Valley-based app aims to teach children about work ethic, money management
Mar 8, 2017, 4:18 AM | Updated: 9:21 am
(Flickr/ThreeIfByBike)
(Flickr/ThreeIfByBike)
Spring is right around the corner, which means spring cleaning will be here before parents know it. For parents who are not sure how to get their children energized about chores and cleaning, don’t worry: There’s an app for that.
The Valley-based company BusyKid promotes work ethic for children by organizing their tasks and teaching them money management, all through the magic of a smartphone.
“Kids should be doing chores so that they’ll learn responsibility, accountability — and they’ll get out of your house and not come back unless they’re visiting,” said Gregg Murset, founder and CEO of the BusyKid parent company MyJobChart.com.
Paying kids for their work not only teaches them work ethic, but also money management, Murset said. Having to work and save for a skateboard today might teach a kid that it is dangerous to go into debt for a car down the road.
“[Money management] spills over into spending habits, charitable giving habits, saving for the future habits,” Murset said. “All those things are all wrapped into one.”
Murset said it is important for children to know the value of hard work when they are young, and should start performing age-appropriate chores as early as their parents think they are ready for it.
“They’re going to translate those skills into the real work place,” Murset said. “When they get a project at work that’s somewhat difficult for them or challenging, they’re not going to just throw their hands up and say, ‘I’m out.'”
BusyKid allows parents to pay their children directly through the app by setting up a recommended allowance based on the chore and the age of the child, which parents can change at anytime.
Kids are paid weekly and their allowance is divided into different areas to save, share and spend. This allows kids to save their money, while giving them the flexibility to purchase gift cards to different stores or making weekly donations to the charity of their choice — all with parent approval.
Family memberships for BusyKid are $1 per month, but parents can sign up for a 30-day free trial here.
