CHORES & ROUTINES- Constantly Evolving Programs

I often wonder if I will ever come up with the "perfect program."
I have found that principles remain the same, but programs need to change
in order to meet the changing needs of the family.
2 guiding principles for work are
1. Everyone needs to do their part (Many hands make light work) and
2. The idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer (Work earns food)
We are currently at a program transition from "3 chores a day" to "3 chores a week"
in order to open up more free time on school days.

3 CHORES A DAY
("The Basics"= getting yourself ready, tidying your room, & family scripture study
are not considered chores. They are mandatory prior to breakfast.)
(I currently am doing "The Basics" twice each morning- once with the older kids before they take off for middle school and junior high, then again with my elementary school kids.)
These are the 3 chores that have to be completed before dinner
1- Family Chore
2- Music Practice
3- Homework (yardwork in the summer)

The "family chore" is their cooking or cleaning assignment.
(Hunter cooked breakfast, Packer did a load of laundry,
Myriam cooked dinner, Sadie washed or vacuumed out a vehicle,
and Holland and Benson helped me with the housecleaning- vacuuming/mopping/scrubbing)

Their 3 daily chores had to be completed by dinner.
I broke it down into "food parts" so they got "paid" for what they did get done.
-Family Chore earned grain,
-Piano earned protein,
-Homework earned fruits/veggies

I actually did pay them money at the end of the week- 10 cents for each chore they did (50 cents a day)
3 daily chores + 1= "cards" +1= "scriptures"= 5 ten cent jobs
(It only amounted to $3 a week, which they used to buy their own clothes, fun & extra learning)
Paying for their own stuff and earning their allowance developed gratitude and self reliance.

3 CHORES A WEEK
Everyone does these 3 things each week:
1. Laundry (their own load on a set day each week- I assist the younger ones)
2. Cook Dinner (one night a week on a set day- they pre-plan with me- I assist the younger ones)
3. Housework (a major cleaning job-"Saturday Suds"-right after breakfast)

We divided our Saturday Suds into 6 job descriptions:
1- SHINER (toilets, sinks, counters, mirrors, glass door, 1 window)
2- HARD FLOORS (shake rugs, mop kitchen floor, bathroom floors, laundry room, garbages)
3- FURNITURE (fridge, stove, microwave, couches, desk, piano, organs)
4- CARPET FLOORS (basement, living rooms, halls, bedrooms, closets, stairs)
5- VEHICLES (clean, vacuum, detail all vehicles)
6- GARAGE (straighten bikes,toys, work bench; sweep)

*DAILY MEAL CLEAN UP:
1-After breakfast, lunch, & snack they each wash their own dishes and
wipe their own place since they have to take off so fast.
2-After dinner they do their assigned job they have been trained in:
wash dishes, dry dishes, load dishwasher, wipe tables & chairs, sweep floor, vacuum living room)
*I often set a timer and reward them with a small food if I need them to clean up quickly.