Farm Smarts: What Farmers Can Teach Us About Tackling Chores
Three years ago, my wife Sarah and I were living in Minnesota, juggling the chaos of raising four kids (soon to be five at the time!) while trying to keep our household running smoothly. We felt lost when it came to chores—no direction, no clear path, just endless reminders and attempts at motivation that never seemed to stick.
Then came a family trip to Texas to visit friends. Their kids, older than ours, gave us a glimmer of hope for the future. We watched them tackle their chores with focus and purpose. They weren’t just helping; they were thriving. These kids weren’t just told to do chores—they were part of something bigger.
A Glimpse Into Gamified Life
Our friends lived on a farm, where their kids had responsibilities like feeding the chickens, gathering eggs, and caring for the garden. It was clear their chores had real cause and effect: skip feeding the chickens, and there would be no eggs tomorrow—or worse, the animals could suffer.
It hit us hard. Back home, our kids’ chores lacked this connection. Dishwashers don’t lay eggs, and if a child didn’t put away the dishes, Sarah or I would just do it after they went to bed. There were no natural consequences, just arbitrary rules and mounting frustration.
Making a Bold Change
In that moment, we knew we needed to change course. Over the next two years, we shifted our focus to chores that mirrored real-world cause and effect. Our kids started caring for chickens, gardening, and doing farm-like tasks at their school, and we eventually bought a property in the country.
Living on a farm is like playing a game. You put in work and get value out. The kids experienced firsthand what it meant to care for something—and to face the consequences if they didn’t. The transformation is ongoing and incredible. Responsibility is now a lesson that has real world intergration; it is something they can learn naturally.
How Gamification Transformed Chores
What we learned is that farm life inherently gamified chores for us. It gave our kids clear goals, immediate rewards, and natural consequences. Over time, the tension in our household around chores improved greatly. Though not absent, there is a mark-ed less nagging, less stress—more teamwork and purpose.
Why? Forget to water the plants? They wilt. Feed the chickens? They lay eggs. The kids began to see their work as part of a bigger picture, and the lessons they’ve learned have been invaluable:
Forgetting one chore might mean no eggs tomorrow—or even worse.
Consistency matters when others depend on you.
Responsibility brings a sense of accomplishment.
Chores as an Adventure
Gamifying chores has improved our family dynamic. It’s actively helping us teach our kids responsibility by making connections to the real world, giving them purpose and responsibility, and bringing more harmony to our home. Chores are still hard, but they’re no longer merely a burden—now they’re an adventure.
Not everyone can pack up and move to the country (though if you’re thinking about it, I highly recommend it!). But you don’t need a farm to make chores more meaningful for your family. If you’re feeling the same tension we did, here’s a simple way to start: Set up a weekly challenge for your kids, with weekly rewards. Use our Chore Tracker—FREE when you sign up for our email list—to track a weekly streak. Reward their efforts with something they love, like a movie night or extra time with you.
This journey has been one of the most rewarding things we’ve done as a family. I’ll be sharing more about it on the Gamify Chores Blog—our successes, struggles, and the little wins along the way.
Hang in there, friends. Chores never stop being hard, but with a little creativity, they can become an adventure.
