In my years as a mom, I have tried everything under the sun to get my kids to do their chores.  I've made chore charts, I've used positive reinforcement, I've begged, I've punished...I've done it all. But the chores were still not getting done and I was losing my mind.

I don't know why it never hit me before, but I recently realized that there are a lot of things that my kids want to do. They want to watch TV, they want to play on the computer, they want to talk on the phone, they want to play with their Gameboy's, etc. 

So getting my kids to do their chores was really as simple as realizing that I had the upper hand in the situation. Today, in my house, my kids know that when their chores are done, they can do the things they want to do. 

Now, I might look a little strange walking around the house with computer cords, gameboys, telephones, and who knows what else hanging out of my pocket, but the chores are getting done and I'm not fighting about it anymore. 

The great thing is that I don't even have to say anything anymore. When my kids get home from school and find the computer cord or mouse missing, they know there's work to be done and they actually come to ask me about it. 

I don't know if this would work for anyone, but if chore charts aren't your thing and you spend more time fighting than it would take your kids to do their chores in the first place, it's worth a try!