Believe it or not, it’s only a matter of weeks until kids of all ages will be heading back to classes for the new school year. Labour Day Weekend marks the official end of summer, and yet already savvy parents are tracking back to school specials and other timely offers from big chain stores – from computers, to pens, to clothes, to backpacks and books, and the list goes on.
But this year, there is a new iPhone app that parents should be adding to their shopping list: Tymoot — An app that enforces and tracks timeouts for misbehaving kids. Beyond being a timeout-timer, it also features a fun “Wheel of Punishment,” “Discipline Idea Board,” and can track your kids progress with “Star Charting.”
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 by Ripe Apps Inc. (www.ripeapps.com) – a local company here in Toronto that specializes in creating new and innovative apps for the iPhone.
“While many kids will return to school armed with their iPhones and iPods, parents can also have powerful pocket technology to help enforce discipline and responsibility in their kids actions,” says Peter Gray, Co-Founder of Ripe Apps Inc.
Gray, a father of three, created the app which is now available in Apple’s appstore.
“Tymoot is an effective tool to enforce discipline and teach about the consequences of poor behaviour, plus kids connect with the punishment wheel and will love to see their positive progress on the star charts.”
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.
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/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 the wheel, while also adding favourite family punishments,” says Novak.
“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.”
Gray adds, “This new app is certainly a beneficial tool for parents and it’s available just in time for the start of the school year. We know that this new app will be a hit among parents everywhere.”
For media interviews, please contact: Paul Fitzgerald, Media Relations: (905) 630-0791, or email paul@saltandpeppermediainc.com
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