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Kids sign in with a family code, no email. How do you handle your kids' accounts?

Most kids' apps we tried as parents wanted an email address for the child, or quietly ran everything on the parent's account.

In TaskyLand a child joins the family with a family code instead. No email for the kid, and the parent stays the one who approves tasks and rewards.

The trade-off we keep coming back to: a code is simpler for a 7-year-old, but it is also easier to share than a login. How locked down should a child's account in a family app be?

How do you handle accounts for your kids today: your own email, a separate one for them, or a family sharing feature?

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24d ago

A private space where kids tell a mascot how they feel. Should parents be able to read it?

TaskyLand has a small corner called the Heart Garden. Kids can tell Lum, our mascot, about a good deed, a mistake, or how they fixed it. Parents don't see the details.

We went back and forth on this a lot. One side: kids need somewhere that's theirs, or they stop being honest. The other side: it's a kids' app, and parents are responsible for what happens in it.

Where do you stand? Should a kids' app ever keep something private from parents?

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28d ago

Should kids earn screen time?

Screen time was the part of TaskyLand we argued about longest, and not about the code.

What we ended up with is a bank of minutes. Kids earn minutes for finished tasks, and when they want to use them they ask. A parent approves in one tap. The app doesn't lock anything on the phone. It just keeps the deal visible to both sides, so "you promised me 30 minutes" turns into a number you can both see.

There are two honest camps here. One says screen time should never be a reward, because that makes screens feel even more valuable. The other says it's the only currency kids actually care about.

Where do you land? Do your kids earn screen time, get a fixed amount, or something else?

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1mo ago

We gave a chores app a sticker album with rare drops. Too much?

TaskyLand launches here on November 4. Kids do chores and habits, parents approve them, and the approvals turn into coins, XP and a hero that grows.

One thing we just built for the launch: every approved task now drops a sticker into the child's album. 8 sets of 6, and they aren't equally common: 70% / 22% / 7%, and 1% legendary.

The game-designer part of me says this is exactly what makes a kid want to do the next task. The parent part of me worries it's a loot box with extra steps. We added one rule to keep it fair, and I'm still not sure it's enough.

Parents: where's the line for you between a fun reward and something that feels like gambling for kids?

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11d ago

TaskyLand - Turn chores and habits into a family quest

TaskyLand turns everyday chores and routines into a family quest. Parents pick from ~80 age-based tasks or write their own. Kids sign in with a family code (no email) and send proof: a photo, video, voice note, checklist or a real timer. Approved tasks earn coins and XP that level up a hero, feed a pet, hit the weekly boss and buy rewards you define, from screen-time minutes to a park trip. Widgets, Apple Watch approvals, 7 languages. Kid mode has no ads and no purchases.