# 049 09/25/00 How to cause “chore system” failure

In a previous column, I wrote about using a sign up sheet for chores. Organization is one of the keys to making chores work smoothly in a family. The sign up sheet helps organization because everyone in the family is able to plan their week to make time for chores.

The complaint about chores that I hear most from adolescents is that they are asked to do something “on the spot.” They may be involved in something else when Mom realizes that the trash needs emptying. She calls the teen to come immediately to carry out the trash.

The most common parental complaint about chores is that teens put off doing what they know must eventually be done. Having a whole week’s work listed on a piece of paper helps a family handle both issues.

An important skill that can be learned while also doing chores is time management. The teen that wants to go somewhere with her friends on Saturday morning will be embarrassed to have them waiting for her while she finishes her work. Next week, she will likely plan to have her chores completed before her friends arrive.

This system will work. There is one thing that parents can do, however, that will guarantee failure. If your teenage daughter, whose friends are waiting for her, can get you to let her out of her responsibilities “just this one time,” the whole system will be doomed.

The rules must be enforced fairly, but firmly for all family members. The end result will be that chores become less of an issue in the family and family members will be learning some valuable time management skills.