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December 14, 2021

How a Modern Family To-Do List Gets Things Done

Getting kids to pitch in for chores can take persistence and patience, but it teaches them valuable life skills and helps essential tasks get done around the house.

A guardian and a child building a to-do list on a laptop

However, tracking and managing chores can create an extra mental load for parents who are already overstretched. Not only are you in charge of making sure everything gets done each week—you have to figure out who should do it, track the progress and even nag a little until it’s complete.

When kids contribute to the entire process from start to finish, they learn to notice all of the things that go into running a household, and they become more invested in pitching in. They also learn valuable planning skills and have a bigger sense of accomplishment when they’re done. Plus, working together to clean and organize the house turns a boring solo chore list into a family activity!

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Forget about tracking everything yourself. It’s time for an easy-to-use list app with plenty of features that’ll get the whole family in on planning, assigning and working on tasks. Here’s how to get started:

Brainstorm as a family. Sit down together and come up with a full list of things that need to be done around the house. Once you have an overall idea, download a to-do list app or planner that everyone can access on any device. Enter everyone’s ideas and then add, rearrange, and assign as needed. Start by organizing your family to-do list according to recurring daily or weekly chores like doing laundry or loading the dishwasher and occasional projects like decluttering bedrooms or organizing the garage. Don’t forget things like yard upkeep and car maintenance. Tip: Use this list as a template that you can duplicate each week instead of coming up with a new list from scratch.

Divide and conquer chores. Assign tasks to each member of the household according to their age, ability, and the amount of time they’re able to contribute. Younger kids can do simple chores like bringing their dinner plate to the sink or taking clothes out of the dryer and into a laundry basket, while older kids can take on sweeping the floor or taking out the trash. You can assign the same chores week after week, or mix it up and give everyone a chance to learn how to do different household tasks.

Team up for assignments. Teamwork makes things easier—and much more fun. Hold a weekend work party and pair up to complete tasks more quickly. Set up friendly competitions, time yourselves, or create other games to bring playfulness to your chores. Switch up the teams as you go. Not only will you get the work done more efficiently—kids will learn how to work together toward a common goal.


“Set up friendly competitions, time yourselves, or create other games to bring playfulness to your chores”
A guardian holding their child in front of a couch

Take turns being the manager. Assign a family task manager to oversee the chore list. The task manager assigns each item in the list, checks in on progress along the way, and recruits help if someone is struggling to complete their chores. Maybe they even choose the soundtrack. They can be there to troubleshoot any problems, offer encouragement, and cheer everyone on as things get checked off the list. This is great for teaching kids how to delegate and lead a team.

Celebrate a job well done. Last but not least, celebrate! Take a moment to review your original list and appreciate how much you got done together. Acknowledge any new responsibilities or skills kids learned and thank each other for the excellent teamwork. Then do something special to mark the occasion—order pizza, hand out allowances, or settle in to relax in front of a movie.

Using a family to-do list brings everyone together for a common purpose, with clear, individual contributions. It teaches kids household skills as well as teamwork, leadership, and responsibility. Best of all: parents get the help they need. High fives all around!

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