At some point, most of us have tried to use a chore chart or wheel, or maybe just a list, to get our partners and housemates and families to do their share of the tasks that keep our homes running. But we also know the sinking feeling of seeing the dishes pile up — and then rolling up our sleeves to do it ourselves. Well, maybe the reason you’re stuck doing all the chores is because you’re using one chart. When really, you need two.
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Trying to stuff all the chores into one chart makes it hard to separate what needs to get done more frequently and less frequently. My boyfriend and I solved this by creating two chore charts: One for daily tasks and one for tasks that happen once a week or less. Having two charts allows us to focus on what things we need to do when.
Daily Chart
We each decide when to do daily chores, but we know that we should leave time in our day to do them. For our chart, we put chores on there that might not need to be done every day, but should be checked to see if they need doing (such as taking out the bins or emptying the dishwasher).
You should also set expectations when you start using these two charts that you can call out the other person, or people, if they’re slacking. For example, it might be your day to check the bins and you notice they are overflowing and should have been taken out yesterday by someone else. Have an open chat with them, to keep everyone accountable (yes, they should also call you out, too!).
Weekly, Bi-Weekly and Monthly Chart
The second chore chart allows you to capture tasks that need doing, but not as frequently. I found this to be a good way to make sure things such as cleaning out the fridge get done more than once every few months. Again, you should customise this with the chores that make sense for your household, but the concept gives you a starting point to organise from.
My boyfriend laminated both charts, which helps protect them from kitchen spills, and also makes it easy to swap chores. You just cross out the chore from your row and add it to the other person’s and vice versa. This is great if you really don’t feel like doing something and someone else is up to bargain with you.
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