Tap a $8 “sticker,” and chores check themselves off—moms are loving this NFC trick

One tiny sticker, one quick tap—and suddenly a few of those “don’t forget” tasks stop living in your head.

On TikTok, creator @automaticallyadhd shows how she uses inexpensive NFC tags—little programmable “stickers” your phone can read—to take care of everyday check-ins. She stuck one on the dog food bin; a tap sends her partner a text, “I fed the dog,” so their pup can’t hustle a second breakfast.

It’s a small tech tweak with a big parenting payoff. The mental load of family life—tracking meds, chores, permission slips, pet care—adds up. A simple tag can log what got done, share an update, or set the next reminder, so you don’t have to.

This little system is a powerful tool for reducing the relentless exhaustion of the mental load. That’s why this small hack is resonating so deeply with mothers. 

The cognitive labor for everything from meal planning to remembering to change the HVAC filter is a weight that moms carry. As research from the American Psychological Association has shown, this constant mental juggling can lead to stress and burnout.

Using small systems—whether it’s a whiteboard, a checklist, or in this case, a digital tag—can provide a much-needed pressure release.

Related: 5 productivity hacks to make you feel more energized and organized

Set it up in 60 seconds: The NFC “sticker” how-to

Most recent iPhones (Shortcuts app) and many Android phones (built-in automations or an NFC app) can scan NFC tags. Make sure NFC is on in your phone settings.

1. Buy tags. Cheap NTAG “sticker” discs work.
2. Place a tag where the task happens (dog food bin, meds, chore chart).
3. Create an automation
   1. iPhone: Shortcuts → Automation → New → NFC
   2. Android: Routines/Automations → NFC/tag
4. Scan & name the tag (e.g., “Dog fed,” “Meds AM”).
5. Pick the action you’ll use daily: text partner, add to shared list, set a reminder, or make a calendar event. Save and test.

Pro tip: Label the sticker (“Tap to log meds”) and keep actions one-tap simple.

It’s a game-changer… but not for everyone

Of course, not every hack works for every family, and the comments on Sharon’s video show that. While many were excited, calling it a “game-changer,” others were more skeptical, with one user admitting, “I’d forget the tag in two hours.” This normalizes the fact that finding a system that works for you is what truly matters. 

• “You can add an automation to subtract the portion of dog food from the total and a second trigger to add dog food to shopping list when 14 portions are left.” – @ladymg33
  
• “This takes so long. Just text and say, I fed the dog? Or leave a note on the bucket? – @farby58
  
• “well well well this is genius but I have samsung.” – @artistfromtheblacklagoon
  
• “I did this, now my house is full of places where I’m scared to place my phone because it does things that I don’t actually want. Love shortcuts app but maybe my tags weren’t that good.” – @ulisesftw

Related: 15 TikTok food hacks that’ll win over snacktime

How to use NFC tags in your family’s routine

To help you get started, here are a few family-friendly use cases for NFC tags that don’t require a full smart-home setup:

• Medication Reminders: Place a tag on your child’s medicine bottle. Tapping it with your phone can set a reminder for the next dose or log the time it was administered so you always know if they’ve had it.
• Homework Wi-Fi Shutoff: A tag under the kitchen island could be tapped to disable Wi-Fi for all kids’ devices, a simple way to enforce “no screens until homework is done.”
• Pet Care Tracking: Similar to the dog food example, you can use a tag to track when your pet’s flea or worm treatment was last applied, setting a calendar reminder for the next time.
• School Notes and Permission Slips: Stick a tag to the fridge. When you get a new note from school, scan it, and it can automatically add a calendar event for a field trip or create a reminder to sign a permission slip.
• Chore Tracking: Place a tag on a chore chart. Kids can tap it to mark a chore as complete, or a parent can tap it to reset the chart for the next week.

Source: 

1.  American Psychological Association. 2020. “Stress in America: A National Mental Health Crisis.”