Before the pilot, a few participants had not previously started or established reading routines with their children, however, two of the caregivers reported a significant change in their daily reading habits using the app.

One caregiver also explained that using TANDEM with her child became a launch pad to explore physical books. The mother highlighted her child’s positive reception to the app, noting that during the pilot she "would always ask me to read a book for her so she can sleep … She is not using the iPad anymore”. This same mother also shared how her child’s vocabulary noticeably improved due to these new reading behaviours.  

One father shared that since the pilot he is regularly using the TANDEM app with his son: "Usually in the evenings before bed, it’s the last thing we (now) do”. This father valued the comprehension questions posed by the app after each story, highlighting the impact this had on his son’s engagement with reading.

For some participants, the introduction of TANDEM not only encouraged shared reading but also deepened existing bonds with their children. Even participants who already felt closely connected to their children reported that the app enhanced these relationships. The same father proudly said, "I bond so well with my son, but with TANDEM, it took the bonding to another level." This impact extended beyond structured reading times, with this father elaborating on how his child actively initiated TANDEM sessions with him.

Another participant expressed that TANDEM helped her feel more engaged in her child’s daily activities, sharing, "For me, it changed a lot, to be honest, because now it’s like having a bond … To be honest, before, I never read a storybook for her, but now she’s asking me to read a storybook and have storytime."

Some participants who already maintained consistent reading habits using physical books with their child observed that incorporating digital stories via TANDEM into their routines occasionally disrupted bedtime. 

One mother noted that while they enjoyed reading, “Sometimes she [the daughter] wanted two stories, and that was fine, but if she wanted another one, sometimes it would get her a little bit too excited because we mainly used it as a before bed thing”. 

Another mother remarked, “Definitely not an evening thing, not a before-bed thing.” The same mother also shared that “If I mentioned it [TANDEM], he would just run over and read straight away and was excited, but he would try to do it all himself.” She went on to say that introducing TANDEM led to some negative behaviours like tantrums, as her son wanted to use it more often than she thought was a good idea. 

These participants emphasised that the process of creating and reading a story on TANDEM was noticeably longer than simply reading a physical book, which they found quicker and less likely to overstimulate their children before sleep.

All of the participants' children (2.5-5 year olds) used digital devices on a daily basis. This was not something that we looked for while recruiting, but we did find that digital technology usage was common among children in our priority families.

Two participants whose children regularly engaged in passive tech use throughout the day (eg, watching videos on YouTube) reported positive shifts after integrating TANDEM into their routines. Both were pleasantly surprised by how the app transformed passive screen time into more educational interactions.

One father observed, "He has a tablet he’s so addicted to, but TANDEM shifts his attention from that tablet," while one mother noted, "I don’t give her the phone anymore now … she just wants me to read the book”. This mother shared the positive impact of the app on changing her daughter's digital behaviour to prioritise reading over watching YouTube.

This group of caregivers emerged from discussions during the ‘What if’ workshop, where we intentionally explored this topic. Safety and privacy were top priorities for some parents, who explained that they avoid uploading photos of their child to digital platforms, prefer not to share data with third parties, and favour a low (no)-advert environment.

One participant expressed satisfaction with the current level of personal information the app asked caregivers to share but remained cautious about expanding this further. While they felt comfortable choosing an avatar representing their child’s skin tone, they were reluctant to use real photos of their child on an app. This caregiver highlighted during the workshop that in the event of a data breach, they would be particularly concerned if sensitive details, such as their child’s name or date of birth, were compromised.

In contrast to the more privacy-conscious parent, two other participants exhibited a high level of trust in the app. They were more comfortable with sharing personal data if the purpose was transparent. To gauge their comfort level, we presented scenarios involving using a child’s photo versus an avatar and whether they would be willing to record audio. Both participants indicated that as long as they were informed about the purpose and understood that the features were designed with their child’s benefit in mind, they were open to these options.

One participant said, “I don't mind doing one [photograph]. Yeah, I don't mind anything that can benefit her”, expressing little concern and viewing these features as supportive rather than intrusive. Both of these participants had also witnessed their children learning new words through their exposure to the shared reading app. One of these participants shared, “She started school this year, but she is improving a lot, to be honest, because of TANDEM.”