How is your child really doing?

Why a mood check is valuable

Ask many children "How was it?" and they'll say "fine," no matter how it actually went. That's not lying. The question is just too big. Five faces are different: your child doesn't have to explain, just point. And you get a picture of how they're doing that you wouldn't otherwise have.

Before, after or both

Before

Shows how your child comes into the routine. If the morning already feels heavy before it has started, it may be about sleep or the evening before, not the morning routine itself.

After

Shows what the routine left your child with. The question appears when all steps are checked off. If the evening routine often ends with a sad face, something in it may need to change.

Both

The difference between before and after shows whether the routine helped. In the statistics you see the average before and after for each routine. With Both, the after question only appears if your child answered the before question the same day.

How often should the question appear?

The app suggests Every day. If your child finds it too much, choose Weekly, Every two weeks or Monthly. The question then shows until your child has answered and comes back once the period has passed. With Weekly, you can also pick a particular weekday.

Better to start with too few questions than too many. Daily questions can turn into something your child taps through without thinking, and then the answers say less. When you see a pattern you want to understand better, you can switch to Every day for a while.

Where you see the answers

• Statistics, Mood tab: average mood and the change from the previous period, the number of check-ins, the Mood over time chart and By routine.
• The calendar: the faces for each routine and day. Tap a routine to see the whole day.
• Recently completed on the home screen: the faces for the latest routines.

Both you and your partner see your children's answers. Your child only sees their own answer for the day. Answers are saved for 200 days, and the app doesn't send a notification when an answer is sad.

What to do with the answers

Mood check is a conversation tool, not a diagnosis. When you see a pattern, tell your child: "I've noticed the evenings have been a bit hard this week. Is something bothering you?" Or: "It's so nice that the mornings have gone so well."

Also use the answers to evaluate the routine. If the after answers are often worse than the before answers for a certain routine, try changing something: the order, the length, the reward or the time of day.

Mood check for ADHD and autism

Many children with ADHD or autism find it hard to put feelings into words, autistic children in particular. Five faces don't require words. Your child doesn't have to say "I'm frustrated," just point to a sadder face.

With ADHD, mood can shift quickly, so patterns over time say more than single answers. What's interesting is rarely that your child was sad one day, but whether it keeps happening, for example after certain school days.

Tips for sensitive children

• Explain that it's not a test. There are no right or wrong answers.
• Make it optional. The question doesn't stop your child from checking off steps, and some days your child won't want to answer.
• Never talk about the answers as if you were checking up on your child. They're your tool, not a report card.