A late chore, an excused chore, and a missed chore do not mean the same thing.

Use the option that matches what really happened. This keeps Weekly View useful and helps children understand the family rule.

At a Glance

What happened	Use
The chore was completed after the due time	Complete Late
The family member should not be responsible for this occurrence	Excuse
The chore was expected but not completed	Leave Missed or Skipped
The chore is past due and Lock is enabled	Locked

Complete Late

Use late completion when:

• The chore was expected
• The family member finished it after the due time
• Completing it late still has value

Examples:

• Laundry was folded after dinner instead of before
• The trash was taken out after the reminder
• A room reset was finished later in the evening

A Late Penalty may reduce the S’mores awarded when the chore is completed late.

The person still receives recognition for the completed work, but the reward reflects the missed deadline.

When Late Completion Is Still Useful

Some work still helps after the deadline.

Examples:

• Fold laundry
• Clean the bedroom
• Organize the desk
• Complete a weekend chore

A Late Penalty may fit these responsibilities better than Lock.

When Late Completion Does Not Solve the Problem

Some chores lose their value after the deadline.

Examples:

• Pack the backpack before leaving
• Feed the pet by a required time
• Put trash out before collection
• Complete a task before an appointment

Lock may be more appropriate when the incomplete chore should no longer be completed through the normal flow after it is past due.

Excuse One Chore Instance

Excuse means the assigned family member is not responsible for that occurrence.

Use Excuse when:

• The child is sick
• The family is traveling
• The child is away
• An adult completed the work first
• The chore was not possible
• The family schedule changed unexpectedly
• The chore was assigned by mistake for that day

Excuse applies to that instance only.

The repeating chore remains active for future occurrences.

The excused instance does not earn S’mores.

Because S’moresUp and IAFT use the same chore platform, excusing the instance preserves the chore streak rather than treating the child as having missed the responsibility.

Confirm the current display and notification wording before publication.

Do Not Use Excuse to Hide Every Miss

Excuse should match a real exception.

If the child was expected to complete the chore but did not, leave the occurrence missed.

Weekly View should show useful information. Excusing every incomplete chore can hide a repeated problem in timing, clarity, or ownership.

Leave the Chore Missed or Skipped

A missed chore means:

• The family member was responsible
• The chore was possible
• The work was not completed

A miss can affect the streak and does not earn S’mores.

Treat the miss as information.

Ask:

• Was the chore clear?
• Was the due time realistic?
• Did the child receive the reminder?
• Was the assignment fair?
• Was the chore too large?
• Does the child need a different type or schedule?

Fix a repeated pattern before adding a stronger consequence.

Locked Chores

When Lock is enabled, the chore becomes locked after it is past due and still incomplete.

The family member cannot complete it through the normal flow.

A parent can then review what happened and use the appropriate family response, such as discussing the miss or excusing the occurrence when there was a valid reason.

Exact parent controls for a locked instance should be verified.

S’mores and Each Outcome

Completed on Time

The chore awards the normal value according to its type.

Completed Late

The chore can award a reduced value when Late Penalty is enabled.

Excused

No S’mores are awarded because the family member is not responsible for that instance.

Missed

No S’mores are awarded.

Locked

The chore remains incomplete and does not award S’mores through normal completion.

After S’mores are earned, the recipient’s amount can be divided between Save and Spend.

Family Examples

Sick Day

Maya is assigned to feed the dog, but she is sick and another adult handles it.

Excuse Maya from that instance. Tomorrow’s repeating chore still appears normally.

Late Laundry

Noah folds laundry two hours after the due time.

Complete it late. If Late Penalty is on, he receives fewer S’mores.

Missed Backpack Chore

Ava was expected to pack her bag, had time, received a reminder, and did not do it.

Leave it missed. Review the morning setup and decide what should change.

Locked Trash Chore

The trash chore passes the collection deadline while incomplete.

Lock prevents a normal late completion because doing it later no longer solves the problem.

Common Questions

Does Excuse delete the chore?

No. It applies only to that occurrence.

Does an excused chore earn S’mores?

No.

Does Excuse protect the streak?

Yes, based on the shared platform behavior. Confirm current presentation before publication.

Can the child excuse their own chore?

Parent-controlled instance behavior should be confirmed. The current product model treats Excuse as a parent action.

Can a locked chore also have a Late Penalty?

These controls solve different problems. Verify whether the app allows both and which one takes priority.

Should parents make up every missed chore?

Not always. Decide whether the work still needs to happen and whether a new chore or family conversation is the better response.

Best First Action

Review one incomplete chore and name what actually happened:

late, excused, missed, or locked.

Record the correct outcome instead of treating every incomplete chore the same way.

Related Articles

• How Locked Chores Work
• How Late Penalties Work
• How to Edit or Delete a Chore
• Use Weekly View in S’moresUp