Salt and Pepper Media News Inc.

A new iPhone app, written by a father of three, has arrived in Apple’s appstore, and it will no doubt help you raise your kids’ right. It may also save your precious sanity.

Called Tymoot, the app is unique in look and easy to use, and it is being applauded for being the ultimate mobile discipline tool with full Facebook integration to contribute, vote and share new ideas. The app was created Ripe Apps Inc. (www.ripeapps.com) – a local company here in the city that specializes in creating new and innovative apps for the iPhone. Their newest app comes with many features including: “Wheel of Punishment,” “Discipline Idea Board,” and “Star Charting.”

“Kids master their iPods and iPhones so easily, with trivial games and pointless diversions, and now it’s time to put this powerful pocket technology to use on the parent’s side,” says Peter Gray, Co-Founder of Ripe Apps Inc.

“Our app turns your iPhone into a powerful and portable disciple tool, plus kids connect with the punishment wheel and will like to see their positive progress on the star charts.”

He adds, “In my family, timeouts are the bedrock of all our punishments and have been the only effective way to mold behaviour. Adding something new to this time-honoured technique is refreshing and fun.”

Gray explains that many parents from Toronto and beyond are now relying on this new app every day.

He indicates that the added bonus of an online community with other parents posting their best punishment ideas provides a wonderful way to stimulate discussion. For example, you can talk with little Jimmy about the clever little punishment you read about on Tymoot in order to encourage him to get cleaning his room.

“We really believe the online component, informally called ‘The Bad Boards’, will provide lasting value to parents, especially once they are beyond the “timeout years,” says Gray.

“Since we launched Tymoot only a few weeks ago, the numbers of users continues to climb at a tremendous rate,” says Gray. “There are lots of great parents out there who believe in technology and know that a thoughtful utility, such as Tymoot, can make their lives better and in this case, their kids’ discipline more consistent.”

Here are some of the most popular ideas already posted by other parents. Any parent with Tymoot can easily post new ideas, vote these ideas up and down and flag them as favourites (for use on your kids):

• Sibling Rivalry: If you have multiple children, the one who is acting bad has to stay home while you take the other (good behaving one) out for ice cream or a toy. They will then return home and flaunt their gift for being good. Behaviour will change because the “bad” child will want to act like the good one in order to get rewards.
• All Siblings Chores: In a house with regular chores per child, a good punishment is a week of doing all the chores of the other kids. Also helps to remind them of how little work they normally do in their chores.
• Meal Time Handicap: A child must wait 10 minutes before eating. Each child has to sit at the table and watch everyone start to eat. The food will be already portioned out on their plate; however they just can’t start eating.
• Injured Party’s Choice: For crimes against siblings, the one who got hurt/was offended against gets to choose any punishment from the Wheel of Punishment.
According to Rodolfo Novak, Co-Founder of Ripe Apps Inc., the app allows parents to put their eight favourite punishments onto a roulette-style wheel and spin away.
“The game also supports three sets of wheels, for different kids or age groups, and allows on to edit text on a while, while also adding favourite family punishments,” says Novak.

He adds, “There are independent timers for granting simultaneous timeouts to multiple kids, and a notification feature of timeout completion even if another app is foreground or the iPhone/iPod touch is locked. The correct timeout length is stored for each kid, based on age, or as you wish.”

The app includes Star Chart Tracking, which allows parents to follow and encourage their kids to progress towards better behaviour. One can grant gold or white stars to each kid with a few simple touches. Frowny faces are demerits given for timeouts, and may also be assigned for other bad behaviour. Each time a child completes a timeout they are automatically given a Frowny face by the program.

“All parents want their kids to behave and grow into responsible adults, plus sometimes we, as adults, just need some quiet time while we’re on the phone or some peace so we can just cook dinner,” admits Gray.

“Tymoot is a quick and easy download to solve this basic human need,” he adds.

For media interviews, please contact: Paul Fitzgerald, Media Relations: (905) 630-0791, or email: paul.fitzgerald@ripeapps.com

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