Final Answers on the Chore Chart (I think)

In an email with "email the chore list" in the subject line, someone wrote:

I was wondering if you could send me the chore document in the original program. You have it posted as a JPEG and it would save time retyping if you sent the word or txt file along.Thanks so much!

No, I'm afraid I can't. As as said in this post, it was saved as a [.pages] file.  I also mentioned that a previous chore list is available to download here. There's another one here. They are both Word files that you can use as templates.  Incidentally, I found these by searching "chore chart" on the Blogbar on the righthand sidebar of this blog. I offered a JPEG this time so that you could have a literal picture of what my chore chart looks like. I don't think there's any way to avoid retyping. Your children don't have the same names as mine. Your rooms and chores and priorities are bound to be different. I bet even your trash pick up day is different. There is real worth in thinking through the system. When you think it through for your house and your family, you benefit enormously from being intentional.  If you really want a chore chart all made up for you, Motivated Moms sells similar chore charts, but they are geared to Mom and not children. For our family, it was well worth the time to make a chart geared specifically to us.

In another email, Monique wrote:

Do you actually mark things off as they are completed either daily and/or weekly?  I used your chart last time a spring board to create a chart for the things I wanted the children to do weekly with their school work.

I do actually mark things off. There are seven "bubbles" beneath the daily chores. After I inspect the job I fill in the bubble. For the weekly tasks, there is a line to left of the job for a check mark after inspection. Making a similar chart for school work is a great idea--I just might give that a try!

Incidentally, there are no complicated reward systems attached to the chore chart. Basically, in this house, we go with 2 Thessalonians 3:10 "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Generally speaking, food is a great motivator! ;-)

Every Family Has a Mission...

After reading my post yesterday, my friend Barbara put her thoughts on virtual paper. It's one thing to sit and philosophize about who should use NFP and who has just cause to delay childbearing. It's another thing entirely to throw one's door open to the very people others judge. Barbara and her husband are NFP proponents. They've been a teaching couple as long as I've known them (and that's a very long time). But more importantly, they are proponents of charity in the culture of life. Their home is a haven for moms who have said "yes" but who have real, tangible, and often urgent needs.  Barbara writes:

I think every family has acalling, and this is ours. I'm hoping to inspire other families to consider this mission to help pregnant women. Our diocese has just two homes right now, and has recently been getting more and more calls. It would be a shame to turn away someone who is asking for help.Read the rest here.

Babies are Only and Always Blessings.

In her wisdom, the Church never says we must use NFP; she says we may. We must however-- always-- be charitable. Contrary to so much popular press, NFP is not the default. NFP is not necessary for holiness or for strong marriages. Charity is.Are you growing in charity? Are you living in charity and acting in charity and working in charity for the culture of life? Read this and then think real hard about that.

More Chore Chart Questions

Heather asks:

I was wondering what program you used to make your chore chart?  Howdid you get the check off bubbles under your daily chores?

I used Pages on my Mac this time. Last time, I did it in Microsoft Word. Select the two column format. To make the little bubbles, type a row of seven capital "Os" beneath each assignment, putting a space between each O.

I can't upload the Pages file, but there is an old Word file of the chore chart in this post that you can use as a template.

Laughing at my inbox...

After looking at the chore chart, Mary wrote to comment that my house must be huge if even the fish have a bathroom;-). I don't have fish. Mary Chris' fish are entertainment enough. But we do have a fish bathroom.