Planning
Writing chores that get done
2 min read
Most review arguments trace back to a vague chore. A clear one takes a minute longer to write and saves days of back and forth.
Title and description
Name the job and its finish line. “Feed the dog and refill the water bowl” is clear. “Help with the dog” isn't.
Put the details a child would otherwise ask about in the description: which rooms, what counts as clean, where things go.
Difficulty and points
Difficulty is easy, medium, or hard. It describes the work, not the child. Adjustments for a particular child happen in reward settings.
Keep points simple enough that kids can predict them. Some chores can be worth nothing because they're just part of living in the house.
Due windows
Every chore has a start date and a due window in days. Daily chores should fit in one day. Give bigger jobs, like the garage, a few days so one busy evening doesn't make them overdue.
If a chore is often late, try a longer window before adding more reminders.
Categories
Categories group chores by area, like kitchen, pets, or yard. Manage them in Settings → Chore Categories. Insights uses them to show where things slip.
Faster ways to add chores
New chore has three options. Type one in, upload up to five photos of a room and let Spark suggest chores from them, or get Spark ideas for each child. Spark's suggestions are drafts. Edit them before saving.