HometatoesEveryday chores or extra paid jobs?
It helps to decide what counts as an everyday contribution and what needs a separate agreement. There is no single rule for every household. The useful part is making the expectation clear before the task starts.
Start with two short lists
Use an everyday list for repeated contributions to the household. Use an extra-job list for optional work that someone proposes and an adult agrees to. A task can belong on either list; explain your choice so it does not change after the work is done.
| Everyday contribution | Possible extra job |
|---|---|
| Put personal belongings away. | Help sort an agreed shared cupboard. |
| Bring your dishes to the agreed place. | Help prepare a shared space for a gathering. |
| Check your bag for tomorrow. | Help organize reusable supplies for a project. |
Adjust tasks to ability and available adult supervision. This is not a safety assessment or an age-based chore prescription.
Agree on four things before an extra job
- The task: describe what will be done in one sentence.
- What finished means: name the result that the adult will check.
- The reward: agree on points or a money amount, or explicitly agree that there is no reward.
- The review: decide who will check the work and how changes to the agreement will be discussed.
Keep points and money distinct
A point balance can track contributions toward a family reward. A money balance can record a family IOU. Do not assume that a point is worth a particular cash amount unless your household has explicitly agreed on a separate arrangement.
If money is paid outside the app, record that payment so the amount owed stays clear. Hometatoes does not hold funds or move money.
A blank agreement to copy
Task: ____________________
Finished means: ____________________
Agreed reward, if any: ____________________
Adult review: ____________________
Print this page or copy the four lines onto paper. Nothing you write on your own copy is sent to Hometatoes.
How this fits the app
The free core app separates routines from proposed extra jobs. Parents approve contributions; reward points, recorded money and goals stay distinct. Calendar and school-email integrations remain planned.