Sunday, 6 pm. Lea, 2, arrives at her mum's after a weekend at her dad's. She is grumpy and rubbing her eyes. Did she nap at lunchtime? Did she eat? Was the paracetamol this morning, or yesterday? The answers exist, but they stayed on the other side of the door.
For a toddler, these details matter: they decide bedtime, the evening meal and sometimes the next dose of medicine. The Care log we have just launched does exactly this: log the child's day in a few seconds, so the other parent finds it at handover.
Two homes, one child
Living across two homes is not a problem for a child in itself. A large Swedish survey of nearly 150,000 pupils aged 12 and 15 (Bergström et al., Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2015) found that children in joint physical custody report fewer psychosomatic problems (stomach aches, poor sleep, sadness) than those living mostly or only with one parent.
What unsettles a child is rather a break in their daily routine and tension between the adults. And a young child's daily routine is precisely naps, meals, nappies, a rising temperature. When that information travels badly, every handover starts from scratch.
What the research says
1. A regular sleep rhythm matters
A British study of more than 10,000 children followed at ages 3, 5 and 7 (Kelly, Kelly and Sacker, Pediatrics, 2013) found that irregular bedtimes go hand in hand with more behavioural difficulties, as rated by both mothers and teachers. The good news: children who switched to a regular bedtime saw their behaviour improve. The authors compare the effect of an irregular rhythm to jet lag.
Across two homes, keeping a shared rhythm means knowing how the child slept at the other parent's: a skipped nap at lunchtime changes everything in the evening.
2. The double dose, the most common medicine error at home
In the United States, a study of poison centre data (Smith et al., Pediatrics, 2014) counted about 63,000 out-of-hospital medication errors a year among children under 6 between 2002 and 2012, one every 8 minutes. Pain and fever medicines were the most frequently involved.
In that study, more than one error in four (27%) came from a medicine given twice by mistake. That is the typical risk when two adults look after the same child without knowing what the other has already given.
3. The quality of co‑parenting reaches the child
A meta-analysis of 59 studies (Teubert and Pinquart, Parenting: Science and Practice, 2010) showed that the way parents cooperate, agree or clash over raising their child is linked to the child's psychological adjustment, including over time and regardless of the quality of the couple relationship. The effects are modest but consistent: less conflict and more cooperation are better for the child.
A factual exchange of information, without blame or interrogation, is one of the simplest forms of that cooperation.
4. New foods must be known on both sides
The Swiss allergy prevention recommendations published by pédiatrie suisse (2025) note that introducing allergenic foods early, preferably between 4 and 6 months, can lower the risk of food allergy, with clear evidence for peanut and egg, and that these foods should then be given regularly. If egg is introduced at one home, the other parent needs to know, along with any reaction.
5. Growth is read over time
Since 15 June 2026, pédiatrie suisse recommends new national growth charts, the first based on Swiss data, drawn from measurements of more than 43,000 children and adolescents from every language region. A chart only means something when the measurements are together: a weight logged at one home and a height logged at the other say nothing on their own.
What the Care log does
| Situation | What the Care log does |
|---|---|
| "Did she nap?" | Meals, sleep, nappies, health, mood: each parent logs in a few seconds from their phone, with the time and the author. |
| Your child arrives | The handover summary, in the calendar, shows everything logged since the previous handover: last nap, last meal, medicines, health notes. |
| "When was the syrup?" | Each dose is logged with its name, amount and time. Set the delay before the next one: the planned time shows for both parents and a reminder goes to the parent who has the child. |
| First egg, first peanut | Tick "New food" and note the reaction: the child's sheet lists the foods introduced, with the date and the latest reaction. |
| Visit to the paediatrician | Measurements feed the Swiss growth charts, and a PDF report gathers what was logged in both homes over the chosen period, in the paediatrician's language. |
| Allergies, comforter, bedtime ritual | A shared sheet brings together habits, allergies, treatment, paediatrician, emergency contacts, health insurer and vaccinations. |
The log adapts to the child's age: the bottle goes at 3, nappies at 4, and from 6 it focuses on health, medicine, mood, growth and notes.
What your child gains
- A rhythm that carries on from one home to the other: the parent taking over knows whether to bring bedtime or dinner forward.
- Safer care: no second dose given by mistake, no allergenic food reintroduced unknowingly.
- Fewer questions on arrival: the child no longer has to act as messenger, or hear their parents question each other in front of them.
- Complete medical follow-up: the paediatrician sees the whole week, not just the half spent with the parent at the appointment.
- Calmer parents: shared facts leave less room for suspicion and blame.
A sharing tool, not a monitoring one
We designed the Care log to calm things down, not to keep score:
- the 7- and 30-day trends (sleep, meals, mood) never compare the parents and attribute no value to either of them;
- a day without entries shows as "not recorded", not as a zero;
- only the author of an entry can correct it, within 24 hours;
- the paediatrician's report does not say which parent logged what;
- the growth charts are a statistical reference, with no medical interpretation: that conversation belongs with your paediatrician.
Health data is encrypted and hosted in Switzerland. Only the parents can access it, plus the household's mediator in read-only mode. No professional practice ever sees it.
Try the Care log
The Care log is a CoParent.ch add-on at CHF 2.- per month, on top of the base subscription at CHF 8.- per month for both homes. It is included during the 14-day free trial, no credit card required. Every feature is presented on the Care log page.
This article provides general information and does not replace your paediatrician's advice. If you are worried about your child's health or a medicine, contact your doctor or Tox Info Suisse on 145.
Sources
- Bergström M. et al., "Fifty moves a year: is there an association between joint physical custody and psychosomatic problems in children?", Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2015, 69(8), 769‑774: doi.org/10.1136/jech-2014‑205058.
- Kelly Y., Kelly J., Sacker A., "Changes in bedtime schedules and behavioral difficulties in 7 year old children", Pediatrics, 2013, 132(5), e1184-e1193: doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013‑1906.
- Smith M. D. et al., "Out-of-hospital medication errors among young children in the United States, 2002‑2012", Pediatrics, 2014, 134(5), 867‑876: doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014‑0309.
- Teubert D., Pinquart M., "The association between coparenting and child adjustment: a meta-analysis", Parenting: Science and Practice, 2010, 10(4), 286‑307: doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2010.492040.
- pédiatrie suisse, "Allergy prevention in infants and young children: an overview of current recommendations for Switzerland", 2025 (French version): paediatrieschweiz.ch.
- pédiatrie suisse, press release of 16 June 2026 on the new growth charts (French version): paediatrieschweiz.ch.