"Pick-a-Stick" or 1001 Ways to use a Jumbo Craft Stick

In the past few years, we have used the zone method of keeping our house clean.  Each daughter (as soon as she was old enough) was responsible for a zone.  Our house is VERY small (1400 sq. ft) so we only have three zones:   Kitchen, Living Room/Dining Room and Bathrooms.  Each girl was responsible for one zone for one week.  They traded every Sunday morning.  This has worked very well in our home but the girls and I were ready for a change.  Our oldest is often travelling and the constant disruption of "who's going to do this zone"  was making a shambles of the whole system. 

After spotting an unused box of Jumbo Craft Sticks on our school shelf,  the beginnings of an idea started to emerge. 

Instead of the girls being responsible for a whole room,  they would just be responsible for individual tasks.  That way when DD18 was out of town, the housework would still be done.   I compiled a list of  individual chores and wrote them on Jumbo Craft Sticks.  I put the lot of them into a cup and the girls pick their chores, one at a time, from the cup.  It is a great way to get them to do their chores AND it is not overwhelming to the younger ones. 

Now that we have started Summer School, I have added a new twist to the Pick-a-Stick Program : )  It is linked to the way we "do school".   I like to work through our school day by Subjects instead of working through it by Grade.  Everyone does Religion at the same time, then Math and so on.  It helps me to stay focused and I don't have to constantly switch gears. 

Basically, the girls work independently until I am ready for them.  After their teaching time with Mom, each girl  picks-a-stick and does the chore listed on it.  After she finishes that specific chore, she has a few minutes to go to the bathroom, get a drink or a snack, or read a few pages from a book while I am working with one of the other girls or until I am ready to start the next subject.  They are NOT allowed to take off and play.  The first few times we did this, they immediately went to their room and started building an elaborate Barbie City.  They were VERY disappointed when I called them back and were not as cooperative in their studies.  Imagine that! : ) 

At the end of the day, we have a general tidy time before Daddy comes home from work.  Everyone just grabs one of the left-over sticks and does that chore.  We keep working until all of the sticks have been chosen.  That way all the chores are done each day.  The girls love the system and I do NOT have to nag them about getting their zones done!

"Therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." 2 Thessalonians 2:15

5:55 PM - Jun. 2, 2008 - post comment