Like many parents of pre-teens, we found ourselves stuck in the same two daily battles.

The first was getting our kids to do the things they needed to do — getting ready for school without endless reminders, tidying up after themselves, brushing teeth, getting into bed on time, and staying there.

The second was screen time.

When should we say yes?

When should we say no?

How much was too much?

And how could we explain it in a way that didn’t feel arbitrary?

We didn’t want screen time to feel like a reward handed out on a parent’s mood. We wanted it to feel consistent. Fair. Something our kids could understand — and ideally, control.

But most days it felt like negotiation.

The Question That Changed Everything

After years of frustration, our six-year-old asked us something that made us stop.

“Why can you watch TV or look at your phone when you want, but I can’t?”

It was a fair question.

Our answer came quickly:

“Because we do the things we need to do before the things we want to do.”

But later, we realised something important.

That wasn’t just an answer — it was a principle.

As adults, we finish our responsibilities first. Then we relax.

Why weren’t we teaching our kids the same system in a clear, structured way?

The “Minutes Board”

That’s when we created something simple: a rewards chart we called the Minutes Board.

Each day included a short list of the tasks our child needed to complete — usually the ones we were constantly reminding them about:

• Getting ready for school

• Tidying up after themselves

• Getting ready for bed

• Staying in bed after lights out

If they completed a task without being reminded, they earned 5 minutes of screen time.

On Saturday, they added up their total. That number became their screen time allowance for the week.

They could then use it however they wanted (within boundaries we set — for example, no YouTube). When they started watching, they set a timer. When they finished, they subtracted the time from their total.

Suddenly, the conversation changed.

Instead of:

“Can I watch TV?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so.”

It became:

“How much time do you have left?”

If the answer was more than zero — and everything else was done — they were free to use it.

The arguments almost disappeared.

What Really Changed

Something else shifted too.

It didn’t take long for our kids to realise there was something in it for them. Not just getting to school on time or avoiding grumpiness — but real, tangible ownership over something they cared about.

Screen time stopped being a power struggle.

It became a result.

They were learning to prioritise. To make choices. To connect effort with reward.

And we were no longer the screen-time police.

From Wall Chart to App

The Minutes Board worked.

But like many paper systems, it had limits. We forgot to update it. We miscounted minutes. . It wasn’t always nearby when we needed it.

So we built a simple digital version for ourselves.

That became Screentickr.

A way for parents to:

• Set clear expectations

• Make screen time consistent

• Reduce daily arguments

• Teach kids to prioritise what matters

Screentickr isn’t about controlling kids.

It’s about giving them structure, ownership, and a simple system that connects responsibility with reward — the same principle we use as adults every day.

And it all started with one honest question from a six-year-old.