How Earn Screen Time Works

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🎯 The Idea

Earn Screen Time turns chores and tasks into earned screen time. Kids complete tasks → earn minutes. They use those minutes for games, videos, or whatever they love. Parents stay in control, get visibility, and don't have to nag.

🏠 Logging In

  • Family PIN opens the app and identifies your family
  • Welcome screen shows your family name
  • Pick I'm a Kid or I'm a Parent
  • Kids enter their 4-digit PIN → land on their dashboard
  • Parents enter the parent PIN → enter the parent section

✅ Kid Experience

  • Home — see today's progress, balance, streak, badges
  • Tasks — check off chores to earn minutes
  • Screen Time — see balance, log usage, browse rewards
  • Calendar — upcoming family events

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parent Tools

  • Overview — everyone's balance, tasks, streaks at a glance
  • Tasks — add/edit recurring tasks with reward values
  • Family — manage kids, names, avatars, and PINs
  • Rewards — curate a reward store (toys, outings, cash)
  • Screen Time — log usage, give bonuses, adjust balances
  • Settings — PINs, email recipients, timezone, alerts

💰 How Minutes Work

  • Each task has a reward (e.g. "Make bed = +10 min")
  • Completed tasks add minutes to the kid's balance
  • Watching TV, playing games, etc. deducts from balance
  • Homework, reading, piano practice don't deduct
  • Balances roll over for 14 days then expire

📬 Daily & Weekly Emails

Parents get an automatic daily summary email at 3 AM showing each kid's tasks completed, minutes earned, minutes used, and balance.

On Sundays, a weekly report adds charts, streaks, and badges earned.

📱 Text Commands (Optional)

If SMS is configured for your family:

Kids text:

  • tasks — see today's tasks
  • balance — check minutes
  • done [task] — mark complete
  • start [activity] / end — track a session

Parents text:

  • status — full family status
  • balance — all kids' balances
  • bonus [kid] [min] [reason] — give bonus minutes
  • [kid] [min] — log screen time used

🏆 Badges & Streaks

Kids unlock achievement badges for consistency (3, 7, 14, 30-day streaks), milestones (10, 50, 100, 500 tasks), first bonus task, category variety, and big earning days.

🔒 Privacy

Earn Screen Time is for private family use. No ads, no tracking, no data sold. See the Privacy Policy and Terms for details.

💡 Tips

  • Set reasonable task rewards (5-30 min per task works well)
  • Mix quick wins (make bed, brush teeth) with bigger earns (chores, homework)
  • Use the Reward Store for bigger goals (family outing = 300 min)
  • Weekly screen limits cap total usage even if balance is high
  • Give bonuses for special effort — it reinforces great behavior