BENGALURU: A parenting technology start-up Parentof’s app for intelligent parenting ‘Mai’ that was rolled out recently, analyses more than three lakh growth and developmental data points of children in 3-16 age-group. More than 15,000 registered parents in India have already provided child data through ‘Mai’ that analyses child-growth trends and recommends activities to parents. NIMHANS has validated the efficacy of the core technology on child-growth predictability, after a seven-month rigorous test, in which more than 250 parents participated.
For example, if a parent’s problem is their child’s aggression, the app will ask a typical counsellor questions and recommend activities for the child to do. ‘Mai’ is available for download on Google Playstore. The app can also be used if the parent is figuring out what the child is good at or has potential in.A certification for Parentof provided by Dr Uma Hirisave, Professor and Clinical Psychology Consultant, NIMHANS, reads, “The model is based on the development milestones and some items from child temperament assessment instruments. The model was tested on 265 parents from the community in an exploratory study and was found to be appropriate for use with parents.”
“The cutoff points were decided and face validity established on a sample of 130 community parents. The model is appropriate for testing the parental reports of child’s achievements of developmental milestones as well as indicators of development in other domains. Information from the same can be used for parental guidance,” it read.Currently, Mai has over 15,000 registered parents, of which 2,500 are paid.It also plans to partner with leading healthcare establishments in India as the first step to expanding into the millenial parenting market.
Swaroop Madhavan, CEO, Parentof, told The New Indian Express, “Visiting a counsellor is still considered a taboo for many. In such a situation, the app helps. Parentof is Parent tech AI start-up that is addressing the millennial parents’ need for scientific insights about their child growth and development. We intend to become the ‘third parent’ in your child’s life who reads what you may not see in your child. For this, we are in the process of building the largest child data and decision-sciences engine that can usher the smart parenting revolution worldwide.”
Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, who runs Services for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) Clinic in NIMHANS told The New Indian Express, “As a doctor who works on technology de-addiction, I would say there are both pros and cons. If both parents are working and have constraints in spending time with their kid, then they can use it to understand what their child is good at. But I would recommend a personal interaction with the child over an app.”
Anuja Kamat M, a city-based school counsellor, said, “The app can be used for reference but I wouldn’t recommend parents to completely rely on it. If the child has a problem or if there’s something the parent is not able to read in the child, he/she should be taken to an experienced medical professional than rely on an app.”