App Reviews: Kid’s Quota for Managing Kids’ Time on Devices

Written by Jess // January 25, 2012 // Shopping Reviews // No comments

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With four kids in our family, there is often conflict about turns on the computer, the iPad, and the XBox. Whichever device is popular on a given day winds up with a line of three waiting children who all complain that the current player has had a long turn and Dad, could you please kick him off of the whatever? Luckily, there is an app for the iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone to help with problems such as these. Kids’ Quota can help manage time on games and other tasks.

This simple to use app allows you to set up quotas for your kids, and give them an alert when their time is up. Setting up a quota is pretty painless: just enter the child’s name, name the quota, set the frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly), and then enter the time limit. When the task begins, start the timer, and the app will let the kid know when time is up.

In addition to recreation time, quotas can be set for things like homework, study time, or piano practice, for example. Many kids will apply themselves better to tasks such as these when they know they will get a break soon, and see the countdown there on the screen.

Using quotas for tasks the kids do not want to do can help get by some other arguing as well. Talk things like chores over with the kids, and set times for yard work, room cleaning, etc, and set up quotas for each. The app keeps a record of pending quotas and completed quotas, so the kids can keep their ‘work’ time and recreation time organized.

I see two things that could be better regarding this app. First of all, a built-in incentive system would be awesome. For instance, a child completing a yard work quota unlocks a play time quota. Such a system would help motivate the kid to do chores first.

The other thing that would improve this app is if quotas could be set to lock down the system when the aloted time has expired. This could prevent cheating on recreational quotas, since all the app does is give a time expired alert and depends on the kid to respect it.

While there is room for improvement, Kids’ Quota is a useful app to help you and your kids organize their time. Go to the iTunes Store and get Kids’ Quota for $1.99.