Our story
In 2022, after the third morning in a row of yelling "have you brushed your teeth?!" across the house, I taped a hand-drawn checklist to my daughter's bathroom mirror. She was six.
The yelling stopped. Not because she suddenly wanted to brush her teeth — but because she could see what came next. The visual cue did what my voice couldn't.
That handmade chart became a printed chart. The printed chart became a set of charts. The charts became this app. And somewhere along the way, thousands of other families joined us — not because SaplingHabit is complicated, but because it isn't.
What we believe
Children don't need more motivation — they need clarity
A child who "won't do" something usually can't see clearly what they're supposed to do. Routines work when they're visible, predictable, and theirs.
Positive reinforcement beats punishment every time
SaplingHabit is built on behavioural science: small wins, visible progress, and rewards that aren't screen time. No threat systems, no point deductions.
Tools should support parents, not replace their judgment
We give you the framework and the resources. You know your child. Every habit in the app can be customised, renamed, and scheduled around your family's actual life.
Free really means free
Core habit tracking is permanently free. No trial periods, no feature gating after 30 days, no "your streak is at risk" dark patterns. We earn from resource packs and optional premium — not from manipulating you.
Our mission
The App
A gentle, visual habit tracker built specifically for young children — not a scaled-down adult app.
The Resources
Free printable charts and ESL worksheets that reinforce habits off-screen, in the real world.
The Content
Practical, evidence-based parenting articles with no filler — written by parents, reviewed for accuracy.
Children's privacy is non-negotiable
SaplingHabit is fully COPPA-compliant (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act). We collect no personal data from children, show no advertising to children, and have no in-app purchases accessible to children. The app is designed for parents — children use it under parental supervision. Questions about our data practices: privacy@saplinghabit.com
Who makes SaplingHabit
SaplingHabit is an independent project run by a small team of parents, educators, and designers. We're not venture-backed. We don't have a growth-at-all-costs mandate. We do have strong opinions about what good children's software looks like — and what it definitely shouldn't look like.
Our content is written or reviewed by people with backgrounds in early childhood education, behavioural psychology, and ESL teaching. We cite our sources and update articles when research changes.
We're based across multiple time zones and speak to our users mostly by email. If you have a question, a suggestion, or you just want to tell us your child finally started making their bed: hello@saplinghabit.com