A chore app without a child's phone: sharing a device with Kroni
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni4 min read
You want a place to keep the family chore list, but your child does not have a phone. They do not need one to use Kroni. They can open the child view on your phone or use a tablet the family already shares.
The same Kroni app contains parent and child views. You create the child's profile and choose the tasks; your child does not need an email address. The useful decision is where the list will live and when your child can check it.
Choose the device that is actually available
Your phone works for looking at the list together. Open the child view, let your child check the task, and take the phone back afterwards. This lets you try the routine using a device you already own.
Agree on a time when the phone is available. If you take it to work, you might check the list before school and record completed chores together later. Your child can still put away their clothes without carrying a screen around the room.
A family tablet gives your child another place to check while you use your phone. Install Kroni on the tablet and connect its child view to the profile you created. It can remain a shared household device. Decide where it stays and when it is used.
Choose according to your day. A kitchen tablet is only useful if it is charged and easy to find. Sharing your phone becomes awkward if it is usually elsewhere. There is no need to solve every future arrangement before trying one task.
Try one chore from beginning to end
Pick something familiar and specific. “Put the clean socks in your drawer” gives you both a clearer finish than “sort out your room.” Show which drawer you mean and agree on what counts as done.
For the first attempt:
- Add your child's profile and create one chore in the parent view.
- Agree whether it earns money. For this example, set it to require parent approval.
- Your child checks the chore in the child view and does the work.
- Your child marks it complete. It is now waiting for an adult's decision.
- Return to the parent view, check the work and approve it. For a paid chore, the virtual reward is recorded in the app. Check the resulting balance together.
An unpaid task is also a useful first attempt. You are learning how to make an agreement, mark the work and follow up. You can find more ideas in the guide to using a chore app.
Practice returning the phone as well
Handing over your phone in child mode locks parent access. To return, use parent sign-in or the parent unlock method available and configured in your app. Your child should not need your password.
Try the switch in both directions while you are together. Find the child's list, mark the chore and return to your own view. Check that you can then respond to the completed task. Exact screens can vary with the device and app version, so follow the options shown in your app.
Explain what the balance means
Kroni records a virtual balance. It does not connect to a bank or transfer money. If you agree to pay real allowance or pocket money, you arrange that payment outside the app. If the reward is an activity, you organize the activity yourselves.
Before a paid chore, make the distinction clear: “This keeps track of what we agreed. It does not automatically put money in a bank account.” You can also keep household tasks unpaid and make a separate agreement about an activity together.
Give the list a regular place
After the first attempt, decide whether the chore should repeat. Keep the list short while you work out when to check it. A printable chore chart can keep the agreement visible when the shared screen is unavailable.
Kroni's free plan includes one child and five active chores. You can download Kroni and try one task on a family device before deciding how you want to use it each week.
