Chores for Teens:
Summertime Hurdles

Getting chores for teens done in the summer can be harder than getting them done during the school year. There seems to be almost endless options for things to do besides household chores. Plus, who wants to be stuck inside doing chores when you just want to be outside?

On top of the fun activities, many teens also have summer jobs that take up their time. So, while there is no homework or school activities to manage, there are other responsibilities that come into the picture.

Do these challenges sound familiar to you?

It may be time to take a new look at your teen's household chores or teen chore contract. Here are some questions to look at:

• If they have a summer job (working for someone else or themselves), how much time does it take?
• Are there household chores that can be done by another family member? If you have younger kids who can take over some of the chores and want to earn summer money of their own, consider shifting some chores for teens around within the family. This frees up some of the teen's time and gives the younger kids a chance to earn their own money.
• Are there chores that don't need to be done at all or as often? Maybe they can make their bed every other day instead of every day or dust every other week instead of each week.

After you've done that review, figure out what the new chore list is with your teen. Write it down or update the teen chore contract. Part of that will also be to determine if there are any changes to allowances or other privileges that came with doing the chores that they had been doing. You may already be reducing their allowance because they are earning their own money from working, so these two things will go hand in hand.

Finding the right balance when your teen starts working can be a real challenge. Earning their own money is a great way for them to continue their financial education, but they still have obligations to keep the house running smoothly. And with summer being only 3 months long, it seems to be over about the time you get the schedule worked out. But the lessons you learn about chores for teens this summer will benefit everyone into the fall and next summer, too.

If you need some help, the Teen Chore Success program might be for you. With an ebook and two free bonuses (including an ecourse to kickstart your teen chore program), it might be just what you need!