Turn Screen Time Into Something Kids Can Actually Earn
The nightly screen-time argument is rarely about screens — it's about an arithmetic that only exists in a parent's head. This makes it explicit: a base allowance, a list of tasks each worth a set number of minutes, and a daily cap. The board prints the total and shows whether the cap binds, so the child can do the same sums you can. Local only; nothing leaves the tab.
- Board
- Tasks, minutes, base, cap and total in one view
- local
- What it replaces
- Renegotiating the same rule every evening
- $0.00
- Input
- Tasks with minutes, base allowance, and a cap
- no card
- Output
- Today's earned total and whether the cap binds
- recomputed
What you pay otherwise
| Route | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Parental-control apps | Blocks access but doesn't teach the trade-off | $5–$15/mo |
| Timer apps | Counts down but doesn't say how to earn more | still arguing |
| Ad hoc rules | A different answer every night | the argument |
| This page | The exchange rate, printed | $0 |
The workflow
Set the minutes so the maths is easy to do out loud
Five, ten and fifteen minute increments are checkable at the table. Odd values like 7 minutes make the board harder to trust, and a rule a child can't verify is a rule they'll contest.
Keep the base allowance unconditional
If the base depends on behaviour, every evening becomes a negotiation about whether the day went well. A fixed base with earnable extras keeps the argument out of the arithmetic.
Let the cap bind sometimes — that's the point
A cap that never triggers teaches nothing about limits. Set it low enough that a fully-completed task list hits it, then talk about what to do with the spare capacity rather than quietly raising the ceiling.
Review the task list monthly, not nightly
Tasks that were worth fifteen minutes in September may be routine by November. Changing the exchange rate weekly makes the board feel arbitrary; changing it monthly makes it feel like a system.
Worked example
Sample: base 30, cap 90, 9 tasks worth 135 total All tasks done 30 + 135 = 165 earned Cap applied 90 minutes usable Capped away 75 minutes Board maximum 165 minutes Uploaded nothing — counted in the tab
Numbers above are sample data produced by the tool's own pre-loaded example, run in the browser — not averages or measured benchmarks.
What breaks this
Setting the cap above the maximum earnable total means it never binds and teaches nothing. Changing the minutes week to week makes the board feel arbitrary rather than fair. Making the base conditional on behaviour reintroduces exactly the nightly argument the board exists to remove.
Try it now
A 30-minute base with nine tasks and a 90-minute cap is loaded, and all nine done caps the day at 90. Set completed tasks to 3 and the total drops to 75, under the cap.
Open the board →Go deeper: the printable board
The board is free forever. The $4 one-time tier adds:
- Printable board — the task list and cap on a fridge sheet — estimate: ~10 min saved re-explaining the rule.
- Saved task lists — keep up to 6 boards in this browser, one per child — estimate: ~8 min saved per child.
- Weekly tick sheet — seven days of checkboxes beside each task — estimate: ~15 min saved making one by hand.