Before You Quit a Family App: Save Kids' Balances and Promises

Step 1: Write down promises and balances

Kids often remember exactly what they're owed, and they notice quickly if the numbers suddenly vanish. So set aside one evening for a review before anything else happens.

For each child, write down:

• Balance: How many coins or points are in the account today?
• Savings goals: What is your child saving for, and how far along are they? List every goal if there's more than one.
• Pending approvals: Chores your child has marked done that an adult hasn't approved yet.
• Promised rewards: Things you've agreed on but haven't given yet, like a movie trip or extra time with something your child enjoys.
• Standing agreements: Which chores earn coins, and which are simply part of living in the family?

Remember that the coins in an app like this are virtual. If your family has agreed that coins can be exchanged for real money, you as the adults pay that outside the app, in cash, with a mobile payment app or by bank transfer. Your sheet should clearly show what has already been paid out and what's still owed.

Example: the Berg family leaves an app

This is a made-up family. Ida is 11 and Jonas is 7. In this example, the parents have agreed that 1 coin can be exchanged for 10 cents. That's only an illustration, not a suggested rate.

Child	Type	Description	Coins / value	Status	What we'll do
Ida	Balance	Free balance	85 coins ($8.50)	Not exchanged	Pay $8.50 in cash on Friday
Ida	Savings goal	New headphones	240 of 400 coins	In progress	Carry over to her savings notebook
Ida	Pending approval	Vacuumed the living room	15 coins	Marked done	Check and approve before exporting, then add $1.50 to Friday's cash
Jonas	Balance	Free balance	30 coins ($3)	Not exchanged	Put in his piggy bank
Jonas	Promised reward	Swimming pool with Dad	50 coins spent	Not done yet	Booked for Saturday in two weeks
Jonas	Standing chore	Set the table	Unpaid	Ongoing	Continues, listed on the fridge
Both	Standing chore	Tidy shoes in the hallway	5 coins	Ongoing	Continues on paper

Notice that the pending chore gets dealt with before anything is exported. That way the numbers are right. If you're unsure which chores suit each child going forward, the list of what kids can do at home by age can be a starting point. Adjust it to your own children.

Step 2: Find the export and check what you got

If the app offers an export, use it. But open the file before you move on.

• Are both kids in it?
• Do the balances match what you wrote on your sheet?
• Are the savings goals included, or only the chores?
• Does the history go back as far as you need?

If there's no export, or something is missing, the sheet from step 1 is what you keep. Take a photo of it and save it in a shared family folder, so it doesn't only exist on paper in a drawer.

Step 3: Cancel payment where you bought it

A subscription bought through an app store is canceled in that app store. Open the subscription overview for the account that made the purchase in the App Store or Google Play, and follow the store's current instructions. The account that made the purchase has to cancel it. If the other parent paid, that parent needs to do it.

Note the date you canceled and how long the subscription still runs. You can often keep using the app until the paid period ends. That gives you time to finish the sheet without rushing.

Step 4: Delete the account last

Once the sheet is done, the export is checked and payment is stopped, you can delete the account if you want to. Don't assume a deletion can be undone. Look over the sheet one more time before you tap the button.

Many families have digital accounts in other places too. It's worth thinking through which logins your kids use and who owns them. If you talk about digital identity at home, the guide to explaining digital ID and passwords to kids can help you separate a login from an agreement.

Talk with your kids before you switch

A child who has saved 240 coins will want to know they won't disappear. Show them the sheet and keep it simple: "We're stopping the app, but our agreement stays. Here's what you've saved, and here's where we'll keep track from now on."

• Let older kids read their own row and check that it's right.
• For younger kids, one sentence about what they're owed and when they'll get it is often enough.
• Keep the promises you've written down. That's the whole point of the sheet.

Plan for this week

1. Evening 1: Write down balances, savings goals and promised rewards for each child.
2. Evening 2: Approve or reject pending chores, and look for an export.
3. Evening 3: Compare the export with your sheet. Cancel the subscription in the app store.
4. Weekend: Show the kids the sheet, pay out what you agreed and delete the account if you want to.

Copyable worksheet: what we're keeping

Print or copy the table and fill in one row per agreement.

Family: ________ Date: ________ Exchange rate (if agreed): 1 coin = $____

Child	Type (balance / savings goal / pending / promised / standing chore)	Description	Coins / value	Status	What we'll do and when

Closing checklist

• Every child has their own balance row
• Every savings goal is written down
• Pending chores are approved or rejected
• The export is opened and checked (or there isn't one)
• The subscription is canceled in the app store. Date: ________
• The kids have seen their sheet
• The account is deleted. Date: ________