Teen Chore Chart

Who this is for

Parents of 12–17-year-olds who want to stop relitigating chores every week. Works because it removes ambiguity.

Teenagers will negotiate any chore situation that has any ambiguity. The fix isn't to argue better — it's to remove the ambiguity. A printed chart that says 'Wednesday: Sam empties the dishwasher' is a closed conversation.

Teen-appropriate chores can include real responsibilities: laundry, cooking one meal a week, full bathroom clean, taking the bins out. They're capable; the chart just makes it visible.

Teen chores: the contract approach

Teens respond badly to ad-hoc requests and well to written contracts. The chart is the contract. Negotiate it once together, both sides sign it (literally — pen on paper), then enforce the chart, not the rule. "The chart says it's bin night" is a structurally different conversation than "it's your turn for the bins".

What teens can reasonably handle

• Their own room (bed, surfaces, floor) — weekly.
• Their own laundry — weekly, fully self-managed by 14.
• One shared chore (bathroom, kitchen, bins) — weekly, rotating with the rest of the household.
• One bigger fortnightly task (vacuuming, mopping a shared area) — by 16.

How fairness is calculated

Behind the scenes, every chore gets a numeric weight from its effort (small / medium / large), frequency, and a difficulty modifier for the genuinely unpleasant tasks. The algorithm distributes weight across people, not chore counts — three counter wipes do not equal one toilet scrub, and the schedule respects that. Annoying tasks rotate separately so the same person never gets the bin two weeks running. Full details on the methodology page.

How to use it

1. Add the teens by name. And yourself if you'll also be on the chart (recommended for credibility).
2. Pick chores that are real responsibilities. Laundry, dishwasher, vacuum, bathroom, take bins out.
3. Use fair rotation so nobody gets stuck on toilets. Fairness is non-negotiable for teens.
4. Print, post, refer to chart instead of arguing. 'Check the chart' is the new sentence.

FAQ