How many times a day do you say "clean your room"?

How to get kids to do chores — on their own

Only when told, and even then, grudgingly. I was worn out too. Here's what got my kids doing chores — a dad of two — turning chores into points they earn.

📌 30-second summary

🙊 Less nagging"Because I said so" → "because I'm earning"

🧹 PointsEarn for what they do → initiative appears

✂️ Skip dutiesPaying for basics backfires

🙅 Why nagging doesn't work

To a kid, chores feel like "doing Mom's job for her" — no reward, no end in sight. So they stall. What changes things is when they can see "if I do it, I get something."

😐 Nagging them into it

You repeat yourself
Grudging, half-done
Feels like "your job"
Strains the relationship

🚀 Earning points better

They start on their own
"I'm earning this"
Pride & responsibility
No more nagging

🧹 Chores + points, example

Set values with your kid, matched to age and effort. This is just a starting point.

Chore	Example points
🍽️ Wash dishes	100 pts
♻️ Take out recycling	50 pts
🧺 Fold laundry	70 pts
🧽 Wipe the table	30 pts

※ The size of the points matters less than the experience: doing work, watching it add up, turning it into something they want.

✂️ The one rule: separate duties from paid work

⚠️ Pay for duties, and you get "no pay, no work"

Unpaid (duties): their own room, homework, clearing their own plate
Paid: extra work for the whole family (dishes, recycling, cleaning)

Draw that line and you avoid the "I won't do anything unless you pay me" trap.

🔁 How to run it — 4 steps

1

List the paid choresLeave out duties; only extra work, decided together

2

Assign points to eachBy effort and time. Don't be stingy

3

Report done → parent approves → payThe check in between builds trust

4

Spend points on what they wantA savings goal makes them try harder

📲 Let the app keep score, not you

Put points on chores; the kid reports, the parent approves, points add up. Turn them into savings goals. No ads.

Get FamilyPay on Google Play →

🔒 Safe to use

No adsIt's an app kids use

Minimal dataNo phone number or address

Easy startKids use a PIN; only the parent signs up

Built by a dadMy own two kids use it daily

Not a big-company app — just a small one a dad built for his own family. No ads, no data-selling. (Privacy Policy)

❓ FAQ

Won't paying for chores mean no pay = no work?

That's why you keep duties (room, homework) unpaid and only pay for extra work that helps the whole family. Don't put a price on the obligations.

My younger one is too little — what can they do?

Start with easy things: setting the table, lining up shoes, putting toys away, with small points. Even little kids feel "I earned that." Set each sibling's chores by age, and fairness fights shrink.

What if they agree to do it and then don't?

They just don't earn the points — don't add a punishment. Let "no work, no reward" be felt naturally, and clearly acknowledge it when they do follow through. Rewards shape behavior better than penalties.

Start with just one thing today

Pick one chore and put a point value on it. Let the app keep score instead of you nagging.

Get FamilyPay →

Not a fit? Just delete it. No pressure.