Chore Chart Ideas for Kids

Now that Malea is getting older, and we have a teenage daughter, I’ve had to rethink my chore chart system. I realized I needed chore chart ideas for kids of all ages, not just my little one! I needed to set up a paid structure that was fair to the girls, but also to our pocket books, so I’ve switched up my old system a little. I am still going to use a system that pays them when they do their jobs, and pays me if they don’t but they both have more responsibilities and there are more opportunities to make more money.

This time around there will be a “base pay” for jobs that are required to be completed daily/weekly, and in addition to their “base pay” they can also earn extra money by completing “jobs for hire” tasks. I found this idea over at Happily “Un”Processed, and thought it was genius! The last time I created a job chart for Malea I had her checking off items each day and then I paid her at the end of the week. Honestly remembering to do the check marks became a chore for me so this time I am going pay both of them at the beginning of the month and they will be responsible to complete their assigned jobs. If they do not complete one of their “base pay” jobs they will have to pay me out of their own pocket. I think them having to give me the money out of their pocket, rather than me just giving them less money at the end of the month, is going to be much more effective.

Let’s talk about the jobs they’ve each been assigned. First I’ll start with Malea. She just turned 5 so she has outgrown some of the items on her previous chore chart and is now old enough to handle some other, “bigger” chores. Here is her list of daily and weekly jobs. For a printable version of this list click HERE.

Each of these jobs must be completed daily, and the weekly ones have to be completed by Sunday afternoon. If they aren’t completed, and I have to do it for her, then she will have to pay me out of her “base pay”.

Here is the list of jobs I’ve written out for our teenager. For a printable version of this list click HERE.

Each of her jobs must also be completed in the same timeline. Along with their chores they both also have daily responsibilities, such as brushing their teeth, doing homework, reading, etc.

In addition to their “base pay” they also have the opportunity to make a little extra money by doing “jobs for hire” that help me out and make more time for me to do other fun things with them.

Here are the “jobs for hire” for my 5 year old.

And the “jobs for hire” for my 16 year old.

I’m also going to be open to their suggestions for “jobs for hire”. If they think of a job they’d like to be paid for they can ask me, and I will more than likely allow them the extra opportunity to make money. After all, isn’t that the way real world works? If you work hard and actively look for opportunities, then you will most likely make more money than those that don’t.

I’m super excited about the girls’ new job charts and I can’t wait to see how it works over the next few months. I’ll be back with an update to let you know!

Do you have chore charts/job lists for your kids? Do they get paid? I would love to hear how it works in your family, I’m always looking for new ideas!