What if the fridge magnet nagged the kids for you?

Most chore apps want an account, a subscription, and a peek at your family's daily routine. You don't need any of that. You can run a chore board on hardware you already own, keep every task on your own network, and let it send the reminders so you stop being the bad guy.

Here's how to build one in about 30 minutes.

What you'll need

  • Any always-on machine: an old laptop, a Raspberry Pi, or a mini PC.
  • Docker installed. It bundles the app so you don't fight with dependencies.
  • 15 minutes of patience.

We'll use Donetick, a free self-hosted chore and task tracker built exactly for households.

Step 1: Create a folder

Open a terminal on your server and run:

mkdir ~/chores && cd ~/chores

This keeps your config in one tidy place.

Step 2: Write the compose file

Create a file called docker-compose.yml and paste this in:

services:
  donetick:
    image: donetick/donetick
    container_name: donetick
    ports:
      - "2021:2021"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Save and close.

Step 3: Start it

docker compose up -d

Docker downloads the app and launches it. When it finishes, open a browser and go to http://YOUR-SERVER-IP:2021. Create your admin account. That account lives on your box — no company ever sees it.

Step 4: Add your family

Inside Donetick, make a group for your household. Add each kid as a member. Now create tasks: "Empty dishwasher," "Feed the dog," "Take out trash." Set them to repeat daily or weekly. Assign them, or let the app rotate them fairly between kids.

Step 5: Make it nag automatically

This is the magic part. Donetick supports notifications through ntfy or Telegram. Point it at a free ntfy topic and each kid gets a phone buzz when their chore is due — and again if they ignore it. The reminder comes from the board, not from you.

Step 6: Put it on a screen

Mount a cheap tablet in the kitchen and leave the board open in full-screen. Now the whole family sees who's slacking. Peer pressure does the rest.

Why self-host this?

A cloud chore app knows when your kids are home, what your routines are, and how your household runs. That's a detailed profile sitting on someone else's server. Your version never leaves your walls. No ads. No account harvesting. No surprise "we've updated our privacy policy" email.

Your takeaway: Spin up Donetick tonight, add three recurring chores, and wire one ntfy notification. By tomorrow morning the board is doing the nagging — and your data stays home.