Pause Parenting App
Parenting programs can transform a child’s future. Face to face groups have been highly effective but have poor engagement. Digital e-learning approaches have even worse engagement. Existing apps are poor quality.(1) We urgently need to consider new approaches to getting evidence-based parenting skills used by families.(2)
The Pause App has been built at University of Warwick through co-production with parents, charities, NHS Trusts, and Local Authorities using the highest standards of app development.(3) Thanks to funding from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Wellcome Trust, MRC and Innovate UK, Pause provides an engaging and highly personalized aid to augment parenting groups or as an alternative to groups.(4)
Here’s what parents say about Pause:
"I use Pause to unpick what's been happening. So if there's been a few issues, I can sort of unpick it and see what was the main reason for that. Whereas before, I couldn't work out why things were going wrong."
"It just gives you the prompts that sometimes you haven't got the mental capacity for in those moments."
"Just knowing Pause there is, I would say, life-changing, really. It has changed a lot for us and it has really helped.” (4)
Over 1000 families have benefited from Pause, with hundreds more using it each month. Pause is available in all the most common languages spoken in the UK. Pause is already being recommended to parents by Local Authorities, Charities and NHS Trusts.(5) Contact pause@warwick.ac.uk to get involved in our research or try out the app.
The app has been designed and developed by Peter Woods and Nathan Hodson under the supervision of Professor Domenico Giacco. Figma Design was conducted by Rob Eris and product development guidance was provided by Stephanie Donohoe. Additional research input has come from Manuel Giardino, Rosie Gorringe, Juan Luque Solano, Helen Efstathiades, Michael Sobolev and James Gardner.
1.https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/camh.12632
2.https://acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/camh.12746
3.https://formative.jmir.org/2024//e54892/
4.https://pediatrics.jmir.org/2024/1/e53907/