A child’s primary job is to learn, but in the summertime, usually lacking a structured classroom setting, a child is often available to learn and perform responsibilities within the home and family.  Summer is a great opportunity to establish new routines, train children in various life skills, and keep summer idleness at bay.

Click image to see my family’s Chore-A-Day list for this week.

Here are some different types of lists for creating and tracking chores for your kids.

• Chore-A-Day –  Give kids just 1 chore a day and diversify so they get a taste of a variety of different household tasks.
• Weekly Responsibility List –  Assign each child a list of responsibilities to be completed each day of the week.  Then check off each item as it is finished.
• Daily Chores –  For the more labor-intensive days, use this list to assign several tasks for a specific day
• Daily Checklist – There’s nothing like a checklist for setting goals, monitoring progress, analyzing success.
• Chores for Change (PDF) – Setting monetary goals is a great way to incentivize chores.  Assign each task a value and as a child completes a chore, record what they earn.  Payout each day or at the end of the week.
• Seasonal Project List: Summer – What goals do you have for guiding your children this summer?  Use this project list to help you develop a plan.
• Step-by-Step Instructions –  Use this list for tasks that require lengthy instructions.  Help a child learn to do laundry or clean the bathroom or empty a dishwasher with specific instructions.

What types of lists have you used to teach summer responsibilities?  Which lists are your favorites?

ListPlanIt has all the lists you could possibly need to endure the long days of summer. Members can browse our selection of lists, choose the list they need, edit it the way that makes sense for themselves and their families, and come back to the list again and again as needed. Not yet a member?  Join today and get organized for the summer and beyond.