LightenThe household chores list for couples and families (printable)
A good household chores list does two jobs. It shows everything the house actually needs, and it shows who is doing it. Most lists only do the first. This one is built for the second: every chore has a column for each partner and one for the kids, so you can split it on paper before anyone argues about it.
How to use this list in 15 minutes
- Sit down together. Print the list or open it on one screen. Both partners, same time, no phones.
- Cross out what your home does not need. No pets, no yard, no car: strike those rows. Add anything that is missing.
- Tick one owner per row. Owner means the person who notices, plans and does it, not the person who helps when asked.
- Count the ticks, then look at the invisible jobs. The last section is the one that usually decides whether the split feels fair.
- Agree on a date to look again. Two weeks is a good first check. Swap anything that is not working.
Daily chores
| Chore | Partner A | Partner B | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make breakfast and pack lunches | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Cook dinner | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Wash dishes or load and run the dishwasher | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Wipe kitchen counters and table | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Tidy the living room | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Make beds | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Feed and walk pets | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Take out trash when full | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| School drop-off | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| School pickup | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Check backpacks, folders and school apps | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Bedtime routine for the kids | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Weekly chores
| Chore | Partner A | Partner B | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grocery shopping | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Plan the week's meals | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Laundry: wash, dry, fold, put away | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Change bed sheets | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Clean bathrooms | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Vacuum and mop floors | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Dust surfaces | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Take bins to the curb | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Water plants | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Pay bills that are due | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Clean out the fridge | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Sunday look at next week's calendar | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Monthly chores
| Chore | Partner A | Partner B | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deep clean the kitchen appliances | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Wash windows and mirrors | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Replace or check air filters | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Review the household budget | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Sort mail, paperwork and school notices | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Clean out the car | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Restock household supplies (soap, paper towels, medicine) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Check kids' clothes and shoe sizes | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
Seasonal and yearly chores
| Chore | Partner A | Partner B | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swap seasonal clothes in and out | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Book dentist, doctor and eye appointments | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Schedule home and car maintenance | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Clean gutters and yard work | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Renew registrations, passes and subscriptions | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Plan holidays and school breaks | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Sign up for next season's activities | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
The invisible jobs most chore lists leave out
These are the jobs that take thinking rather than time. Nobody sees them when they go right, which is why they tend to pile up on one person. If one partner ticks most of this section, the split is not even, whatever the other sections say.
| Chore | Partner A | Partner B | Kids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remember birthdays and buy gifts | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| RSVP to parties and events | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Fill in and return school forms | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Track what the kids have outgrown | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Arrange childcare and babysitters | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Coordinate pickups with other parents | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Keep the family calendar up to date | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Notice what is running low before it runs out | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Plan the prep for each event (gift, outfit, what to bring) | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
| Follow up on anything overdue | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ |
We wrote a longer guide on this part: the invisible load, and how to share it fairly.
How to split chores fairly with your partner
1. Split ownership, not tasks
“Can you buy the gift?” still leaves you as the person who remembered the party. Hand over the whole thread instead: this partner owns birthday parties, gifts, RSVPs and all. Ownership is what actually moves work off someone’s plate.
2. Trade by preference first
Each of you marks the three chores you mind least and the three you hate most. You will usually find easy swaps. What is left over gets split or rotated.
3. Rotate the jobs nobody wants
Bathrooms, litter boxes, the late-night pharmacy run. Alternate them weekly so neither of you is permanently stuck with them.
4. Weigh time and headspace, not the number of rows
Ten quick chores are not the same as one that needs planning every week. Before you compare totals, mark which rows need thinking ahead. Those count for more.
5. Check in weekly, for five minutes
A short Sunday look at the coming week catches collisions early: two pickups at the same time, a birthday with no gift trip in front of it. Rebalance there, not in the middle of a stressful Wednesday.
Age-appropriate chores for kids
Kids can take on more than most parents expect, as long as the job is small and clear. A rough guide:
- Ages 2 to 4: put toys in a bin, put dirty clothes in the hamper, help feed a pet, wipe up small spills.
- Ages 5 to 7: make their bed, set and clear the table, match socks, water plants, pack their own backpack with a checklist.
- Ages 8 to 11: load the dishwasher, fold and put away their laundry, take out trash and recycling, help cook simple meals, vacuum a room.
- Ages 12 and up: do their own laundry start to finish, cook a family dinner, clean a bathroom, mow the lawn, keep track of their own schedule.
Every child is different. Start with one or two jobs, show them once, and let a done-badly job count as done while they learn.
Frequently asked
How do you split household chores fairly with a partner?
List every chore, including planning jobs like gifts, forms and appointments. Give each chore one owner who notices, plans and does it. Trade by preference, rotate the chores neither of you wants, weigh jobs that need planning more heavily, and review the split for five minutes every week.
What should be on a household chores list?
Daily jobs like meals, dishes, tidying and school runs; weekly jobs like groceries, laundry, bathrooms and floors; monthly jobs like budgets, filters and paperwork; seasonal jobs like appointments and maintenance; and the invisible planning jobs like birthdays, RSVPs, school forms and noticing what is running low.
Is there a printable household chores list?
Yes. Use the Print this list button on this page. Navigation and ads are hidden when you print, and each chore has boxes for Partner A, Partner B and Kids.
What chores can kids do?
Young children can put toys away and help feed pets. Early school-age kids can make their bed, set the table and pack their backpack. Older kids can load the dishwasher, fold laundry and help cook. Teenagers can do their own laundry, cook a meal and keep track of their own schedule.
Is there an app to split chores with my partner?
Lighten is a shared family organizer for iPhone and Android. You add chores and family tasks by typing or saying a sentence, they are shared with your partner instantly, and the Family tab shows who is carrying this week’s items. The free plan includes sharing, lists and reminders.