Comments on: Deck of Chores http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/ Daily tips on how to organize your home and office. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:03:18 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Jackie Pettus http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38757 Jackie Pettus Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:51:02 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38757 I think the chore cards are very cute. But if I were a smart kid who didn't want to do my chores I'd find a way for my card get lost in the sofa cushions. A long term solution is to set an example for the kids by having a chore chart that the whole family agrees on and participates in. It helps them appreciate what's involved in family life, and that parents are doing chores, too. (When they were little I think my kids thought I LOVED cleaning the kitty litter box every day.) I created a family chore chart at Habitudes.info that will be useful for years to come, because you can change it as they grow and family circumstances change. My husband is retired now, and I'm working full time. The kids are grown, but rotate in and out of the house in between grad school, army deployments and, in one case, losing a job. We still use the chore chart! I think the chore cards are very cute. But if I were a smart kid who didn’t want to do my chores I’d find a way for my card get lost in the sofa cushions. A long term solution is to set an example for the kids by having a chore chart that the whole family agrees on and participates in. It helps them appreciate what’s involved in family life, and that parents are doing chores, too. (When they were little I think my kids thought I LOVED cleaning the kitty litter box every day.) I created a family chore chart at Habitudes.info that will be useful for years to come, because you can change it as they grow and family circumstances change. My husband is retired now, and I’m working full time. The kids are grown, but rotate in and out of the house in between grad school, army deployments and, in one case, losing a job. We still use the chore chart!

]]> By: Twin XL http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38753 Twin XL Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:21:27 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38753 Love love love this idea!! Thanks for posting. Love love love this idea!! Thanks for posting.

]]> By: Katie http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38698 Katie Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:10:46 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38698 Courtney, I absolutely love your random chore generator!! So simple, but such a great idea for when you really feel like you don't know where to start but need to do SOMETHING - anything! It told me to clean my baseboards, and lo and behold they REALLY needed doing but thats the sort of thing I don't tend to see when there are toys everywhere and the vacuuming is pretty urgent! So anyway, I cleaned them - it took hardly any time at all and the house really looks cleaner (and also tidier?!) for it. Thanks for sharing!! Courtney, I absolutely love your random chore generator!! So simple, but such a great idea for when you really feel like you don’t know where to start but need to do SOMETHING – anything! It told me to clean my baseboards, and lo and behold they REALLY needed doing but thats the sort of thing I don’t tend to see when there are toys everywhere and the vacuuming is pretty urgent! So anyway, I cleaned them – it took hardly any time at all and the house really looks cleaner (and also tidier?!) for it.

Thanks for sharing!!

]]> By: RoaringSilence http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38677 RoaringSilence Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:30:08 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38677 Yeeahhh... I don't think there's a kid in this world who is more inclined to do a chore because it's on a colorful card (or spreadsheet, or dice, or anything). But this may help parents set up a no-discussion routine. Yeeahhh… I don’t think there’s a kid in this world who is more inclined to do a chore because it’s on a colorful card (or spreadsheet, or dice, or anything).

But this may help parents set up a no-discussion routine.

]]> By: Erika http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38635 Erika Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:03:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38635 Great idea, Sandy O! Great idea, Sandy O!

]]> By: Karen http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38596 Karen Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:57:14 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38596 As a mom, I have to agree with Janka. When the novelty wears off, you are left with another unitasker, and the kids are not going to be any happier doing chores. Anyway, why do chores have to be made "fun" for kids? They are work. It's a different experience than playing, and that is fine. I think if the work kids do around the house is noticed, appreciated, and expected as part of family life, they are learning a much better set of values than a false expectation that everything in life is going to be FUN. I use recycled juice cans, decorated for each child, and chores listed on popsicle sticks, which I drop in their "job jars" each day as needed. They also have a regular set of chores they do each Saturday morning. Easy and essentially free. As a mom, I have to agree with Janka. When the novelty wears off, you are left with another unitasker, and the kids are not going to be any happier doing chores.

Anyway, why do chores have to be made “fun” for kids? They are work. It’s a different experience than playing, and that is fine. I think if the work kids do around the house is noticed, appreciated, and expected as part of family life, they are learning a much better set of values than a false expectation that everything in life is going to be FUN.

I use recycled juice cans, decorated for each child, and chores listed on popsicle sticks, which I drop in their “job jars” each day as needed. They also have a regular set of chores they do each Saturday morning. Easy and essentially free.

]]> By: Courtney http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38595 Courtney Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:53:19 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38595 I wrote a little web gadget that gives us a random chore (from a text list): http://lists.virtualcourtney.com/chores/ It's fun, it's goofy, and it also lives on our home server! The next phase of this silly project is to make it prettier. I wrote a little web gadget that gives us a random chore (from a text list):
http://lists.virtualcourtney.com/chores/

It’s fun, it’s goofy, and it also lives on our home server! The next phase of this silly project is to make it prettier.

]]> By: SandyO http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38584 SandyO Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:06:06 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38584 I did this myself some years ago. I wrote down a household chore for me to do on index cards and had to pick at least one every day. It did help me focus. I should do that again. I did this myself some years ago. I wrote down a household chore for me to do on index cards and had to pick at least one every day. It did help me focus. I should do that again.

]]> By: Anita http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38581 Anita Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:03:35 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38581 So does the deck contain 52 chores, or are some repeated on more than one card? Anyone willing to take bets on which cards would get "lost" first, if such a system of chore-allocation were to be put in place? :P If someone can find a way to put these to good use for their intended purpose, I applaud them. I wouldn't use them in lieu of regular playing cards, though. So does the deck contain 52 chores, or are some repeated on more than one card? Anyone willing to take bets on which cards would get “lost” first, if such a system of chore-allocation were to be put in place? :P

If someone can find a way to put these to good use for their intended purpose, I applaud them. I wouldn’t use them in lieu of regular playing cards, though.

]]> By: Janka http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38578 Janka Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:50:57 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38578 Oh, I do see those things as clutter. I did not mean to object to the idea of involving your kids in housework or trying to make it fun - I am sorry if that was unclear. I also *do* like the idea of making chores fun. Just having a colorful deck of cards won't cut it. It is what you do with them that counts, and neither the post nor the manufacturers website actually gives any ideas for that. How exactly does having the chores printed on cards make having a chore list set out by parents more fun? How exactly would you play with such a set to decide who does what? We are not told. Instead we are expected to go from "playing cards is fun" to "chores + playing cards is fun" by simply vague association of the two. And so, this struck me as another "buy this product and your life will surely get better in a vague unspecified way" - the sort of advertising that has us accumulate most of the unnecessary and unused items we have in our homes in the first place. Oh, I do see those things as clutter. I did not mean to object to the idea of involving your kids in housework or trying to make it fun – I am sorry if that was unclear. I also *do* like the idea of making chores fun.

Just having a colorful deck of cards won’t cut it. It is what you do with them that counts, and neither the post nor the manufacturers website actually gives any ideas for that.

How exactly does having the chores printed on cards make having a chore list set out by parents more fun? How exactly would you play with such a set to decide who does what? We are not told. Instead we are expected to go from “playing cards is fun” to “chores + playing cards is fun” by simply vague association of the two.

And so, this struck me as another “buy this product and your life will surely get better in a vague unspecified way” – the sort of advertising that has us accumulate most of the unnecessary and unused items we have in our homes in the first place.

]]> By: prairiegal http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38576 prairiegal Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:48:00 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38576 This reminds me of something my dad did with us when we started kindergarten. It wasn't about chores, but about organizing ourselves for school. He gave us cardstock with each item we needed for school in the morning: bag, lunch, mitts, snowpants, coat, toque, scarf... We drew pictures on the cards to go with the item. Then in the morning we would go through our stack of cards to make sure we had everything we needed before we left the house. This reminds me of something my dad did with us when we started kindergarten. It wasn’t about chores, but about organizing ourselves for school. He gave us cardstock with each item we needed for school in the morning: bag, lunch, mitts, snowpants, coat, toque, scarf… We drew pictures on the cards to go with the item. Then in the morning we would go through our stack of cards to make sure we had everything we needed before we left the house.

]]> By: Kristi of Million Dream Mom http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38574 Kristi of Million Dream Mom Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:34:40 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38574 For those wondering how this is UNcluttering, I guess your mileage may vary. Yes, it's one more thing in the house; possibly one more 'frivolous' thing. But it's also a dual-use item: a family game (multiple games at that - one deck of cards can net you YEARS of family game time!) and a tool for teaching your children not only the rules of your home but also ways to keep their homes from being cluttered, years down the line. I think it's a great idea :) For those wondering how this is UNcluttering, I guess your mileage may vary. Yes, it’s one more thing in the house; possibly one more ‘frivolous’ thing. But it’s also a dual-use item: a family game (multiple games at that – one deck of cards can net you YEARS of family game time!) and a tool for teaching your children not only the rules of your home but also ways to keep their homes from being cluttered, years down the line.

I think it’s a great idea :)

]]> By: Erin Doland http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38572 Erin Doland Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:18:50 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38572 How is this uncluttering? In my opinion, I believe that toys left in the middle of the living room floor after they've been played with are clutter, dirty dishes on the kitchen counter are clutter, soiled clothes strewn about a bedroom are clutter, etc. etc. etc. But, you might be someone who doesn't see these things as being clutter. We all have different definitions. How is this uncluttering? In my opinion, I believe that toys left in the middle of the living room floor after they’ve been played with are clutter, dirty dishes on the kitchen counter are clutter, soiled clothes strewn about a bedroom are clutter, etc. etc. etc. But, you might be someone who doesn’t see these things as being clutter. We all have different definitions.

]]> By: Janka http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38571 Janka Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:55:58 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38571 And how again is this *un*cluttering? And how again is this *un*cluttering?

]]> By: Almost American http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38566 Almost American Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:09:40 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38566 Cute - but expensive by the time you've paid for shipping. On the other hand, I can see my kids accepting these better than cards I make myself just because I didn't make them! Cute – but expensive by the time you’ve paid for shipping. On the other hand, I can see my kids accepting these better than cards I make myself just because I didn’t make them!

]]> By: Lose That Girl http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38561 Lose That Girl Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:13:23 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38561 Hmmmm. Maybe these cards will help my husband. Hmmmm. Maybe these cards will help my husband.

]]> By: Leah Weiss Caruso http://unclutterer.com/2009/07/06/deck-of-chores/comment-page-1/#comment-38560 Leah Weiss Caruso Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:01:25 +0000 http://unclutterer.com/?p=5907#comment-38560 Cute! I can't imagine it will help the kids think chores are fun, but it may help encourage them to be the team players you want them to be when it comes to house maintenance. Especially if a good game of War or Gin and a big bowl of popcorn comes after the chores ;-) Cute! I can’t imagine it will help the kids think chores are fun, but it may help encourage them to be the team players you want them to be when it comes to house maintenance. Especially if a good game of War or Gin and a big bowl of popcorn comes after the chores ;-)

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