❔ How Do You Turn A Transactional Relationship To A Communal One

Greenlight is an app that, amongst other things, allows parents to automatically give kids their allowance if they do a certain number of chores. This leads me to wonder:

❔ How can apps like Greenlight turn a potentially transactional relationship between parents and children into a communal relationship about managing a home together?

Linking chores to money is understandable, but makes the relationship between kids, parents, and the home transactional. What does that teach kids about chores and managing a home?
- That chores should be paid? Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe the generation of Greenlight kids will grow up understanding that the housespouse does provide a valuable service.
  - Though, let’s be honest, paying for chores is likely a wealthy Westernized family use-case. Poor families and some cultures may never use the chores feature. However, wealthy families all over might prefer to use this app for the transferring, Eidi, invest in stocks, etc etc.
- But at the same time, kids may not benefit developmentally from linking chipping in around the house to making money. Mom and Dad don’t get paid for loading the dishwasher.
Perhaps you could do something more tamagochi-style. Where the house is anthropomorphized a little bit. And as you do chores, the house is healthier and happier. If any one person isn’t doing their chores, the house is a little sad.

Inspired by: Investing in Greenlight

Every post on this blog is a work in progress. Phrasing may be less than ideal, ideas may not yet be fully thought through. Thank you for watching me grow.