How Raising Your Child works

Most couples discover they disagree about sleep, discipline or screens when it’s already 3 a.m. and the baby is crying. Here you decide ahead of time, calmly. The app holds 281 decisions in 23 categories, each with a handful of real approaches, a plain-language note on what research and official guidance say, and questions to talk through.

The switcher at the top has three settings: you, your partner, and Both. Answer on your own first — as each of you in turn — so neither of you nudges the other. Use Both to record what you’ve settled as a couple. If your partner would rather use their own device, they can export their file from the Compare page and you can import it there.

• Explore — browse everything, sorted by time (what matters before the baby arrives versus in the teen years) or by topic. Filter by status or how strong the evidence is.
• Guided — one decision at a time, starting with what’s closest in time. Arrow keys move between topics.
• Compare — where you match, where you differ, and a button to settle each one as a couple.
• Our plan — everything decided, your talk list and progress by stage. Print it or share a read-only link.

Leaning means you’ve picked an option but aren’t committed. Decided means it’s settled. Talk about this together is a separate flag — use it on anything that needs a conversation, and it appears on your talk list under Our plan.

• Well established — guidance and research agree; the choice is whether to follow it.
• Evidence leans one way — a direction, but thin or small.
• Experts disagree — credible bodies differ, so you decide whose guidance to weigh.
• Your call — no outcome data picks a winner; it’s about your values and logistics.
• Guidance changing — recent shifts (for example, the US vaccine schedule); check current sources.

The ★ marks a cornerstone: one of about 26 decisions that shape many others. If you only have an evening, start there. New to a term like “baby-led weaning” or “authoritative parenting”? See Learn the terms.

Everything saves automatically in your browser. If you create an account it also syncs to the cloud so you can switch devices. Private notes are never part of a shared link, and you can revoke a link at any time.

The evidence notes come from a first-pass literature review of pediatric guidance (AAP, CPS, WHO and others) and published studies. They’re general information, not medical advice — check primary sources and your pediatrician before acting, especially where labelled as changing.