Are you struggling with cleaning the house with kids? Maybe trying a punch card system will work for you!
Do your kids whine and cry every time you tell them to straighten their room, take care of their pet or unload the dishwasher?
Wouldn’t it just be easier to clean the house yourself?
Absolutely, it would…but you would all be missing out on something pretty cool. If you are struggling to get your kids on board, it might just be a matter of you working beside them. Kids for the most part want to be helpful, and want to spend time with you. When you make cleaning the house with kids the norm, instead of pleading, yelling and screaming at them to do their jobs…you might be amazed at how helpful your kids really are.
When you clean as a family, kids take more responsibility for the home, they realize why keeping the home clean is important and you are teaching them valuable life skills. The key is to clean together, working beside them and giving them age appropriate jobs for when they do need to work solo.
For those times a little incentive never hurts!
Do you love loyalty cards? Isn’t it fun to get a full punch card and get a free drink, sandwich, or whatever the incentive is? Kids are no different! They love watching the card get fuller and claiming their reward at the end! Punch cards are a great way (and easy to keep up with) to help kids get excited about doing their chores.
Cleaning the house with kids
What this looks like in my house:
- Get Ready (eat breakfast, clear their own dish, brush their teeth, get dressed, make their bed and make sure their rooms are straightened)
- Read for 20 minutes + homework
- Do their own age appropriate job (unloading the dishwasher, take out the trash, and clean up the living room)
- Help mom with the job of the day
- Extra punches for good deeds, or extra jobs (mom and dad’s discretion)
Free Printable
Allowance for Chores
Punch Cards
You can also download the blank version to change the graphics, amounts, or use them for something else entirely!
Print the free punch cards by entering your email below!
Let me know if you try this out, I would love to hear your stories.
Tiffany
Latest posts by Tiffany (see all)
- 3 Types of Earth-Friendly Materials Approved by Mother Nature - June 9, 2019
- Free Printable Father’s Day Candy Bar Wrappers - June 7, 2019
- Father’s Day Coupon Book Free Printable - June 7, 2019
- Fishing Gift Tags Free Printable - June 7, 2019
- LDS Temple Art to Print at Home - April 11, 2019
I love this idea!
I just had to smile when I saw this. My kids are grown now (last one got married last fall) and this is SO like the things I did with them when they were growing up. I LOVE IT. And it is such a good way to teach them so many things. Keep up the good work. I’ll pass along this post to others. It’s great! 🙂
Well thank you! I am always coming up with hairball schemes like this to trick my kids into doing stuff for me. Hee hee! I know they will look back and think, “Wow mom was nuts!”
Sorry about taking so long getting back to you on your comment, but I wanted to let you know that I appreciate it and thanks for taking the time to leave one!
hugs-
Tiffany
I love this idea! I pinned it and linked to you in my blog post about our summer schedule. You can see it here: http://www.scatteredthoughtsofacraftymom.com/2012/06/summer-activity-schedule-for-my-5-and-7.html
~Jamie
Hi Jaime!
Sorry about the delay on getting back to you on your comment! Summer can be a little hectic!
I appreciate you sharing your link with me and for sharing the punch cards on your blog! Thank you!!!
I hope you are enjoying the punch cards and that they are working out for your screen time. That is a perfect use for them! I may have to make a second set for rewarding my boys for other things since that is all they care about!
Hope your summer is going great and that you have some fun plans for Wednesday!
hugs-
Tiffany
I got so excited when I saw this on Think Pink Sundays! My Jr high kiddo wants cash for the special lunch/snack bar that they have at school but I’m not just handing it over. Best way ever to keep track of the extra stuff she does to earn that cash! I called it her ‘lunch punch’ card and the spaces are worth a quarter so the whole card is $5
@amankni fantastic! Glad to know it’s helping you, and also that it is good for older kids too!
Thanks for commenting. I really appreciate it!
-Tiffany
So do the kids fill a card up each day? Love the idea. Going to try it with my 2 sons!!
Love this idea and can not wait to start using it! Is there anyway to get a copy of the blank punch card sheet s that I can add my kids names and the $ amount they will earn. I downloaded your blank form but am not able to change/add to it. i am not very tech savy and wasn’t sure if there was a way to do modify it. Thanks!!
Hi Jessica! I made mine in Photoshop, you should be able to edit it in any PDF editor like Acrobat, or most browsers have an extension you can add (Chrome has an easy one called PDF filler). I don’t know what program you have to edit things but you can always write it in and then make copies. Thanks for the comment! 🙂
Tiff
Tiffany @Making the World Cuter recently posted…Making the World Cuter Monday | January 7, 2013
Thank you, thank you for.the blank printable!
You’re welcome, you’re welcome! Have fun with it! 🙂
hugs-
Tiffany
Tiffany H recently posted…Valentine Cards for Boys and Girls (No Candy)
Tiffany, do you by chance have a version that isn’t a PDF? I wanted to adapt the blank version or just adapt yours so that it doesn’t have them earning money. I want my kids to choose things like extra minutes reading together, an ice cream cone, a rental, or from different levels of toys, or save up to buy something they’ve been eyeing. Thanks again! Mindy
Mindy recently posted…A Family Movie Adventure
Love this idea! I am featuring it on my PINTASTIC Friday post. Swing on over and say hello!
Cindy @ crazyloucreations.blogspot.com
Cindy {crazylou} recently posted…Father’s Day Survey
i love this it really works on little kids
Looking to upgrade our chore system and I think this is going to make the cut! Trying this out and crossing fingers!
Christine recently posted…Are you a Happy Winkie?
I love this idea Tiffany! My big boys do daily chores and this would be perfect to get the little guy on board now!
Yay Michelle! I’m glad you are going to try it with your little cutie! Let me know how it goes!
xo
Tiff
Tiffany recently posted…Punch Cards | Cleaning the House with Kids