Build an interactive kids' chore tracker that unlocks weekend screen time with Gemini

Posted

Jan 4, 2026 by Liam Darmody (LinkedIn)

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Last checked

Oct 17, 2026

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Method:

How we verify

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Beginner-friendlyNo logins, payments or coding needed. Low risk: paste the prompt and you should get something useful.

Outcome

After two weeks of the kids home for the holidays, Liam Darmody used Gemini to create a master tracking sheet for chores, replacing fridge lists that never stuck. Each day a child completes all tasks, a green progress bar unlocks 20% of their weekend iPad time; hitting all five days unlocks a badge and all of their weekend iPad time. Gemini worked out formulas Darmody says were more complex than anything they could have written, and also gave a prompt for prototyping an app.

Agent

Gemini

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote this from what it describes.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Help me build a chore tracker for my kids that's more motivating than a fridge list.

What I'll share as we go:
- Kids' names and ages
- Their daily tasks
- The reward I want to use (e.g. weekend screen time)
- Where it will live (Google Sheets, Excel, printed)

Rules:
- Suggest a simple reward rule first and let me adjust it before building.
- Build it so kids only tick boxes; all totals and progress bars update by formula.
- Explain each formula in one line so I can change it later.
- Keep tasks age-appropriate and the layout easy for a child to read.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.

Output: A ready-to-use sheet (or step-by-step build instructions) with one tab per child and a weekly summary.

You'll know it worked when: the kids can update it themselves and see their reward building up each day.

Let's work this out together. I'll tell you what I know, you suggest options and ask what you need, and we'll narrow it down step by step. Nothing gets booked, bought or sent until I say so.

Goal: Help me build a chore tracker for my kids that's more motivating than a fridge list.

What I'll share as we go:
- Kids' names and ages
- Their daily tasks
- The reward I want to use (e.g. weekend screen time)
- Where it will live (Google Sheets, Excel, printed)

Rules:
- Suggest a simple reward rule first and let me adjust it before building.
- Build it so kids only tick boxes; all totals and progress bars update by formula.
- Explain each formula in one line so I can change it later.
- Keep tasks age-appropriate and the layout easy for a child to read.
- Check facts that can change (prices, opening hours, dates, availability, rules) against the official source, and tell me anything you couldn't verify.
- Add a reset step for the start of each week.

Output: A ready-to-use sheet (or step-by-step build instructions) with one tab per child and a weekly summary.

You'll know it worked when: the kids can update it themselves and see their reward building up each day.

Before you finish: re-read my goal and constraints, check your answer against each one, and list anything you assumed or couldn't confirm.

Source

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/liamdarmody1_after-14-days-of-kids-being-home-for-the-activity-7413647106676072448-81H9