About Tumblon
Tumblon helps parents understand, nurture, and remember their children's development. It does this by bringing together relevant and trustworthy content, secure blogging and photo sharing, and specific, interactive developmental information.
How Tumblon Started
Jonathan Dahl and Graham Scharf first conceived of Tumblon during a walk through Central Park. A teacher turned stay-at-home dad, Graham had taught in a failing Brooklyn public school, and saw first-hand just how important parental involvement is early in a child's life. Jonathan was running a successful web consultancy, and wanted to create a secure online tool to help him and his (then expecting) wife with the important task of raising their daughter.
Why It Matters
The first five years are critical for a child's development, and parents play the most important role in their child's development during this time.
- 90% of brain growth occurs during the first 5 years of life. (Zero to Three)
- This brain growth is activity-dependent; new experiences and activities stimulate neurons to form synapses, and those that are not stimulated are "pruned." (Zero to Three)
- Parental involvement is associated with improved language skills and higher IQ and positively affects school performance and social emotional development. (Harvard Family Research Project)
- In fact, "the most accurate predictor of student achievement is the extent to which the family is involved in his or her education" (Education Resources Information Center)
Tumblon helps with this important time period, by:
- Informing parents about their child's current, past, and upcoming development
- Recommending activities, tips, books, and toys that will stimulate their children to learn, not just pacify them
- Inspiring parents through interactions with other parents
- Involving family and friends in a child's growth