diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Configuration/TaskEntityConfiguration.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Configuration/TaskEntityConfiguration.cs
index b81a0f7..b2ad18c 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Configuration/TaskEntityConfiguration.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Configuration/TaskEntityConfiguration.cs
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@ public class TaskEntityConfiguration : IEntityTypeConfiguration<TaskEntity>
             TaskStatus.Idle             => "idle",
             TaskStatus.Queued           => "queued",
             TaskStatus.Running          => "running",
-            TaskStatus.WaitingForReview => "waiting_for_review",
-            TaskStatus.Done             => "done",
+            TaskStatus.WaitingForReview    => "waiting_for_review",
+            TaskStatus.WaitingForChildren  => "waiting_for_children",
+            TaskStatus.Done                => "done",
             TaskStatus.Failed           => "failed",
             TaskStatus.Cancelled        => "cancelled",
             _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(v)),
@@ -27,8 +28,9 @@ public class TaskEntityConfiguration : IEntityTypeConfiguration<TaskEntity>
             "idle"               => TaskStatus.Idle,
             "queued"             => TaskStatus.Queued,
             "running"            => TaskStatus.Running,
-            "waiting_for_review" => TaskStatus.WaitingForReview,
-            "done"               => TaskStatus.Done,
+            "waiting_for_review"    => TaskStatus.WaitingForReview,
+            "waiting_for_children"  => TaskStatus.WaitingForChildren,
+            "done"                  => TaskStatus.Done,
             "failed"             => TaskStatus.Failed,
             "cancelled"          => TaskStatus.Cancelled,
             _ => throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(v)),
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Models/TaskEntity.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Models/TaskEntity.cs
index 06b575f..74af717 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Models/TaskEntity.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Data/Models/TaskEntity.cs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ public enum TaskStatus
     Queued,
     Running,
     WaitingForReview,
+    WaitingForChildren,
     Done,
     Failed,
     Cancelled,
diff --git a/tests/ClaudeDo.Data.Tests/CreateChildTests.cs b/tests/ClaudeDo.Data.Tests/CreateChildTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e95f4f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ClaudeDo.Data.Tests/CreateChildTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+using ClaudeDo.Data;
+using ClaudeDo.Data.Models;
+using ClaudeDo.Data.Repositories;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
+using TaskStatus = ClaudeDo.Data.Models.TaskStatus;
+
+namespace ClaudeDo.Data.Tests;
+
+public sealed class CreateChildTests : IDisposable
+{
+    private readonly string _dbPath;
+    private readonly ClaudeDoDbContext _ctx;
+
+    public CreateChildTests()
+    {
+        _dbPath = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"claudedo_test_{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");
+        var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<ClaudeDoDbContext>()
+            .UseSqlite($"Data Source={_dbPath}")
+            .Options;
+        _ctx = new ClaudeDoDbContext(options);
+        _ctx.Database.EnsureCreated();
+    }
+
+    public void Dispose()
+    {
+        _ctx.Dispose();
+        try { File.Delete(_dbPath); } catch { }
+        try { File.Delete(_dbPath + "-wal"); } catch { }
+        try { File.Delete(_dbPath + "-shm"); } catch { }
+    }
+
+    private async Task<string> SeedListAsync(string id = "l1")
+    {
+        _ctx.Lists.Add(new ListEntity { Id = id, Name = "Test List", CreatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow });
+        await _ctx.SaveChangesAsync();
+        return id;
+    }
+
+    // ---- Task 1 ----
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task WaitingForChildren_roundtrips_through_value_converter()
+    {
+        await SeedListAsync();
+        var taskId = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();
+        _ctx.Tasks.Add(new TaskEntity
+        {
+            Id = taskId,
+            ListId = "l1",
+            Title = "Parent",
+            Status = TaskStatus.WaitingForChildren,
+            CreatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow,
+        });
+        await _ctx.SaveChangesAsync();
+        _ctx.ChangeTracker.Clear();
+
+        var loaded = await _ctx.Tasks.AsNoTracking().FirstAsync(t => t.Id == taskId);
+        Assert.Equal(TaskStatus.WaitingForChildren, loaded.Status);
+    }
+
+    // ---- Task 2 ----
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CreateChild_attaches_to_non_planning_parent_and_stamps_createdBy()
+    {
+        await SeedListAsync();
+        var parentId = "p1";
+        _ctx.Tasks.Add(new TaskEntity
+        {
+            Id = parentId,
+            ListId = "l1",
+            Title = "Parent",
+            Status = TaskStatus.Running,
+            PlanningPhase = PlanningPhase.None,
+            CreatedAt = DateTime.UtcNow,
+        });
+        await _ctx.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        var child = await new TaskRepository(_ctx).CreateChildAsync(
+            "p1", "Refactor X", "desc", commitType: null, createdBy: "p1");
+
+        Assert.Equal("p1", child.ParentTaskId);
+        Assert.Equal("p1", child.CreatedBy);
+        Assert.Equal(TaskStatus.Idle, child.Status);
+        Assert.Equal("l1", child.ListId);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task CreateChild_throws_when_parent_missing()
+    {
+        await SeedListAsync();
+
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() =>
+            new TaskRepository(_ctx).CreateChildAsync("nope", "T", null, null, null));
+    }
+}