This App Will Have the Kids 'Beg' for More Chores

Any website that promises “your kids will beg to do their chores” deserves a skeptical eye. What might they promise next? They’ll eat all their vegetables? Floss after every meal?

Yet while the designers at ChoreMonster may be given to hyperbole, they also just might have hit on an answer to getting the kiddos to make their bed and empty the dishwasher without being asked for the thousandth time—and learn something about money and responsibility in the process.

Online chore charts are nothing new. You might even say the space is getting overcrowded for websites and apps that let parents assign chores to youngsters, tweens and teens, monitor progress and bestow awards for a job well done. The family can get organized at MyJobChart, ChoreBuster and FamilyChores. Places that connect allowance to household duties include Famzoo, iAllowance, allowance manager, Tykoon, GetPiggyBank and Threejars. The idea is to get the kids to pitch in, without all the nagging. That means doing it online and offering an incentive.

What makes ChoreMonster different is its engaging platform, which has plenty to offer parents and kids alike—like a timely list of seasonal chores you may not have considered, and funny little sounds and animated monster rewards. This is especially welcome as the dog days of summer roll in, and the kids are home all day and there are so many extra things that need to get done around the house. You know: cut the grass and wash the car.

Through a tie-in with Disney, ChoreMonster parents were able to reward kids with exclusive pre-release clips of the Pixar movie Inside Out in May and June. The company says it was a popular reward, and that other partnerships and unusual tie-ins will follow. In the meantime, rewards like TV and other screen time as well as cold hard cash should work just fine.

For this summer, ChoreMonster suggests having the kids clean the barbecue grill and the wheels on the family car, in addition to things you are more likely to have considered, like watering the garden and sweeping out the garage. Cash rewards should come with a money discussion, according to the site, which suggests 25% be set aside for a new game or book, 25% for a trip or other outing, and 50% for a future car or college. This conversation may be the most important one you have with your kids this summer, as it should get them thinking about concepts like wants vs. needs, budgeting, and saving. You might also have them consider carving out 10% for chartable giving.

The average allowance comes to $65 a month, according to a study from the American Institute of CPAs. Six in 10 parents pay allowance, half start the kids at age 8, and 89% expect their kids to work around the house at least one hour a week. There is a big debate about whether allowance should be tied to chores. Most of the sites and apps make it easy to keep track of which chores have been done and how much has been earned—whether it’s for allowance or straight pay.

What are the most popular rewards? Half of parents grant screen time (typically one hour); 14% pay cash; 11% give ice cream or some other treat; 6% buy a toy; and 3% pay for an outing. The top chores assigned are brush your teeth, make the bed, feed the pets, organize your laundry, and clean your room.

Monday is the best day for chores being completed and Friday is the worst, according to ChoreMonster. More assigned chores get completed on the West Coast than any other region, the company found. So much for that laid back California culture. Their kids probably eat their vegetables, too.