I am a young dad. By day I work in tech as a product manager, and by night I'm mostly negotiating bedtimes. Some of my favourite moments with my kids happen with a book open between us. It's where we laugh at the same silly things, and where a lot of the important stuff gets said without it ever feeling like a lecture.
I genuinely believe we're the first generation of parents where mums and dads are equally in it. Both of us want a close bond with our children. Both of us want to be the one teaching them what's right, and helping them find their way in the world. Taleo is my way of acting on that, as a dad.
If you're a parent, you'll know the other side of bedtime stories too. Kids have their favourite book, and they want it again. And again. I love that they love it, but by the fiftieth reading even the best story starts to drag, for me at least.
So I started wondering what it would be like to make the stories together. My kids pick the hero and decide what happens next, and I get to weave in the lesson I'd like them to take away.
I know a lot of parents are wary of AI around their children. Honestly, so am I, and I think that's a healthy instinct. But I've also seen how much it means to a child when something they imagined shows up on the page, painted and read back to them. Used with care, I think it can help kids dream bigger, find their own words, and pick up a few of life's lessons along the way. That's what I'm trying to build, as a parent first.
If you're a parent like us, I hope Taleo makes bedtime a little more fun in your home. If you have an idea, or something isn't working, please tell me using the form below. I'd really love to hear from you.