Where kids "Learn to Earn"

Have you ever struggled to motivate your kids with chores and help them truly grasp the value of earning? As parents of four energetic ADHD children, we certainly have! The journey to teaching our kids about responsibility and the rewards of hard work wasn't always smooth. Like many parents, we grappled with finding a system that was not only effective but also visually engaging – a crucial element for our kids. We desperately wanted a way to build on connecting household tasks with tangible financial benefits, a method to easily track completed chores and earned pocket money, and most importantly, a visual representation of their progress to encourage them. The sheer joy and sense of accomplishment our kids experienced when they finally achieved their savings goal to buy that longed-for toy or being in a position to treat themselves to sweets they had their eye on while at the store with mum was incredibly motivating, making them actively want to help around the house to add to their earnings and financial independence.

We initially tried traditional methods like pin boards and journals to track chores, but found them time-consuming and lacking the visual impact our ADHD kids needed coupled with the reduced motivation that ensues. Sound familiar? A quick trip to the store often turned into a logistical nightmare of texts and calls between parents to check if a child had enough saved to buy that coveted toy.

Frustrated by these challenges, the idea for KidsEarnit began to take shape – a digital solution designed with our family's needs, and especially the visual learning styles of our ADHD kids, in mind. I set out to develop a chore and virtual pocket money application with several key features:

• Fast and efficient: It only takes a matter of      seconds to select a task our child completed. While making purchases on      behalf of the child while at the store, again a payment amount and short      description have been completed in seconds.
• Visual Earnings Tracking: A sapling tree that grows      with their earnings provides a tangible visual representation for our      kids. Our ADHD kids responded remarkably well to this visual indicator of      their financial growth.
• Customizable Chore List: Easily create chores with      associated "earn" values tailored to your children's abilities      and what you feel a chore is worth.
• Multi-User Approval      (Premium):     Parents, grandparents, or caregivers invited to be part of your Kidsearnit      family can approve completed tasks, adding the designated value to the      child's earnings. This feature offers flexibility for shared caregiving.
• Real-Time Balance at Your      Fingertips:     Know your child's up-to-date earnings balance instantly while shopping,      making those purchasing decisions stress-free.
• Savings Goals with Visual      Progress (Premium): Kids can set savings goals for that special      toy or item, and a charming bucket visually fills with coins as their      savings grow. We even included an empty, cobweb-covered bucket as a gentle      visual reminder if savings stagnate. And a Give account encouraging      empathy and generosity by allowing kids to allocate a portion of their      earnings to a charity of their choice.
• "Good Attitude"      Bonus:     Parents can enable a bonus amount to reward a positive attitude towards      completing chores, clearly displayed at the top of the chore list. We      found this invaluable in expressing our approval of a great attitude.
• Detailed Activity Logs: Parents can review each      child's complete activity history, while children can only access their      own logs, promoting transparency and accountability. The logged-in user's      name is recorded with each activity.
• Secure Data Encryption: Protecting your family's      sensitive information, especially your children's data, with robust      encryption both locally on the device and in the cloud (for multi-user      accounts).
• Controlled User Invitations: The account holder has      complete discretion over inviting new family members or caregivers to the      Kidsearnit account via secure QR code or in-app invitation.

For our family, Kidsearnit has been a game-changer, fostering a greater sense of responsibility, a better understanding of money, and even genuine enthusiasm for helping out around the house. These are key concepts we believe will set our kids up for future success – understanding the value of work, living within their means, and also the joy of rewarding themselves for their efforts.

"We're thrilled to share that Kidsearnit is almost here! We are currently in the initial stages of our beta testing program with a small group of local parents who are providing invaluable feedback. Their insights are helping us fine-tune Kidsearnit to be the best it can be for families everywhere.

As we progress, we plan to expand our beta program to include more parents. If you're interested in being considered for future beta testing opportunities and would like to receive updates on our progress, please contact us.

Kidsearnit will be available initially for android (iOS soon after) as a free single-user account for up to two children, with the option to upgrade to a subscribed multi-user, multi-feature version with no access limitations.

As I've been writing, I realize there's so much more I could share about the app, but this is a great starting point. My wife and I sincerely hope that Kidsearnit will bring as much benefit and enjoyment to your family as it has to ours. Stay tuned for the official launch – we can't wait for you to experience it!