Chores Three Times a Week: Let Your Child Pick the Days
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni7 min read
You can ask for a set number of times instead of fixed weekdays. You agree on one chore, one period (a week, two weeks or a month) and one number. For example: "empty the dishwasher three times a week." Your child chooses which days. Two rules keep it simple. Only one completion counts per day, and the count starts over when the period ends.
Below you'll find a filled-in two-week example, a comparison with fixed days, and a blank template you can start using this week.
Choose the period based on the chore
Not every chore fits a weekly rhythm. Start by asking how often the job really needs doing.
- Per week works for things that come up often: emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, an extra dog walk, taking out the trash.
- Every two weeks works for slightly bigger jobs: vacuuming their room, cleaning the bathroom mirror, tidying the shoe rack.
- Per month works for less frequent tasks: clearing out under the bed, sorting recycling, wiping down kitchen cabinet doors.
Keep the number low enough to be realistic in a busy week with practice, homework and friends over. Three times a week on days your child chooses is often easier than three fixed days, because they can work around a game day or a birthday party. If you're unsure what suits your child, the list of what kids can do at home by age can be a starting point. You know your child best, so adjust from there.
Filled example: three times a week over two periods
This example is fictional and uses dates from October 2026. Ida has the chore "Empty the dishwasher," three times per week. In this example, the period runs Monday to Sunday. In your own setup, go by the dates shown for the period rather than assuming it always starts on a Monday.
The example rate is 5 virtual coins per approved completion. It's there for the math, not as a recommended rate. This family has enabled approval for the chore and has no deductions from the reward in the example.
| Date | Day | What happens | Count this period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5 | Monday | Soccer practice, Ida skips | 0 of 3 |
| Oct 6 | Tuesday | Ida empties the dishwasher and marks it done, waiting for approval | 1 of 3 |
| Oct 7 | Wednesday | Parent approves Tuesday's completion | 1 of 3 |
| Oct 8 | Thursday | Ida empties the dishwasher, approved that evening | 2 of 3 |
| Oct 9 | Friday | Day off | 2 of 3 |
| Oct 10 | Saturday | Ida empties the dishwasher twice, only one counts, approved | 3 of 3, goal reached |
| Oct 11 | Sunday | Nothing more to do on this chore | 3 of 3 |
| Oct 12 | Monday | New period starts | 0 of 3 |
| Oct 13 | Tuesday | Ida empties the dishwasher, approved | 1 of 3 |
| Oct 14 | Wednesday | Day off | 1 of 3 |
| Oct 15 | Thursday | Birthday party, day off | 1 of 3 |
| Oct 16 | Friday | Ida empties the dishwasher, approved | 2 of 3 |
| Oct 17 | Saturday | Weekend trip | 2 of 3 |
| Oct 18 | Sunday | Ida forgets | 2 of 3, period ends |
| Oct 19 | Monday | Next period starts at 0 of 3 |
Three things to notice:
- Waiting for approval still counts. On Tuesday, October 6, the completion counted as soon as Ida marked it done. She didn't need to redo the job just because an adult hadn't approved it yet.
- Once per day. On Saturday, October 10, Ida emptied the dishwasher twice. That was helpful for the family, but it only counted once. The limit prevents several completions from counting on the same day. It does not guarantee that the chosen days are evenly spaced.
- No automatic carry-over. In week two, Ida did two out of three. The missing one doesn't move to next week on its own. If you want to do something about it, that's an agreement you make at home.
In the example, week one earned 15 coins (3 × 5) and week two earned 10 coins (2 × 5), all virtual. If you choose to exchange coins for real money, you handle that yourselves, outside the app.
The alternative: fixed days
Here's the same chore on fixed days:
| Day | Chore |
|---|---|
| Monday | Empty the dishwasher |
| Wednesday | Empty the dishwasher |
| Friday | Empty the dishwasher |
With fixed days, Ida would have had a problem on Monday, October 5, because of practice, and on Friday, October 16, if there had been a game. The family then needs to agree who will do the job or adjust the plan.
| Fixed days | Flexible count | |
|---|---|---|
| Who picks the day | Parent | Child, within the period |
| Best when | The job has to happen on a specific day (trash out before pickup) | The job can happen any time in the period |
| On busy days | Has to be swapped or skipped | Child chooses another day within the period |
| What the parent checks | "Did it get done today?" | "How many out of three are done?" |
Fixed days are often better when timing matters. The trash has to go out before the truck comes, and the dog needs walking when the dog needs walking. A flexible count fits when what matters is the result over the week.
Why not just make three separate chores?
It's tempting to add "Dishwasher 1," "Dishwasher 2" and "Dishwasher 3." The problem is that your child can check off all three on Sunday night, while the dishwasher sat full for four days. Three separate chores also clutter the overview. One chore with a count and a once-per-day limit means counted completions must fall on different days. Your child can still choose several days in a row.
How to set it up in Kroni
In Kroni, the chore form lets you choose that a chore should be done a set number of times per week, every two weeks or per month. Your child marks it done when the job is finished, and you approve it if you've set the chore to require approval. Both pending and approved completions count toward the target, and only one completion per day counts for the same child and chore. Flexible chores can't be combined with rotation, so if two kids are taking turns, use a separate chore for each child or fixed days instead.
Blank template: flexible count for one chore
Copy this and fill it in with your child. It's an agreement on paper. The rules written here don't control anything in the app on their own.
Copyable worksheet
Chore: ____________________ Period (week / two weeks / month): ____________________ Times per period: ______ Period dates: from ______ to ______ Example rate per approved completion (optional, virtual coins): ______ What we do if the target isn't reached: ____________________
| Date | Day | Done? | Counts (max one per day) |
|---|---|---|---|
Next period starts: ______
With older kids and teens, you can let them suggest the number and the period themselves. That fits well with the ideas in the guide to agreements with your teenager. This template gives you the practical setup.
Get started this week
- Pick one chore that isn't tied to a specific day.
- Decide the period and the number. Choose a number that fits both the work needed at home and the days your child has available.
- Check which dates the period actually runs from and to.
- Tell your child the two rules: one completion per day counts, and the count starts over when the period ends.
- Look at the table together at the end of the period, and adjust the number if it was too much or too little.
Frequently asked questions
- Does it count if my child does the chore twice on the same day?
- Only one completion per day counts for the same chore and the same child. Doing it twice on one day still gives one count. Additional counts in the period require different days.
- Does my child have to redo the chore while it's waiting for approval?
- No. A completion that's marked done and waiting for approval already counts toward the target. Your child doesn't need to repeat the job while waiting for an adult to approve it.
- Do missed times carry over to the next period?
- No, not automatically. When a new period starts, the count goes back to zero. If you want your child to make up what's missing, agree on that at home.
