Chore chart

I have a new chore chart which I absolutely love. 
 
It has a bit of a background:
Growing up, we had this really big chore chart (pictured below) hanging up in our hallway.

(Haha that's how big your chore chart has to be when you have 7 kids!)

It made chores a bit more fun.  And as a kid, having the visual pictures captivated my interest and seemed to provide a bit more motivation in helping around the house. 

My dad made the big wooden board with pockets for chore cards and hooks to hang up for morning, afternoon, and completed chores on.  My mom made the little cards (the size of playing cards), and we each had a color line at the bottom (mine were yellow) to keep our set of chores separate from our siblings.  Chores included: getting dressed, making bed, brushing teeth, dusting, doing homework, vacuuming, setting the table, unloading the dishwasher, yard work, practice piano, clean up toys, clean bathroom, etc.

This year, after many years of asking my parents to teach us how to make such a chore chart for our own home, my parents made each of us kids one and sent it in the mail.  My dad did the fancy wood work, and my mom printed off and sent all the cards to accompany the chart (we just had to color in, cut and laminate).  Mom also sent some blank cards and I added some chores specific to our home: straightening up the shoes on the shoe rack, watering the plants, getting the mail, help cook dinner, writing a thank you note or card, wash the car, straighten up a drawer, etc. 

I assigned the kids colors: Jimmy Blue, Johnny green, Alice pink and then printed off some fun patterned paper in their colors on the back side of the chore cards:

The chore chart hangs up on our fridge (I bought about $25 worth of some heavy duty magnets to keep it there), and I absolutely love it! 
 
And it doesn't feel so much like pulling teeth to get the boys to do chores around the house anymore.  I told James it is the perfect chore chart because it is like the "auto pilot" chore chart.  I can just say "ok, boys, the chores are up!" and they know what to do. 

The cards are all pictures, so it doesn't require reading, and the boys know what each card means and they feel quite accomplished once they get those chore charts all hanging up on the "done" hook.
 
There are a few things that we had growing up that my mom and dad hand-made that I haven't seen anywhere else, and the chore chart was one of them.  I have actually been through a lot of dinkey flimsy chore charts with my boys, but they always end up in the trash after a couple months of use because they weren't sturdy enough or fell apart, or weren't used enough.  This new chore chart hopefully will last as long as the one I had growing up.  Now Johnny always asks me, "when is Alice going to start doing her chores?"

Now for some cute pictures of my kids doing their chores:

 Alice vacuums the kitchen tile daily (and magically disposes of all crumbs and pieces of lint)

 Johnny working hard on "homework"

Another thing  from my childhood I have wanted to re-create is the banks we had growing up.  My Dad made them out of wood and gerber jars and a globe, and there was a place to put savings, college, tithing, and mission (globe).  As a young kid, I was able to begin saving for college and a mission, and all on my own pay my tithing.  Every time my kids earn a bit of money, I wish I had something similar for them so they can start early to save up for things on their own and figure out their tithing.  I finally figured out how to make these handy little banks (it took a while to find the right hole drill) and am currently working on 3 for my own kids.  I'll share on here once I get them finished.

Another homemade thing my parents had growing up that was something I have never seen anywhere else is our FHE fold-up board.  The one we had, was a big tri-fold contraption and had a big pocket for the FHE book, a bulletin board, an assignment board (with a place for refreshments, opening prayer, closing prayer, songs, lesson, activity), a flannel board (and something else- siblings, what else did it have?).  Next I want to figure out how to re-create this.

Thanks Mom and Dad for making some pretty cool homemade memories.

Gawsh, isn't she pretty?