It takes a surprising amount of work to manage a household.  Between regular daily chores, managing meals and shopping, and the myriad other things to do around a home, it can be hard to keep track of who needs to do what and when. 

In our family, we recently switched roles and now I work while my husband watches the kids and house.  In the chaos of transitioning, I find that many of the daily tasks are in limbo while we try to divvy up the chores.  A chore list, at least in our case, is turning out to be essential in making sure everything gets done.

A chore list doesn’t have to be elaborate or lengthy, but having each task on paper will help make sure they don’t get forgotten.  For example, I typically clean the bathroom sinks when I dust the rest of the house, so sometimes the bathtub is forgotten about.  Having those items on a list to be checked off will help eliminate oversights like that.

If you have kids, creating lists for each person can help define roles and teach kids personal responsibility.  I think everyone in a house should contribute as they are able, and clearly stating each person’s tasks can help keep everyone focused and the house in order.

If you search online for chore lists, you can find many great templates to help you get started, or you can easily create one in Excel or on paper.

Have you tried using a chore list?  Has it helped you keep things more orderly around the house?