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Practical guides on family routines, chores, rewards and screen time — from the team behind Quokka, the screen time and chore app for iPhone families.
Chores & RewardsReward ideas for kids that aren't toys (and don't cost much)
Most reward charts stall because the prize cupboard runs out of ideas and money. What to put in a kids' reward store instead: time, privileges, choice and experiences, and how to price them so the system keeps working.
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Family RoutinesShould kids have phones in their bedroom at night?
The evidence points one way, but a blanket ban is not the only option and often not the workable one. What the phone in the bedroom actually costs, and three arrangements families use instead.
Screen TimeWhat is Downtime on iPhone, and when should you schedule it?
Downtime is the Screen Time setting that closes the whole phone on a schedule rather than rationing individual apps. What it blocks, what it lets through, and the two windows most families actually need.
Chores & RewardsDividing chores between siblings without starting a fairness war
Equal shares aren't the same as fair ones when children are three years apart. How to split household jobs by capability, rotate the jobs nobody wants, and answer 'that's not fair' in a way that ends the argument.
Family RoutinesAn after-school routine that puts homework before screens
Why the hours between pickup and dinner are harder than mornings, and the running order that works: decompression first, homework second, screens last — as the reward rather than the obstacle.
Screen TimeWhen should a child get their first phone? A readiness checklist
There is no correct age, and the surveys people quote describe what families do rather than what works. A readiness-based way to decide, plus the staged options between no phone and a full smartphone.
Family RoutinesA morning routine for kids that actually gets them out the door
Why school mornings fall apart, and the fix that works in most households: move the sequence out of your head and onto something the child can see, then shift half the work to the night before.
Screen TimeHow to block YouTube and TikTok on your child's iPhone
Three ways to block or limit specific apps on an iPhone — app limits, Content Restrictions and Always Allowed — plus which one survives a determined child and which quietly doesn't.
Chores & RewardsHow to get kids to do chores without nagging
Nagging works once and costs you every time after. Here is why reminders stop landing, and the four changes that move chores from a daily argument to something that just happens.
Screen TimeScreen time before bed: what it actually does to children's sleep
Why the last hour before bed matters more than total daily hours, what the evidence says about blue light versus content, and the bedtime rule that works better than a lecture.
Chores & RewardsShould you pay kids for chores? What the evidence actually says
The case for paying, the case against, and the middle position most families land on — plus how to avoid the one mistake that turns a willing helper into a child who negotiates everything.
Chores & RewardsAge-appropriate chores: what kids can actually do, by age
A practical chore list from toddler to teenager — which jobs children can do independently at each age, how long they take, and the mistake that makes most chore lists fail.
Screen TimeCan kids bypass Apple Screen Time? How to close the gaps
Yes — there are several well-known ways around Apple's parental controls. Here is what actually works, which gaps Apple has closed, and the settings that make the rest much harder.
Screen TimeHow to end screen time without a meltdown
Why 'time's up' triggers a fight, and the handful of changes — predictable endings, transition warnings, automatic enforcement and earnable time — that make it stop.
Chores & RewardsHow to build a chore–reward system your kids actually stick with
Why most chore charts die in two weeks — and the five design rules (from token-economy research and real households) that make points, stars and rewards keep working.
Screen TimeHow to set up Screen Time on your child's iPhone (step by step)
A complete walkthrough of Apple's parental controls: Family Sharing, downtime, app limits, content restrictions and the Screen Time passcode — plus what the built-in tools can't do.
Screen TimeScreen time limits by age: what pediatricians actually recommend
The AAP and WHO guidance on daily screen time for toddlers, kids and teens — in one table — and how to turn a number into a rule your family can keep.