I used "Most" instead of "All" mainly for technicality.

TL;DR Rock-Solid encryptions exist, but that doesn't guarantee everyone is using them or using them correctly.

Firstly, just because there's options for solid encryption algorithms doesn't mean they're universally used. For example, the chat app that Bob down the street wrote could be using a very weak Caesar Shift encryption rather than something strong like AES or RSA.

Secondly, some encryptions are only as strong as their choice of key. For example, RSA uses prime numbers to generate keys in a way that's very not ELI5. Basically, 3 primes get used to generate an "encrypt" number, and a "decrypt" number.

If you follow guidelines, the secret "Decrypt" number is practically impossible to guess or calculate. However, if you choose irresponsibly bad starting numbers then a hacker can look at your public Encrypt number and go "hey, that looks like they might have..." and workshop the secret from there.

The answer is extremely dependent on the platform.

Generally, once a message has been encrypted with a doesn't-suck-ass encryption algorithm, the only way to read the message is by having the key or breaking the encryption algorithm to get the key. (most in-use algorithms are pretty break-proof at the moment). Without the key, the message in transit is just gibberish.

When it comes to back doors, it's pretty hard to implement them without severely weakening security. Any point where you say "okay but at this part you can use our magical master key to read it" becomes a gaping hole in the integrity of your encryption.

More commonly, if the platform wants a back-door they'll do it on the client ends instead of in the middle. Create a way to hack into a user account and get their keys. Even that is a major security hole though.

If you want reliable security, there can't be a back door at all.

It also begs the question of who this concern is coming from.

Has OP's partner expressed issues with stuff not getting done in the evenings, or does OP feel anxiety about their productivity tanking once their partner comes home?

For my two cents, as long as the critical tasks are getting done, the child is having their needs met, and the relationship is happy, it's okay for both partners to slow down in the evenings and enjoy some recharge time.

Keeping a grind-set mentality and always stressing about the next thing that needs to get done is a fast track to burnout.A few tasks getting delayed is better than mentally crashing and none of them getting done.

OP's question also brings to mind the story of the Curiosity Opportunity rover on mars.

It's original tenure was only supposed to be a 90 day mission on the surface, but through a combination of good construction and non-catastrophic conditions, it instead served for 14 years. It didn't stop until a harsh dust storm knocked out its ability to recharge.

Similarly, something like the Voyager is a combination of "let's get it as far as we can" and "let's see how far it will go". With enough computation and simulation, a path can be plotted out of our star system so that it doesn't hit Pluto and crash. However the farther it goes, the more Chaotic Entropy comes into play. We can project paths of celestial bodies, but longer predictions bring on more deviations until it stops being viable.

Once Voyager cleared the system, it was reasonable to say "alright, we've set it up as best we can, let's see where it goes" and keep collecting data as long as it transmits

To be fair, in a significant portion of those cartoons there's an inciting incident with the characters at fault. They accidentally do something to muddle christmas, they help santa pull it off

That's the intended functionality.

Clean Energy tries to reduce power draw during high-traffic times for the local power grid.

Optimized Battery pauses your charge at 80%, then finishes it later to save your battery health.

Both features try to learn your daily routines and only activate during your learned off-hours, and will always pop a notification of "Hey, I'm doing this" with an option to override and charge normally.