Winter beckons. For some parents, motivating their children and organizing routines and household chores is second nature. Others find it more challenging.
Here are some unique apps that can motivate children to do their homework and help around the house:
BusyKid App: BusyKid’s goal is to instill a good work ethic in children while simultaneously teaching them financial literacy.
The app is simple. Parents set chores for children. Children complete them. Their allowance, based on their chores, is deposited into their “accounts” on Fridays. Parents can choose to “pay” extra for a job well done. BusyKid also allows children to donate some of their earnings or invest it in real stocks.
BusyKid is free, although the debit card associated with the app costs money.
OurHome: OurHome is a motivational app that attempts to reward responsibility.
Points are assigned for each task. Parents schedule tasks. If necessary, they can add an adult-approval requirement to ensure they are done right. Points can be used for screen time, dinner out, vacation, or the like.
While OurHome was designed with children in mind; it includes features such as a shared grocery list, and it syncs to unlimited devices. It also enables users to input events on a family calendar and can send messages and set reminders, hence even adults can benefit from it.
OurHome is free on Google Play and the App Store.
Homey: Homey allows parents to set chores that are responsibilities sans pay and chores that children are paid to complete. The goal of the app is to teach children long-term financial responsibility. Money can be transferred to a U.S. bank account, and parents can manage allowance and extra money rewards for their children.
Some of the notable Homey features include:
Parents receive real-time notifications when children finish a chore. Families get a visual overview of what needs to be done and users can divide, track and complete tasks. Children have the option of sending parents photographic evidence that they did actually complete the chore. Homey even comes with a chat feature, thus allowing parents to nag their children to complete their chores.
Homey is subscription-based on a monthly or yearly basis.
Brili Routines: Brili touts its ability to help children stay on task by using structure and consistency.
Parents customize routines for children. In the ‘kid mode,’ children see their tasks as a game. Visual timers and audio prompts remind them to complete their tasks on time. Parents can ensure the tasks are completed on their own devices, and reward children with stars or points.
Brili is best for younger children. It can be downloaded on both Google Play and the App Store. It has several subscription plans.
Cozi: One of the most popular organizing apps for families, Cozi has a host of family-friendly features such as a shared color-coded calendar, and the ability to create checklists for nearly everything. It also has a recipe box that easily adds ingredients to a shopping list and a no-dim button to keep the screen bright when using recipes from the recipe box to cook. Cozi also includes a journal enabling parents to capture and save moments.
Unlike some of the other chore apps, Cozi does not offer financial remuneration for completed chores.
Cozi is free on Android and Apple, although it has ads. The premium version without ads and with additional features is available for $29.99 per year.
Habitica: Habitica is focused on making life into a game to create an environment of productivity and instill good habits. Chores have in-app rewards and punishments. Users battle monsters, and the more tasks they complete, the more gear and other in-app rewards they gain.
Habitica is available for Android and Apple users. It is free, although there are four subscription versions as well.
Greenlight: Greenlight is essentially a debit card for children. It was created with the goal of teaching children to manage their finances. It allows parents to create a chore list and ties tasks to perks or monetary rewards. Parents can also schedule a weekly allowance. Children earn, save, spend or invest the money they receive through chores or allowances.
While children receive debit cards that are accepted almost anywhere Mastercard is accepted, parents can set limits on where their children can spend their money, as well as receive notifications when kids use their debit card.