CLEVELAND — Next week, or in the coming weeks, children across northeast Ohio will be heading back to the classroom. That means getting back into their normal routine of waking up early. But that doesn't mean their chores will go away.
Now, parents are turning to technology to help keep the entire family on track. Plus, some apps can also teach kids the value of a dollar.
"Well, we don't do this in the summer, but you should wake up early because you might have chores in the morning that you need to do," said Clara Dennis.
Clara, from Cleveland, is the oldest among her siblings. All three Dennis children attend Cleveland's Near West Intergenerational School, a public charter school in CMSD. The first day of school is August 18.
Recently, the Dennis family began using the BusyKid app to keep everyone on track.
"It helps organize various chores. We don't have all of them, but we use several that work for our family and they get to check the box off and they earn a flat fee for each chore," said Clara's father, Myrcik Dennis.
The mobile app, which is a central place for your child's list of chores and responsibilities, was developed by Gregg Murset, a financial planner and father of six.
"I don't think parents really like to yell at the kids and kids don't want to be yelled at, right?" said Murset. "So why not let technology step in and kind of bring a routine, a situation where it's a little more calm and you know what the expectations are. You just got to get it done."
Murset said if parents are fairly consistent in using the app, you can get children in the habit of getting their chores done before bed or before going to school. This can help keep their routine on track.
Alana Dennis, Clara's mother, agrees.
"It's a lot easier than having to write down things on a written calendar, too," she said.
The app also teaches kids the value of a dollar. At the end of the week, it's payday. Money for the chores they completed is automatically deposited into their BusyKid app into three categories: saving, sharing and spending. The platform then allows kids to move the money around to use it for their needs.
"And so even if it is like a few cents, it would still help us get motivated," said Clara.
"Just empowering them to be learning ways that they can become more independent," said Alana.
There are other mobile apps similar to BusyKid which include, FamZoo, Greenlight and GoHenry.
