New app for parents develops kids’ essential life skills

A new app utilising ground breaking research into the early years will assist parents and carers develop their child’s life skills while going about their daily routines.

Developed by researchers at CoLab – Collaborate for Kids (a partnership between the Minderoo Foundation and Telethon Kids Institute), the Bright Tomorrows app uses tailored behavioural science techniques to provide families with everyday tips relevant to them and their child.

Research shows the first five years of a child’s life are crucial to their development across a range of life skills, including attention and focus, emotions, relationship building, planning and resilience building.

CoLab director Professor Donna Cross said the app would place a library full of tips that personally meet parents’ needs directly into their hands, translating research into day to day activities that build children’s life skills.

 “As researchers, we know that supporting children’s brain development during the early years provides our children with the strong foundation they need to have a happy and healthy life,” Professor Cross said.

“When we strengthen children’s core capabilities by maximising the everyday time we spend with our children we  are ensuring they have the strongest possible foundation to grow.”

The Bright Tomorrows app features Bobbie, a remarkable little creature that represents a baby’s brain, showing how a child’s brain actively responds to meaningful moments.

In the app, Bobbie provides ideas for families to try new ways to do everyday activities like folding clothes while helping their child learn numeracy skills.  It gives families a brief scientific explanation of why these activities are helpful to brain development in the app’s Brainy Background.

In partnership with the Minderoo Foundation, Vroom, the Raising Children’s Network and Better Beginnings, the Bright Tomorrows app provides more than 1000 tailored tips on how to help build children’s life skills, directly into the hands of parents and carers.

The advanced app technology allows the tips to be provided to parents’ phones, tailored to their own values, interests and age of their child, enabling parents to transform everyday moments into opportunities that build life skills for their children.

Minderoo Foundation co-founder and director Nicola Forrest AO said the app provided families with everyday moments that helped build their child’s life skills.

“Minderoo has been working with the team at Telethon Kids Institute to develop an app which is a one-stop-shop for great tips and ideas that will engage a baby’s brain,” Mrs Forrest said.

“Parents are looking for information they can trust but also information that is really practical. Thanks to technology, this app is responsive to what you set as your priorities, and the age and needs of your kids.

“We are so excited by this app because it gives parents, grandparents, and carers a multitude of tips and ideas right in the palm of their hand – and it’s all based on the latest science and information about a child’s brain development.”

The Bright Tomorrows app is free to download from the App Store or Google Play.

For more information on Bright Tomorrows, visit the website.