Washing Dishes — Turn It Into a Quest

Age-Appropriate Guide

Tips to Make It Fun

• Start with plastic items for younger children
• Make it a timed challenge — can they beat their personal best?
• Play their favourite music during dish duty
• Pair siblings for team quests

Share It as a Team Quest

Washing up is the classic two person job, and it is far more cheerful with company. PointUp team quests let brothers and sisters share one quest, and parents can join in too.

One washes, one dries, everyone gets the tick. It also quietly solves the fairness argument, because the quest is shared rather than handed to whoever happens to be standing nearest the sink.

A Hard Deadline Earns Its Place Here

Most chores are happier with a soft deadline, but washing up is one of the few where a firm time genuinely helps. Dishes left overnight are harder work in the morning and nobody thanks you for it.

• Hard deadline: a firm time such as an hour after dinner. Fair, predictable, and it keeps the kitchen usable.
• Soft deadline: grace until the end of the day, better suited to older teenagers who are revising after tea.
• No deadline: hides the time from your child, worth trying if the clock causes more friction than the chore.

How Much Gold Is Washing Up Worth?

Around 7 to 18 Gold fits this one nicely, scaling with whether it is two plates or the aftermath of a roast.

• At 12 Gold a night, a week comes to 84 Gold, just past a swimming pool day in the suggested rewards.
• Three nights gets you near 36 Gold, about a gaming session.
• Sunday dinner deserves hard difficulty, which allows up to 90 XP and 45 Gold.

Safety by Age

This is the chore where age genuinely matters, so it is worth matching the job to the child rather than the other way round.

• Ages 4 to 6: drying plastics and cutlery, and putting away what they can reach. No sink, no glass.
• Ages 7 to 10: washing plastics, plates and cutlery in warm water. Knives and glassware stay with an adult.
• Ages 11 and up: the full job including glassware and pans, once they have been shown how to handle a sharp knife under water.

Common Hiccups and Easy Fixes

• Washed but not put away. Add putting away as a subtask, otherwise the draining board just becomes a second cupboard.
• The greasy pan gets left. Agree up front whether pans are in scope. Vague scope is what most disputes are really about.
• Cold water, quick finish. A photo of the finished sink usually raises the standard on its own.
• Only ever one child. Rotate it or make it a team quest, because resentment builds faster than the washing up does.

Suggested Quest Rewards in PointUp

Difficulty	XP	Gold
Easy	10 XP	7 Gold
Medium	20 XP	12 Gold
Hard	30 XP	18 Gold

How to Set It Up in PointUp

1. Step 1: Open the app and tap "Create Quest"
2. Step 2: Choose the "Chores" category
3. Step 3: Set the difficulty and rewards
4. Step 4: Assign to your child and set a deadline (optional)

Related Chores

• Setting the Table
• Tidying the Kitchen
• Putting Away Groceries