diff --git a/dooit/api/hooks/update_hooks.py b/dooit/api/hooks/update_hooks.py
index 7deecbbc..abd73cc8 100644
--- a/dooit/api/hooks/update_hooks.py
+++ b/dooit/api/hooks/update_hooks.py
@@ -8,15 +8,7 @@ def update_children_to_pending(_, connection, target: Todo):
     if not target.pending:
         return
 
-    to_update = []
-
-    def update_children(todo: Todo):
-        for child in todo.todos:
-            to_update.append(child.id)
-            update_children(child)
-
-    update_children(target)
-    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.id.in_(to_update)).values(pending=True)
+    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.parent_todo_id == target.id).values(pending=True)
     connection.execute(query)
 
 
@@ -25,59 +17,31 @@ def update_children_to_completed(_, connection, target: Todo):
     if target.pending:
         return
 
-    to_update = []
-
-    def update_children(todo: Todo):
-        for child in todo.todos:
-            to_update.append(child.id)
-            update_children(child)
-
-    update_children(target)
-    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.id.in_(to_update)).values(pending=False)
+    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.parent_todo_id == target.id).values(pending=False)
     connection.execute(query)
 
 
 @event.listens_for(Todo, "before_update")
 def update_parent_to_pending(mapper, connection, target: Todo):
-    if not target.pending:
+    if not target.pending or not target.parent_todo:
         return
 
-    to_update = []
-
-    def update_parent_pending(todo: Todo):
-        parent = todo.parent_todo
-        if not parent:
-            return
-
-        to_update.append(parent.id)
-        update_parent_pending(parent)
-
-    update_parent_pending(target)
-    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.id.in_(to_update)).values(pending=True)
+    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.id == target.parent_todo_id).values(pending=True)
     connection.execute(query)
 
 
 @event.listens_for(Todo, "before_update")
 def update_parent_to_completed(mapper, connection, target: Todo):
-    if target.pending:
+    if target.pending or not target.parent_todo:
         return
 
-    to_update = []
-
-    def update_parent_completed(todo: Todo):
-        parent = todo.parent_todo
-        if not parent:
-            return
-
-        all_sibling_completed = all([not sibling.pending for sibling in parent.todos])
-        if all_sibling_completed:
-            parent.pending = False
-            to_update.append(parent.id)
-            update_parent_completed(parent)
-
-    update_parent_completed(target)
-    query = update(Todo).where(Todo.id.in_(to_update)).values(pending=False)
-    connection.execute(query)
+    parent = target.parent_todo
+    all_sibling_completed = all([not sibling.pending for sibling in parent.todos])
+    if all_sibling_completed:
+        query = (
+            update(Todo).where(Todo.id == target.parent_todo_id).values(pending=False)
+        )
+        connection.execute(query)
 
 
 @event.listens_for(Todo, "before_update")
@@ -93,3 +57,4 @@ def update_due_for_recurrence(mapper, connection, todo: Todo):
 
     todo.pending = True
     todo.due += todo.recurrence
+