Sharing all the info for how we manage our 3 year old toddler’s chore chart today!
Happy Wednesday, friends! Toddler-hood is something else, is it not? ;D Sophia is almost 3 1/2 years old, and the time is just flying by. How I wish it would slow down, just a little bit! We are definitely solidly in the toddler stage where the word “no” is predominant and the stubbornness is real, my friends. Sometimes this girl just does not want to listen, and so Rob and I have been on the hunt for useful and effective techniques to help her learn appropriate behaviors and grow as an individual. And let me tell you – the chore chart has been a resounding success (thus far 😀 )! Today I’m sharing all the details about what products we use for our toddler chore chart, and how we incorporate it into our daily routine!
What We Use:
I of course turned to Etsy for finding the perfect customizable items for our toddler chore chart. There are so many different styles and types of chore charts available, so definitely do a little searching and try to find something that will work best for your family. We settled on this simple board that divides out the morning and evening chores that need to be done for the day. I wanted something that was easy enough for a toddler to understand, as some of the weekly chore charts may be a little too complex for her age right now. We used velcro to attach the board directly to our refrigerator at her height so that she can reach the magnets and move them on her own whenever necessary. We went with these round wooden custom magnets from Etsy as well. I love these magnets because there are so many different custom options available to choose from!
Our Daily Routine:
We use this chart throughout the day to help Sophie stay on task with what her responsibilities are in the family. We very much value personal responsibility, and teaching this to her starting at a young age is important to us. We have found that the use of a chore chart 1) reinforces this idea of personal responsibility, and 2) makes it clear what our expectations for her are throughout the day.
She loves to move the magnets from the “to do” side to the “completed” side, and she loves to ask about magnets that aren’t being used that day (“When do I have swim class? When can we water the plants?”). We do not use much of a reward system right now (which may change later :D), but she does get her vitamin gummy at the end of the day if she has completed all her chores!
We start the day off by reminding her that making her bed and brushing her teeth are part of the early morning routine. She is pretty much in the habit of these tasks so it isn’t too hard to get them completed. The daytime routine will include more chores if it is a weekend of course, and we include things like bath time, swim class, and church on her chart too. Children thrive on having routine and predictability, and I think it helps her to easily know what is coming up for the day and prepare for those events.
Sometimes we will have Sophie help with prepping to cook breakfast or dinner, but we will always have her set the table (with some assistance if necessary) and clear her own dishes. She is getting good at remembering to put the napkins in the hamper, not straight into the washing machine bin 😀
So there you have it: our toddler chore chart (for now!), for age 3 1/2. I’m sure this will evolve over time, and I anticipate as Benji grows older we will fill the other side of the fridge with his chore chart. Let me know in the comments below: what do you think about chore charts? Do you use them in your house, and if so, what are your best tips for using a chore chart?