sometimes, though, you got to do what works best for you and whatever keeps your ship running smoothly. Laundry tips for an easier, simpler life!

9 Genius Laundry Tricks You Need To TryRead More

My kids are home. A lot. In fact, there’s no school again until the rest of the year for most.

I love having my kids home in the summer. It is one of my favorite times of year, and I have the luxury of cutting back my work to spend more time with them.

This, however, was not planned.

One day they are going to school, and I’m getting a full day of work in. The next day, I’m like many of you, juggling my computer time, their schoolwork, and all the things our AMAZING TEACHERS do every single day.

I’ve seen floating around this concept of the Chore Store. However, on searching the internet, I couldn’t find much in the way of existing templates and systems to make it easy.

So what did I do? I made YOU A FREE PRINTABLE!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

All jobs matter

Let me introduce you to The Chore Store, the Happy Simple Mom version.

I feel like now, more than ever, children need to learn the value of all the jobs, even the ones that aren’t fun to do or seen as insignificant to others, as all jobs matter.

We have grocery workers, trash collectors, and postal workers keeping our communities running. They do this because every job matters, and my children need to learn the same at home too.

(This comes after my 7 year old cried a few weeks ago when I told her to take out her bathroom trash. She wailed, saying this was not a suitable job for a 7 year old. Excuse me?! Looks like you’ve got trash duty going forward chica!)

Anyways, I digress.

Here’s how The Chore Store works:

1 – Download your new chore store printable.

I’ve tried to make implementing the chore store idea super easy for you.

I’ve also made it completely customization, so it works with any age, parent dictated privileges, money type distribution.

2 – Get your chore store money ready.

Next, find some money to use. You can pay your kids real money, but mine are young, and I firmly believe caring for a home is the responsibility of all family members.

If my kids fulfill their responsibilities for caring for our home, then then earn privileges.

I’m using money from Learning Resources. You can also use Monopoly money. I’m not using real money, but you could do that too.

Anyways, that’s why the values are so large in the printable.

I like the Learning Resources money, as it looks real, and I get to teach my kids how to handle money. They also get to learn how to work for what they want!

3 – Get your Chore Store prices and prizes planned.

I’ve included pre-filled sheets and blank sheets in the chore store printable.

The first sets of sheets include chores that can be done and what they pay.

I gave a higher value to jobs I hate, like floors and laundry. I gave a lower value to jobs they are expected to do anyway, like getting ready and doing homework.

You have blank sheets, so do you.

The second set of pages include the items in the Chore Store. I bought individual size chips, snacks, and other like items, and added values to them.

In addition to snacks, I listed out privileges like screen time, recipes of choice, a no chore day, etc.

Again, you have blank sheets to list out your Chore Store items.

Finally, the last sheet is for the kiddos to track their chores.

Some rewards listed may or may not be relevant. No biggie. Scratch them out, or use the template to create your own. I tried to put a variety in there for all ages.

The cost of items will depend on the type of money you use too.

Payday for The Chore Store

I’ve experimented paying nightly and weekly.

Personally, I prefer nightly pay days with my kids, as they are young, and they need constant reminders to be motivated.

I use a yellow highlighter to check off the work they completed and then issue payments.

I usually do pay day at the end of our school day and after most of the chores are done.

The Chore Store works!

Y’all, my kids made my bed yesterday! They cleaned their rooms this morning. They stayed outside for three hours. They swept, vacuumed, and cleaned up dinner.

They got paid for all of their “jobs”.

Then, my 8 year old “bought” ice cream BEFORE dinner. My 7 year old “bought” video games on her tablet (something I never allow).

They still get their healthy snacks every day in the afternoon, but they also get the choice to have a sweeter treat now, with their own money.

It’s been so fun to watch them work hard, “save their money”, and negotiate with each other what they can share if they put their money together.

Enjoy!!! Us mamas are in this fight together!!

The Chore Store: Free PrintableRead More