What kind of systems do you use to keep track of family tasks/chores? Looking for physical systems or visual displays, not apps.

Question

Willa · Answer

Really exceptional index cards: Index cards could be so useful, but most, flimsy and striped, are just disappointing. These are so good I've started proselytizing. Current membership at the Fellowship of the Three and Five is just one, but we are accepting new members.

The cardstock is heavy and smooth and stands up well to fountain pen ink. The corners are rounded and the bullet dots are spaced equidistant from the corners. There's a tactile joy from using and writing on these. Cost per card is about 10¢, which is simultaneously lavish and mundane. Cheap thrills!

I carry these everywhere. Shopping lists, expenditures out and about, directions for a bike ride to an unfamiliar place, notes at a lecture, interesting paintings at a exhibition, measurements for new curtains...

Jennifer · Answer

Spreadsheets: This is basic but I have a spreadsheet with my kids’ names on the left, 5 weekdays on the top. Each kid has their box with their chores, different each day. They help with floors, bathrooms, dusting, laundry, kitchen, bedsheets, etc. the whole house gets covered over the course of the week. It’s taken years to get to this point, but it works now:) I just help out where it’s needed and fill in on any Randoms tasks outside of the ones on the chart. Every now and then I do a deep clean but the spreadsheet keeps us tidy! For irregular chores and tasks, I keep a shared list with my husband in Google keep.