Tadpoles Parent 4+

We finally get an app that doesn’t look like Windows 95/mobile but now drops some functionality (ex.: description/caption on pictures and videos no longer display, why are there generic articles and pictures of kids that are not my kid on the splash page?, random drops of database items, etc.). Also why can I not customize what I want to see from the memories tab? Why does it always default and reset to all items. Actually why is there not a separate tab for daily report/notes/non-media items? That would be an appropriate use of the front splash page, not some weird video or unsolicited advice. This app makes me want to stop my own work and redesign a new platform and backend design just so I can have a properly functioning app.

2 stars because while the new UI is cleaner than the old one but it’s no excuse for dropping functions and being an overall inelegant product.

I love the convenience of this app for daily checkin (we used to manually fill this info out on a sheet of paper at drop off) and ability to keep all my kids daily records in one place (gives me the ability to go back and check sleep habits of my infant etc). HOWEVER it’s buggy and doesn’t always update properly. I usually can close the app and reopen, but this doesn’t always fix the problem.
Ideas for future updates-I would love the “food provided” section to be more user friendly (allow me to select multiple food items at a time or store meals that I often send together. Also I’d like to indicate which meal the food is intended for- for example I’d like yogurt served at “lunch” or as a “snack”. Right now teachers don’t know what food should be served when and just have to guess. Also it would be great if teachers could add reminders to the app that “pop up” for parents when filling out info for the next school day. For example when we are asked to bring in more wipes, that message appears on the daily report, but might be missed or forgotten by tomorrow. I’d like the previous day’s teacher notes to pop up the next day while filling out that days drop of notes. Maybe even with a check box to indicate it was completed. Hope that makes sense!

It seems like most people are complaining about not getting updates all day long, those people are probably the reason the center has decided to NOT give updates ALL DAY LONG! If one small thing got missed or entered late, that parent would be constantly calling and asking why-another great reason parents can’t send messages ALL DAY LONG. The people entering information are taking care of children and teaching! Also, many centers need to approve pictures that go home because of confidentiality and privacy of other families. I like to know pictures of my children aren’t going home with other people if that is my preference and there is someone overseeing that. The only thing I don’t like about the app, it seems like in the last year it has gotten slower, when I enter drop off notes it takes a long time to update and I have multiple children to leave notes about. I also would prefer notes for items needed came through in a push notification rather than getting missed in the daily report.