I’m a firm believer in the whole “job jar” concept, especially when my kids are begging me for money, a ride to the mall, etc. Though I don’t necessarily condone bribery, I do condone “earning your keep,” and a job jar is a great way to instill that same value into your kids. If you don’t have a job jar, you should! Keep reading why, below!
What Is A Job Jar?
A job jar is basically a jar, box, or bowl in which you put household jobs into to be completed. Depending on your style at home, you can have your kids “draw” out of the jar for chores that week, or you can assign a “reward” for each completed job. Rewards could be a small dollar amount, a ride to the mall, 10 more minutes of screen time, etc. Having one in my house for even just three months has already made it so much cleaner and orderly. But of course, it isn’t all about the clean house!
Why Should I Have A Job Jar?
Other than the reasons previously mentioned above, here are a few reasons why having a job jar benefits your entire house:
-Job jars are a great way for kids to earn extra money for whatever it is that they’re saving up for this time.
-Aside from the money earned, kids will also learn the value of hard work
-Kids should learn how to do household tasks. After all, they will be (hopefully) leaving the nest one day, and it might be a good idea to know how to do your laundry!
-A job jar teaches kids collaboration. Explain to them what each member of the family does to keep the house functioning, and how their job helps the common goal. Teaching teamwork is always a great idea!
What Chores Do You Put In The Jar?
Of course, a job jar works best when it’s tailored toward the audience it is for. Kids five to eight would like basic jobs like sweeping, wiping things down, and even emptying the dishwasher if they are tall enough. For the 9-12-year-olds, try things like cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, and dusting. If you have older kids jobs like doing laundry, cleaning dirty dishes, cooking dinner for the family, etc are good. Color code the jobs by age if you have more than one kid, so each kid knows which jobs are geared for the older kids.
Cute Job Jar Ideas
For an easy idea, label popsicle sticks and jars and put them in a classic mason jar. This is bringing me back to Elementary school!
As I mentioned earlier, colors are a great way to distinguish jobs by age group! Put in a funky jar like this one for an even cuter touch.
