ChoreMonster, an application for the web and smartphones, could be what parents need to incentivize kids to do their chores around the house.
ChoreMonster can be used by the whole family as parents assign chores with points for each, and children keep track of those they have completed.
According to recently released data from the app's creators, the top five chores completed by children and counted through the app are brushing their teeth, making their bed, cleaning their room, putting dirty clothes in a hamper and feeding their pets.
As children gain points from completed tasks, they can purchase rewards like money or a movie night that parents enter in.
However, an article from Time in 2013 highlighted a few different studies on using money to incentivize children to do tasks and chores, and the impact it has on children. Some were critical.
"Monetary incentives for doing positive things from homework to good deeds can damage a child's natural motivation to learn or do other things that are inherently rewarding," wrote Time. "And that applies to not just financial, but material rewards as well, which can also reduce their children's enjoyment and create anxiety."
Yet, another objective of ChoreMonster being lauded is that of helping children learn about financial responsibility. Parents can teach good work ethic by giving nonmonetary rewards through ChoreMaster, and they create opportunities to discuss budgeting and money management when teaching children how to save or spend money they earn.
According to one of ChoreMonster's blog posts, "81 percent of parents have discussed wise money management with their children," far below the number of parents who have discussed manners and good health with their kids.
The creators hope the use of the app can be another way children learn about responsibility, work and finances.
Dr. Joe Austerman, a child psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic Children's, said children below the age of 10 should not have smartphones.
Austerman also reported that children with smartphones need to understand the dangers of cyberbullying and predators, as well as responsibility that comes with the device, according to Fox News.
"I always say to parents, monitor, monitor, monitor and be engaged with your child so that he or she feels comfortable talking to you if there are problems with the handheld device," Austerman said in a news release on the topic cited by Fox News.
Austerman also advised that parents come up with a contract for the child to sign, to understand and accept the rules of having the phone. Setting up parental controls on a smartphone is a must, especially for younger kids, he said.
ChoreMonster, and other apps that are made for children, can often also be accessed through the Internet, if the child is too young to have a smartphone.
ChoreMonster publicly launched in 2012, was launched for Android in 2014 and is available on Nintendo 3DS this year.
ChoreMonster can be used by the whole family as parents assign chores with points for each, and children keep track of those they have completed.
According to recently released data from the app's creators, the top five chores completed by children and counted through the app are brushing their teeth, making their bed, cleaning their room, putting dirty clothes in a hamper and feeding their pets.
As children gain points from completed tasks, they can purchase rewards like money or a movie night that parents enter in.
However, an article from Time in 2013 highlighted a few different studies on using money to incentivize children to do tasks and chores, and the impact it has on children. Some were critical.
"Monetary incentives for doing positive things from homework to good deeds can damage a child's natural motivation to learn or do other things that are inherently rewarding," wrote Time. "And that applies to not just financial, but material rewards as well, which can also reduce their children's enjoyment and create anxiety."
Yet, another objective of ChoreMonster being lauded is that of helping children learn about financial responsibility. Parents can teach good work ethic by giving nonmonetary rewards through ChoreMaster, and they create opportunities to discuss budgeting and money management when teaching children how to save or spend money they earn.
According to one of ChoreMonster's blog posts, "81 percent of parents have discussed wise money management with their children," far below the number of parents who have discussed manners and good health with their kids.
The creators hope the use of the app can be another way children learn about responsibility, work and finances.
Dr. Joe Austerman, a child psychiatrist at Cleveland Clinic Children's, said children below the age of 10 should not have smartphones.
Austerman also reported that children with smartphones need to understand the dangers of cyberbullying and predators, as well as responsibility that comes with the device, according to Fox News.
"I always say to parents, monitor, monitor, monitor and be engaged with your child so that he or she feels comfortable talking to you if there are problems with the handheld device," Austerman said in a news release on the topic cited by Fox News.
Austerman also advised that parents come up with a contract for the child to sign, to understand and accept the rules of having the phone. Setting up parental controls on a smartphone is a must, especially for younger kids, he said.
ChoreMonster, and other apps that are made for children, can often also be accessed through the Internet, if the child is too young to have a smartphone.
ChoreMonster publicly launched in 2012, was launched for Android in 2014 and is available on Nintendo 3DS this year.