A new app called Child Psych, launched by the Institute of Child Psychology, aims to help raise “a generation of children who do not need to recover from their childhoods,” according to institute co-founder Tammy Schamuhn.
Schamuhn said that through her and her co-founder’s journeys, they discovered that there are many barriers in place that prevent or prohibit parents from getting and accessing the support and resources that they need.
“We’ve been travelling around the world teaching and giving consults and the issue came down to accessibility. Whether you’re in rural Alberta or in a small town in northern Ontario or in the U.S. or Australia, mental health (support is) really hard to come by and it’s not always affordable for parents,” Schamuhn told Global News.
She added that raising a child takes a village — a village many parents don’t have access to anymore.
“Parents need a village and our villages have shrunk or they’re nonexistent. We weren’t meant to raise kids on our own, and this app was meant to be the village that many parents are missing to feel support.”
Child Psych is an app that was created to help parents nurture their child’s development and learn how to navigate the challenges associated with parenting.
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“It provides answers that parents really need and they get so overwhelmed with the amount of information that’s on Google or that’s on Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest or wherever they’re looking. And our company has sifted through all that information already. We’ve read the research, we’ve bought the books, we do our own clinical work and we’re parents.
“We’re hoping (parents) don’t need to run to Google for the answers. They have a community of supportive parents and professionals who can answer their question, whether that’s another parent or a parent coach that exists on the app,” Schamuhn said.
Nicolette Bader, a mother of two, says searching the internet for the answers, help or support she needs can be very challenging and overwhelming and that the Child Pysch app helps mitigate those challenges.
“Google is super overwhelming sometimes and you get all the information you (and) don’t know where to go to,” Bader told Global News. “So in those emotional moments, you’re not looking to start researching. You’re looking for a quick, direct, helpful comment. And the parenting coaching section is amazing for (that), getting your questions or concerns answered in an appropriate time.
On the app, parents have access to chat with professionals, seek advice and access parenting resources at any time.
“(It’s a) great spot for myself as a parent to be able to turn to when I’m in the midst of (managing) a tantrum and I need to find some other resources to go to,” Bader said.
The app offers parents a space absent from shame and judgment to meet and connect with other parents and caregivers. The app hopes spaces like this give parents and caregivers a place with support and a chance to learn and grow.
Bader said that “as a parent, we sometimes doubt what we do. There’s no rulebook, there’s no guidebook. So it’s kind of nice to be able to go there and get that encouragement from other members and from the parent coaches.”
“Our aim in developing the ‘Child Psych’ app is to empower parents with pertinent insights, abilities, and resources required to help their children succeed,” Schamuhn said.
The app also offers parents access to the full library of the Institute of Child Psychology’s content and support.
Over 75 mental health courses and workshops are available to parents along with daily parenting tips, live webinars and “Q&A” sessions hosted by parenting specialists.
Parents are given access to a variety of parenting scripts, printable content and exclusive deals and discounts.
“It gives you something to tangibly look at and to reference in those moments when you’re just, you know, unsure. Right? Because we all have those moments as a parent,” Bader said.
Schamuhn said many professionals like teachers use the app to better their skills and knowledge when it comes to children and especially children’s mental health.
“These teachers are having to deal with things like obsessive-compulsive disorder or major depressive disorder or cutting (self-harm) and teachers (are) like what do we do with this?
“The app serves to avenue as the first (app for) professionals looking at how to help kids, whether they’re social workers or even other psychologists or teachers or educational assistants, day-care workers or on the flip side, you might have parents were just struggling with their own child. It’s meant to be a community for both parents and professionals,” expressed Schamuhn.
Bader said she was looking for an app that would help her with parenting, and it was one of the first she found “that really provides a sense of community for mental health.”
She added that the app provides more than just mental health resources for kids; there are also tips on managing your mental health as a parent.
“There’s information on there where I can get some self-care information because I’m not my best self for my kiddos when not my bucket’s not full,” Bader said.
The app is available on Apple and Android. For more information on the app or the institute visit the Institute of Child Pyschology website.
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