Chores, Rewards, and Allowance

Since implementing the Privilege Points system my three kids (12, 10, & 8) now actively seek chores they can complete instead of whining when I ask them to do chores. They also earn points for being respectful and being kind, and they lose points for whining and having a bad attitude. I no longer have to repeat myself 20 times because once I ask them to do something, I don’t get mad... I just repeat myself calmly and deduct a point for ‘making Mom repeat herself’. They hear the buzz of the point deduction and hurry off to comply before I repeat myself again. They stopped asking for soda because it costs points to have one and they even opt to play outside more because playing outside earns points while video games and television costs points. They are setting goals to reach the more ‘expensive’ privileges. One thing I would like to see added would be an option for the kids to select tasks they have completed so I can review and approve the points. Sometimes it gets frustrating when all three run up at once and start telling me what tasks have been completed. I know it would be best for me to stop whatever I’m doing and award the points immediately, but sometimes that isn’t possible. Overall, I love this app... and I’ve been sharing the benefits of this app with everyone who will listen. 😂

Privilege Points is such an awesome and powerful app. Once you create your own custom list of chores (called "tasks") and rewards (called "privileges"), magic starts happening. We use it for earning 30-minute blocks of screen time--they don't get screen time unless they've earned it and when their 30 minutes are up, the screen goes off. Privilege Points has a built-in timer that alerts me on my phone and Apple Watch when time is up and I'm no longer The Bad Guy who turns off the screen--I just point to the timer. I'm not ashamed to say that my kids used to whine for screen time and sometimes pitch a fit when I turned it off, but now they ask me how many points they have and what they can do to earn them. They take out the trash and recycling, unload and load the dishwasher, feed the pets, clean their room, and even wipe down the toilet seat without complaining and melting down. They've become totally proactive about doing their chores! People ask me how I get my kids to help out so much and behave so well and I tell them to get Privilege Points and use it religiously.

There are so many things I like about this app. I love how easy it is to customize and to reward the kids for desired behavior. I love that each kid has the app and can see their own list. I can add tasks, rewards, and penalties as needed very easily. The kids respond to the instant gratification of knowing they will get points. My one problem with that app is that I need my kids to be able to check off a box for me to approve their task getting done. Giving the kids the ability to check off their tasks as they go and for me to approve later would free up a lot of my time and end a lot of fuss from the kids when I either can’t award their points instantly or forget about them completely. On the plus side the developer really seems to listen to suggestions as I have seen a lot of improvements in the updates. I really hope this will be the next big step for a pretty great app. The monthly subscription upgrade isn’t necessary to get good use out of this app but I highly recommend it. It is worth every penny and my kids like being able to save up for the “big ticket” rewards like $10 to shop at a store, visit an arcade, or even a guitar that my son asked for. I absolutely love seeing my kids, not just earning rewards, but realizing the value of saving up for something they really want.

I honestly can’t believe this app is free....get it now, because there’s no way it will stay free. My kids (ages 13 and 10) are cleaning my house and working hard to behave, just so they can earn their privileges. This app takes the arguing out of whether someone earned tv or not. The points don’t lie! I put my account on their phones but locked it so they can keep track of points but can’t alter them. One suggestion I would make is to have it so that you can put a kid’s version on the phone so the child can deduct their own privileges and see the timer countdown. It takes a little while to get everything set up and add emojis (not required, but cute), but it’s so worth it. I’ve wanted an app like this for years (can’t believe I didn’t just try to make one myself - I could have retired early!!). It is really just fantastic. And I know I sound like an employee writing a ghost review to boost ratings, but I promise - I’m not!

Love this app!!! We have tried so many systems for rewards and punishments with our kids, and this is the only thing that has worked. It’s free. It’s simple. It’s easily customizable. It’s shareable. And it works for multiple kids. It gives kids clear expectations and consequences. You have it wherever you go, so you can instantly add or take away points depending on behavior. Additionally, my husband and I can both access the account to add or subtract points; and we are notified when the other has awarded or removed points, so we are on the same page with parenting. We use it for chores, for positive reinforcement (of things like being kind or helpful or honest), for creating good habits (brushing teeth, being ready for the bus on time, for making your bed, etc), and for accountability (getting along with siblings or being respectful to parents/teachers/bus driver). You choose privileges that they really want to work toward earning and consequences that you know they want to avoid....and the nice thing is that you choose whatever you want and however many points it’s worth. I also appreciate that when you implement a privilege or consequence that has a time limit (like 1 hour of computer time), it automatically starts a timer when you award that privilege/penalty. Great app! Great tool!