Kitchen Duty - Help Wanted

My kiddos have been home for summer break for almost two weeks now.  We've picnicked outside, read lots of stories, played at the local spray park, enjoyed fun play dates, eaten a  lot of otter pops, etc., etc.  But along with all the fun going on this summer, I'm trying to teach my kids more responsibility at home by giving them some more regular chores at home.  I figure, they have the time + they help make the messes too, so why not?

They still have the regular stuff like cleaning their rooms, picking up dog poop in the backyard, or doing other odds and ends that they get asked to do.  But now in addition to that, they are helping out more regularly in the kitchen.  

To stay on top of this new responsibility of theirs, I made a 'Kitchen Duty' chore chart.  I bought a magnetic platter {7.99} and one sheet of scrapbook paper at Craft Warehouse. 

Then I saved up a few juice concentrate lids, traced the lids onto the sheet of scrapbook paper, cut the circles out, mod podged them to the lids, hot glued a magnet to the back of the lids, wrote the name of each kiddo on the front of a lid and wa-la!  Magnetic name tags for a magnetic kitchen duty chore chart.

{please ignore the chippy nail polish job...they will get repolished by church on Sunday!}

 I wrote 'Kitchen Duty' and 'breakfast', 'lunch', and 'dinner' onto the tray with a chalkboard pen {that way I can wipe it clean if I want to change up the chores at all}.

My children's kitchen responsibilities include clearing off the table, wiping off the table and the counters, loading/unloading the dishwasher, and sweeping the floor after each meal.  Because the kitchen is cleaned thoroughly after each meal, it doesn't add up to too much work ...and I'm right there to pitch in and help/guide each child {especially Cali who is only 3.5 and is just learning}.

Also, each night, before I go to bed, I rotate the names so that they're not cleaning up after the same meal everyday. {i.e. dinner cleanup is typically much more work than lunch and it wouldn't be fair to keep one child on that duty forever.}

So far this system is working out wonderfully this summer.  I'm not the one stuck in the kitchen all day cleaning up by myself while the children are off playing.

Also ...we get to all take turns helping + I get to spend one on one time with each child + they are all learning valuable little skills.

I'm so happy that this is one chore chart that is actually working and that we're staying on top of it!

How do you manage kitchen cleanup in your house?

Linked here: Just a girl