I Woke Up Cranky and Made a List for My Kids

The old-school chore list I've used since they were four. They rolled their teenage eyes and did it anyway.

My family is at that point in summer where no one knows what day it is… but, like, not in a good way. My older two are working. One at the local bike shop and one lifeguarding. My youngest is fresh off sleep away camp, and she’s foot loose and fancy free. RE: too many screens, not enough structure, every day is different… I don’t function well like this. She loves it.

This morning, I woke up feeling slightly racy, and overwhelmed. I have a lot on my plate work-wise and I am also trying to take next week off, so this week feels like a heavy lift.

And when I get in this kind of mood? My kids (deservedly so) are not happy about it.

So this morning, while my coffee was brewing, I made an old school list for the kids. The same way I used to do it when they were little, the same way I did it when they were in grade school. Now they are in college, middle and high school.

Did they roll their eyes? YES.

Did they comment about me being “on one?” ALSO YES. (And truthfully, I was being erratic.)

But did they take care of the list before heading out the door to jobs and hanging with friends? YES!!

And as a bonus, my youngest made me a peanut butter sandwich and a diet coke and brought it to me in my office. When I thanked her she said, “Um. You’re really cranky. You should eat something.” I’ll take it!!

Anyway, it made me go back in search of the lists of our past for you. Because this really short and simple technique has worked wonders over the years for my family, and I bet it will for yours too.

Behind the paywall:

Real lists I created to get my kids helping out around the house, getting out the door, and including everyone in the process.

What to do when it doesn’t go perfectly: the three ways it goes sideways and how to manage each one

The time my kids showed me how to make the lists more effective