Chores
It is not the dusting itself that meets resistance, but the question of where to begin. Chores often lack a given starting point and so they trickle away into nothing. The pictures below give the work a visible order, one task at a time.
♂Do the chores
A person wearing yellow gloves sweeps the floor with a broom and holds a duster.
♂Several chores at once
A man in a blue jumper sweeps the floor while holding folded cloths and putting plates into the dishwasher, and a thought bubble shows a bin, a watering can and a vacuum cleaner.
♂Man doing chores
A man sweeps the floor next to a laundry basket and a shelf of cleaning supplies.
♂Chores after school
A boy sweeps with a backpack and laundry basket nearby and a tablet showing 3:30.
♂Doing chores after school
A boy stands with a broom, a backpack and a clock.
♂Chores at dad's
A dad and his son vacuum together at dad's home.
♂Chores at mom's
A person holds a sponge and a laundry basket in front of a house with a heart.
♂Daily chores
A man sweeps the floor with a laundry basket under his arm beside the bed.
♂Helping at home
A boy dusts a shelf next to a dishwasher and a washing machine.
♂Several chores
A man vacuums and washes dishes with laundry drying and an alarm clock.
Three chores
A boy sweeps, carries laundry and waters a plant.
♂Household chores
A boy sweeps with a bucket and a washing machine beside him.
♂Mom's chores
A woman sweeps with a laundry basket and potted plants around her.
♂Today's tasks
A boy with curly hair brushes his teeth while holding a breakfast bowl and a book, with a laundry basket and a broom beside him.
♀Chores
A child dusting with a duster while vacuuming, with a laundry basket and vacuum cleaner nearby.
♀Woman with cleaning supplies
A woman wearing a pink rubber glove holds a yellow cloth and a spray bottle, with a laundry basket, a bin and a dustpan and brush in front of her.
♀Hanging laundry and vacuuming
A girl in a white dress pegs a t-shirt on the washing line while also washing up with a sponge and vacuuming, with a washing machine and a broom beside her.
♀Many chores at once
Close view of a girl who is hanging up washing, rinsing a sponge in the sink and pushing a vacuum cleaner all at the same time, with a washing machine and broom behind her.
♀Sweeping the floor
A girl with a ponytail sweeps the floor with a broom and carries a red bucket, with an orange bin beside her.
⚲Wiping table and laundry
A boy wipes a table with a laundry basket below and a watering can nearby.
⚲Cleaning at home
A boy holds a spray bottle and vacuums with laundry drying nearby.
⚲Teeth and dishes
A boy brushes his teeth and washes a plate with folded clothes in his arm.
⚲Everyday tasks
A boy holds a toothbrush and wipes with a sponge, with towels and a grocery bag.
About this visual support
Household chores have a trait that makes them especially heavy going: they lack clear edges. There is rarely an obvious beginning, middle and end, only a vague it is messy that should become tidy. For a child whose brain struggles to break a big task into smaller pieces, the question what do I do first becomes an obstacle in itself, long before a single surface is wiped.
Pictures help by cutting up the shapeless. When each chore exists as its own picture, clear the floor, dust, vacuum, empty the bin, the whole becomes a row of concrete steps with a given order. The child does not have to plan, only take the next picture, and every finished step shows clearly.
One concrete tip: start with the step that gives the fastest visible result, for example picking things up off the floor, so the room looks better at once and motivation holds. Put the duller one last. If you want to split the week's chores between the children and tick them off in the app, you will find it in Routined.
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