In the Mortensen family Lone (mother) had a really good start to the morning with her children Eline and Andreas, the morning routines were supported by games and characterised by happiness. Peter (father) thought: “Where can I get help to create just as good an early morning as Lone?”

With Peter’s interest for smartphones the idea for an app was born. It had to combine the morning routines with the possibilities of a smartphone, but at the same time be kept as simple and intuitive as possible so that the children, without instruction, could use the app – and think that it was fun.

Peter: “In order to test whether the idea worked, I made a simple app on a smart phone and it really was very simple. We tested it together with our children and it worked extremely well. Instead of having to hurry the children along in a morning, they asked for the app so they could get started with their morning routines. I think the record from when they got up, had been to the toilet and had got dressed was 2½ minutes and at the same time the children were happy and thought the app was fun and there was also lots of time to enjoy the rest of the morning afterwards.”

Lone, who has an MA in Education, is the expert with regard to the educational aspect of the app.

Lone: “It was important for me to ensure learning and reflection in the parent and child during their time together whilst completing the morning routines. The app is a tool not a set of instructions. It is flexible and can be individually set up according to the child’s level of development and what is important to the individual family in the morning.

The children are engrossed in getting ready for the day ahead with the help of the app and play their way through the morning. They experience success by: being able to guide themselves through the important routines, remaining focused and not allowing themselves to be distracted. They are not distracted because they see the routines as a game. They are in tune with the app and the activity they are doing. The app means that morning routines are recognisable and the sequence of the tasks is the same, so the children can relate to what has to be done in the morning.

Although as a parent you are also focused on the task, you do not however, interrupt the child and need not remind them about all the things they must remember to do; which results in a morning with a good flow for you and your child. We knew that many of our friends and acquaintances also had the same challenges in a morning. We therefore decided to have a professional app made so other families could also get help to have good mornings. It provides a good start to the day, which influences the child’s start at nursery or school. Similarly, the parents go to work in a good mood.”
Lone Vieland Mortensen, MA in Education.