Making Your Own Task Basket

One of the more difficult aspects of trying to live an organized life is getting others to live it with you. This is even more true when dealing with children. Have you ever noticed how children never want to do the same chores two days in a row? Well, one way that you can make things a little easier around your home is with the use of a task basket. Making your own task basket is relatively easy to do, if you follow these step by step instructions.

1. Materials. Begin by gathering together all the materials that you may need for your task basket. Think of this as an arts and crafts project, and gather together things like colored paper, a wicker basket, paste, scissors, crayons, markers, and anything else that you can think of to help make your new basket as fun as possible. Use your imagination decorating the basket, but keep in mind that you still need to be able to pull 3 inch by 5 inch cards out of the top of the basket.
2. Create chore cards. Use a packet of 3 inch by 5 inch cards and a pen and write down one chore on each of the cards. Be sure that you have your family members help out in this step, so that they know what will be going into the basket, and they don't feel cheated. Some examples of the chores that you can write on the cards are things like organize linen closet, sort bills, wipe off counter, and take out the trash.
3. Place the cards into the basket. As you finish each of the cards, place them into the basket. This way you don't create another large mess that you have to clean up.
4. Mix everything up. After you have finished placing the cards into the basket, pick the basket back up and begin shaking everything, If you need to, place your hand into the basket and stir everything around. You need to ensure that you have mixed everything up so that no one feels like they have been cheated in the chores that they have to do.
5. Take turns. Once everything is finished, take turns drawing out a card. Whatever card you pick out is the one chore that you will end up having to do. One word of advice though, if a young child ends up picking out a chore that is too much for them, then allow them to pick again.