Pocket money and screen time: clear rules instead of daily bargaining

Screen time and pocket money are constant topics in many families. It gets hard when the rules only exist out loud: the answer then depends on the mood of the day, and children quickly learn that asking again pays off.

Stars for finished tasks

In Rondino, every confirmed task earns stars. You decide how many per task. They collect in the child’s account, and the child can always see how many they have.

Exchanging them in the shop

In the shop, the child exchanges stars for pocket money, screen time or extras you define yourself, such as a movie night or choosing dinner. Every wish comes to you, and it’s only redeemed once you say yes.

You set the rules once

Under Settings › Stars and screen time you decide what applies:

• Exchange rate: how many stars 1 franc and 15 minutes of screen time cost.
• Screen time limits: at most so many minutes a day and a week. The daily limit resets every day, the weekly one every Monday.
• Maximum stars per day: so that lots of quick tasks don’t pay more than one careful one.
• Bonus for revising: extra stars when the child improves a task after “Take another look”.

From then on, the answer to “Can I have more?” is visible to everyone: the child sees how many stars they have and how much screen time is left today.

Saving together

With a family goal, the children pool stars for something you do together, such as an afternoon at the climbing gym. They only see the total in the pot, not who gave how much. If the goal is cancelled, everyone gets their stars back.

What works well

• Reward care and perseverance. A thoroughly done task can earn more stars than a quick one.
• Each child only sees their own account, which keeps comparisons between siblings out of it.
• If you change the exchange rate, tell the children beforehand. It applies to new wishes.

Start with a generous daily limit and adjust it after two weeks. You’ll see what’s realistic in everyday life.