Make a printable chore chart for your kids

The charts that survive past week two share three habits. First, they live somewhere unavoidable — the fridge, the back of the front door — not in a drawer. Second, the child ticks their own boxes; the moment a parent does it for them, the chart becomes surveillance instead of a scoreboard. Third, there's a small, predictable reward at the end of the week, whether that's pocket money, a privilege, or just a high-five and a fresh chart.

Keep the list short and age-appropriate. Four to eight chores per child is plenty — our guide to age-appropriate chores for kids 5–16 breaks down exactly what each age group can handle. And if you're attaching money to the chart, the pocket money calculator will give you a fair weekly amount to pin next to it.

Paper is brilliant for younger children: it's tactile, always visible, and ticking a box is its own little ceremony. Where paper struggles is everything around the chart — remembering to tally earnings on payday, tracking streaks, handling the “but I did do it” disputes, and keeping older kids engaged once the novelty of stickers wears off.

A good rule of thumb: start on paper, and go digital when the conversations shift from “did you do your chores?” to “how much have I earned?” That's the point where automatic tallies, savings goals, and streaks start doing real work for you.