h a l f b a k e r yCompound disinterest.
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Chore Markers
Unambiguously draw attention to the things that need doing | |
Delegating housework is no easy task, whether the intended helper is a child, roommate, or adult partner. It's all too easy to walk through your house while doing one task, and fail to notice ten more that need doing. With children, making a long list can be difficult, especially if you have more than
one child and lots of other things to do. To solve this problem, use Chore Markers.
Chore Markers are large yellow and orange striped rubber arrows, probably about 2" by 12" by 6". To use them, first speak into the end of the Chore Marker the nature of the desired work, i.e. "Pick up these socks." Then drop the Chore Marker near the site of the disaster.
How does the Chore Marker work? It is equipped with sensors that detect motion. Whenever someone moves nearby, the Chore Marker will replay the message that you recorded, but only once. When the motion stops, the Chore Marker resets its motion detector. This way, if you walk up to a Chore Marker, stop, and then start moving again, you'll hear the message twice. If you're walking by on an errand, you'll hear the message only once. In this way the Chore Marker draws attention to the chore.
When the chore is complete, the Chore Marker is removed and reset.
You can stick Chore Markers around the house as markers to yourself, too, so that you don't get so distracted you forget what you need to do.
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Dammit, if you kids don't pick up all these Chore Markers..... |
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oye come back, don't you ignore me you great heap of lard, come back. |
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I'd rather have socks lying about than foot-long orange and rubber talking arrows. |
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I started looking through the web, and the closest thing I could find to this was garden task markers, with pre-written tasks like "Water", "Weed", "Prune" etc. I'm thinking that Chore Markers are better than little lists with stars that you glue on; also, they work for children who can't yet read. Plus, you can have pre-recorded but undeployed Chore Markers with messages like "Clean this up before Daddy gets home, or you're in trouble!" |
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I once tried this with large sticky labels, all around the
house stuck to various jobs which needed doing. The
bathroom had notes stuck to the tiling which read "Please
finish grouting me" the paintwork around the window read
"I'm cracking up, please help". The kitchen window read
"I'm stuck, please open me" etc. etc.
Two years later and a few are still hanging around
collecting cobwebs. I think if they were to speak they
would have been thrown out of high window long ago. I
like it though. |
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as writing 'clean me' on vehicles |
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"Also available in white" and "I wish my wife was this dirty" too. |
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