How to Make a Daily Chore Routine

You worked all day, then spent the evening running the kids to and from their activities, somehow managing to feed them and get homework done in between. Everyone is finally settled in for the evening, and the last thing you want to think about is tackling household chores. But if you don't do a few things, you'll be facing a daunting mountain of laundry and lots of heavy-duty cleaning by the weekend. So establish a daily chore routine for yourself -- and family members -- to keep household chaos to a minimum and allow you to relax without feeling guilty.

Things You'll Need

  • Chore lists
  • Chore calendar or chart for family members (optional)

Instructions

    • 1

      Make a list of all the chores you have to do. Include routine household chores such as doing dishes and laundry, bigger jobs such as yard maintenance and occasional tasks such as cleaning out the garage or swapping out seasonal items in your clothes closets. Don't forget the out-of-the-house tasks like making bank deposits, dropping off dry cleaning and washing the car.

    • 2

      Divide your chore list into categories, including what needs to be done on a daily basis, what can be addressed weekly and what needs your attention only on an occasional basis. Then consider which of the items on your lists you can reasonably assign to the children to help share the load more evenly. Older kids can take out the trash, mow the lawn and do the dishes, while little ones can set the table, fold towels and pick up their toys. If you don't have an older child, and depending on employment situations, you may want to split chores such as dishes and mowing the lawn with a partner.

    • 3

      Weigh the daily and weekly chores against the other items on your schedule. Carve out a few minutes every day for chores like doing the dishes and getting your clothes ready for the next day. Assign the more time-consuming jobs, such as grocery shopping or cleaning the bathrooms, to those days when you have more time available. Group activities to maximize your time, such as running all your local errands on one afternoon or having a clean-your-room day each weekend. If you want to avoid dedication an entire day to chores, parcel out the bigger jobs throughout the week.

    • 4

      Add a few simple tasks into your daily routine, even when you think you don't have any spare time, to keep things in order and make tackling the bigger jobs less painful. Wipe down the sink in the bathroom each evening after you brush your teeth, for example, so it's fresh in the morning and not a disaster to clean by the end of the week. Run a load of laundry while you're cooking dinner each evening rather than letting it all pile up for the weekend. And spend a few minutes each night before bed picking up the main living areas in your home so your living room and kitchen don't become obstacle courses of books, shoes and toys by the end of the week.

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