Screen time as a reward: how to set one up
A fixed daily amount of screen time, with extra minutes earned through jobs and reading. Ages 6 to 15: steps, pitfalls and real point numbers.
Setting it up
- Agree the daily baseline first and never take it away as a punishment
- Price extra time in the reward shop, in 15 or 30-minute blocks
- Set a weekly cap on extra time
- Use a timer they can see
- Keep screen-free times the same for everyone
What to watch for
- Extra time that pushes into bedtime
- Every job becoming a trade for minutes
- The baseline creeping up without a conversation
The numbers at different ages
| Age | Points a week | A small reward | A big reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 80 | 10 points | 160 points |
| 11 | 125 | 20 points | 250 points |
| 15 | 125 | 20 points | 250 points |
From a typical week of jobs at each age, at 5 points for a daily job and 10 for a weekly one.
TaskFamily does this with extra screen time as a reward in your own shop, focus timers, and chat quiet hours.
Free for one household. Premium is $5.99 a month or $49 a year for the whole family, never per child.
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Point numbers are worked out from a typical week of jobs at each age. The guide text is drafted with AI from these numbers and checked automatically before it is published.