At What Age Can My Kids Help At Home?

Here is a chart that I have found helpful when helping moms

get their kids' chores organized.

The numbers in "( )"'s are the ages.... I'm sure some digress, especially when they become husbands. HA, HA!

Clothing Care Skills Basic

Spot removal--blood, oil, coffee, tea, soda, etc. (12-18)

Operate electric clothes dryer (9-16)

Polish shoes (8-18)

Clean own closet (6-16)

Put away clean clothes (5-9)

Clean own drawers (6-16)

Shop for clothing (11-18)

Empty hamper, put dirty clothes in wash area (4-8)

Simple mending--buttons and holes (12-17)

Fold clothes neatly, without wrinkles (8-16)

Simple sewing (12-18)

Fold, separate clean laundry (8-16)

Sort clothes by color, dirt, fabric content (8-18)

Hand-wash lingerie or woolens (12-18)

Wash clothes in machine (9-16)

Hang clothes for sun drying (8-16)

Iron clothing (12-18)

Personal Care Skills

Arrange for own haircut (10-16)

Pick up toys (2-6)

Brush teeth (2-5)

Purchase own grooming supplies (11-18)

Clean, trim nails (5-10)

Put pajamas away (2-4)

Comb hair (2-5)Tidy up bedroom (2-8)

Dress self (3-6)

Undress self (2-4)

Leave bathroom neat after use (6-10)

Wash and dry own hair (7-10)

Make own bed (3-7)

Wash face, hands (2-5)

Cooking Skills

Bake a cake from a mix (10-14)

Make a sandwich (6-12)

Bake bread (12-17)

Make casserole (14-18)

Bake cookies (10-16)

Make fruit salad (13-15)

Bake muffins, biscuits (11-17)

Make gelatin (7-12)

Boil eggs (7-13)

Make hot beverages (12-16)

Broil a steak (12-16)

Make punch (6-9)

Make tossed salad (11-15)

Clean frost-free refrigerator (12-18)

Measure properly (7-14)

Clean oven and stove (15-18)

Mix pancakes (10-17)

Pack a cold lunch (7-12)

Cook canned soup (7-12)

Plan and shop for groceries for a week (15-18)

Cook frozen, canned vegetables (10-13)

Plan balanced meal (10-15)

Defrost refrigerator or freezer (15-18)

Put groceries away (6-16)

Distinguish between good and spoiled foods (10-18)

Read a recipe (7-12)

Read ingredient labels wisely (10-15)

Scramble eggs (9-13)

Know basic food groups and nutrition (5-14)

Select and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables (10-18)

Household Skills

Change bed linens (10-13)

Replace faucet washer (15-18)

Change vacuum belt and bag (12-15)

Replace light bulbs, understand wattage (10-15)

Clean bathroom tile (14-18)

Scour sink and tub (5-12)

Clean bathroom total (6-12)

Scrub down walls (14-18)

Clean combs and brushes (4-8)

Scrub or mop floor (6-13)

Clean fireplace (10-15)

Set table (3-7)

Clean pet cages and bowls (7-13)

Shake area rugs (4-8)

Clean toilet (5-8)

Spot-clean walls (4-12)

Clean TV screen and mirrors (4-8)

Sweep porches, patios, walks (4-10)

Clear off own place at table (2-5)

Take written telephone messages (7-12)

Clear table (3-13)

Trim trees, shrubs (12-18)

Dust furniture (3-12)

Unstop a drain with chemicals or plunger (13-18)

Empty dishwasher and put dishes away (4-1 2)

Use broom, dust-pan (8-12)

Empty wastebaskets (4-10)

Use vacuum cleaner (7-12)

Feed pets (5-10)

Fold blankets neatly (8-14)

Vacuum upholstery and drapes (8-14)

Wash and dry dishes by hand (6-12)

Know differences and uses of various household cleaners (4-14)

Wash car (8-16)

Wash windows (13-18)

Load and turn on dishwasher (6-12)

Water grass (8-14)

Mow lawn (12-16)

Water house plants (8-14)

Oil squeaky door (12-18)

Pick up trash in yard (4-10)

Weed garden (9-13) )

Wipe off chairs (6-11)

Wipe off door frames (4-12)

Wipe up a spill (3-10)

Polish wood furniture (14-18)

Mi Casa Es Su Casa........

While I was working with a client she asked if I lived as organized as I was making her...ha! I don't expect anyone to live as organized as I do, they'd have to be crazy! I'm just lucky that I get to use my obsession as a business, like a person that loves to cook, being a chef.

Many people have asked me to post my personal organizing systems from my home, on my blog. I guess that would encourage more people visiting my blog and maybe a few creepy blog stalkers, but hey I'm willing to share as long as I don't have a blog stalker knocking at my front door.
So my next post will be.........uhm, I'll leave that as a surprise!

C L U T T E R.......the dirty word!

Clutter is the nemesis to organization!

Clutter can be stopped. De-cluttering is prioritizing what matters most to you and what makes you happy to look at, to use, and to maintain.

I have an old friend who would place in front of me a drawer from her kitchen when I would go to her home to visit. As we visited, I would organize the drawer. After I would sort through the drawer, she'd call her five children to the room and I gave them each a pile of miscellaneous things to deliver to the place where they belonged. She would impart her wisdom and I would organize her drawers, it was a wonderful friendship!

It didn't take much time to do one drawer and over time her whole kitchen was organized. (And I was wiser too!)

Follow these little steps and you'll be able to get organized one step at a time......


The first step to getting organized is to start removing clutter. Choose just one space (a closet, drawer, toy chest, etc....) to go through the items in that space and determine:
1) Do I need this?
2) Does it belong in this space? Remember the Sesame Street song, "One of these things don't look like the others...." Okay, get my point?
3) How many of these items do I really need?

After doing this, you'll have the keeper pile, the garbage/donate pile and the doesn't belong pile.

Group the like items to see how much room you need for the items you're going to keep in that space.

Next take the "doesn't belong pile" and place those items where you think they belong.
Don't get distracted, remember the story, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", don't stop and wipe your milk mustache and trim your whiskers, just put the items away. Don't worry if the new place isn't organized, you'll soon get there.

Return to your decluttered space and give yourself a "high five" and take in the view. You'll be renewed and proud of what you have accomplished. Life is made up of these little moments, take it in!
Look around your home for usable storage containers or make a list of containers to purchase. (January is a great time for great buys on organizing bins)
That will be the icing on the cake when everything is in it's place and labeled. You'll think you died and gone to heaven.....at least that's what I think every time I organize a place, that's heaven to me...peaceful, orderly, ahhhhhhhhhh!

The New Year's Goal....Get More Organized!

Happy New Year!

It's that time again to set new year's resolutions and "get more organized" is bound to be on every one's list this year. Except mine...he, he,he, I couldn't resist!

Just remember when you set that new year's resolution to be more organized, take it easy on yourself. Define what being organized means to you. Keep it simple.

Many times when working with clients I've found that they have made that resolution to be more organized and they buy some new product that is going to make them more organized, like a new filing system, plastic bins, a fun new calendar or computer program, etc... It never fails, once they get through the "set up" process, they're too tired to continue it.

A good example of this is organizing your files. I have seen many people set up "micro managed" files only to not be a "micro" organizer. The typed labels and color codes were very thrilling to start, but the work to keep everything up was overwhelming. Start with a basic filing system that is easy to keep up, for instance, instead of having a file for each credit card, have one file that's titled "Credit Card Statements". When you find success in that system over time, then you may feel the need to subcategorize the file to "VISA", "Mastercard", "Nordstrom", etc.... .

Remember "KISS" (keep it super simple) ........over time you will find more success!