Siblings Sharing One Tablet: Keep Kroni Profiles Separate
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni7 min read
Give each child their own saved profile on the tablet and set one fixed rule: check the name before you tap anything. When a child is done, they switch to their sibling's profile, and the sibling checks the name again before taking the tablet. Parent access stays completely outside the kids' switching and needs its own sign-in.
That's the whole method. The rest of this article is about turning it into a habit that holds up on a busy Tuesday, when everyone wants the tablet at once.
Why siblings check off each other's chores
It's rarely on purpose. Here's a typical case. An older sister has been using the tablet. Her little brother picks it up and sees a list of chores. He taps "done" on "Empty the dishwasher" without noticing that a different name is at the top. Now the chore shows as done for the wrong child, and the one who actually emptied the dishwasher doesn't get credit.
Each child has their own chores, their own balance and their own savings goals. Completions and rewards need to be recorded for the right child. That's why it matters who is active when someone taps.
Set up one saved profile per child
It helps to keep two things apart:
- Adding a child to the family. An adult does this, and that's when the child gets their own chore list and balance.
- Saving the child's access on the tablet. This only means the child can be picked quickly on this device. Saving access doesn't create a new child, and switching away from a profile doesn't remove the child from the family.
In Kroni, the profile switcher shows the child sessions saved on the device and which profile is active right now. Switching to parent access is kept separate from the kids' switching and requires the adult to sign in. Kids don't need their own email address to use a shared tablet.
Note that the free tier covers one child and five active tasks. If you have two or more children with their own profiles, your family will need a paid tier.
The swap card: name, chore, switch
Print or copy this card and tuck it into the tablet case, or stick it on the fridge next to the charger.
1. NAME Is my name at the top? If not, switch first.
2. CHORE Only tap my own chores.
3. SWITCH Done? Switch to the next sibling, and let them see their name before they take over.
Three words are easy to remember, even for the youngest. For kids who can't read yet, draw a face, a checkmark and an arrow next to each step.
Before and after each turn
| When | What the child does | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Before the turn | Checks the name on the active profile | My name shows as active |
| Before the turn | Opens their own chore list | The chores are mine, not my sibling's |
| During the turn | Marks what's actually done | Only chores I've done |
| After the turn | Leaves unfinished chores alone | No "I'll probably do it soon" check-offs |
| After the turn | Switches to the next sibling's profile | The next name shows as active |
| Handover | The next child says their name out loud | "It says Theo" |
The last step, saying the name out loud, might seem like overkill. But it makes the handover visible to both kids, and it takes two seconds.
Example: Ida and Theo share the tablet
This family is fictional and used for illustration. The amounts are examples, not recommended rates. The family uses approval for the paid chores and has no deductions from the rewards in this example.
Ida's list (age 11):
- Vacuum the living room: $2 in virtual coins (example)
- Pack her own lunch: unpaid
- Fold her own clothes: unpaid
Theo's list (age 7):
- Feed the cat: $1 in virtual coins (example)
- Tidy the shoes in the hallway: unpaid
You'll need to decide which chores suit each of your children. What should kids be able to do at home? A complete list by age can give you ideas, but you're the ones who know your kids.
How the handover goes one afternoon:
- Ida picks up the tablet. She sees "Theo" is active, because he used it last. She switches to her own saved profile.
- She checks that it says "Ida," opens her list and marks "Vacuum the living room" as done.
- Her lunch isn't packed yet, so she leaves that one alone.
- She switches to Theo's profile in the profile switcher and hands him the tablet.
- Theo says "It says Theo," opens his list and marks "Feed the cat."
- In the evening, a parent signs in with their own access, reviews what each child marked and approves what's correct.
The $2 and $1 are virtual and show up in each child's balance in the app. If they're turned into real money, that happens outside the app, for example in cash or by bank transfer, when the parents decide.
Copyable worksheet
Fill this in together with your kids. The blanks are meant to stay empty until you write in them.
Our tablet setup
| Child | Name shown on the profile | Chores on their own list | Regular tablet time |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Our agreements
- Who switches profiles at handover: ________
- What we do if someone spots the wrong name: ________
- When an adult reviews the check-offs: ________
- Where the swap card hangs: ________
The worksheet is an agreement between you. It doesn't control the app, so the rules are followed by people, not by the screen.
Keep adult access to yourself
Kids switch freely between their own saved profiles, but parent access is separate and requires the adult to sign in. A few good habits:
- Sign out of parent access, or switch back to a child, before you hand over the tablet.
- Don't share your sign-in with the kids, not even "just this once."
- Keep approval an adult job. In Kroni you can choose whether chores need an adult's approval, and with several kids on one device it's especially useful to keep it on.
If you want to think through how rewards and approval fit together, Reward Systems for Kids: Stars, Points or Money? What Works Best is a good place to start.
If someone used the wrong profile
It will happen. Here's how to sort it out:
- Check the mistaken entry's status. If the chore requires approval and is still pending, do not approve it for the wrong child. If approval is not required, the reward may already be recorded. Check both children's balances and use the available correction options before recording the work again.
- Keep the talk short and don't make it a big deal. "It said Ida, but you fed the cat. Let's try again on your profile."
- Let the right child mark the chore on their own profile, so it can be approved there.
- If some chores don't require approval, consider turning approval on for those chores for a few weeks while the switching habit settles in.
Remember that closing a week doesn't approve chores by itself, and no real money moves in the app. So you have time to fix things before anything becomes cash.
Get started this week
- Today: Make sure each child is added to the family and has a saved profile on the tablet.
- Tomorrow: Put up the swap card and practice one handover together.
- Rest of the week: Review the check-offs each evening with parent access, and let your child know when a handover went right.
- Sunday: Fill in the worksheet and adjust whatever felt awkward.
Frequently asked questions
- Can siblings see and check off each other's chores?
- Each child has their own chore list and balance. If the wrong profile is active when someone taps, the check-off goes to that child. That's why the habit of checking the name before tapping matters most.
- What happens if a child marked a chore on the wrong profile?
- Don't approve it with parent access, and let the right child mark the chore on their own profile. No real money moves in the app, so you can fix it before anything is paid outside the app.
- Can we have more than one child on the free tier?
- No. The free tier covers one child and five active tasks. If two or more children need their own profiles, your family will need a paid tier.
