You've subscribed, and now you're staring at a new thing wondering where to begin. Here's the honest answer: begin small. The welcome flow gets you and your child going in a few minutes; everything else โ€” subjects, the Learning Genius interview, a login of your child's own โ€” can unfold gently across the week. There is no rush, and a calm first week beats an ambitious one that fizzles by Wednesday. This guide walks you through it day by day, so you always know the next small step.

Before you start: the one thing that matters

The first week is not about getting everything perfect. It is about your child having one good, low-pressure conversation with Mentor and coming away thinking that was fine, I'd do that again. Everything below serves that. If your child meets Mentor and does one small thing, week one has done its job.

Day one: sign in and say hello

Sign in at aitutors.me. A short welcome flow greets you and points parent and child at the right starting place โ€” you are not left guessing. From there, open the tutor and let your child meet Mentor, the friendly first point of contact who orients them and hands off to the subject professors when the work calls for it.

That is genuinely all day one needs to be. If you want the quickest possible route, the web tutor runs right in the browser with nothing to install.

Days two to three: pick subjects and meet a professor

Once the first hello is behind you, choose which subjects your child will study. You pick these per child, so a sibling can have a different lineup โ€” more on that in Choosing the Right Subjects for Each Child. Start with one or two subjects your child actually has homework in; you can always add more.

Then let your child bring a real question โ€” a tricky maths problem, an essay they're stuck on โ€” into that professor's room. Seeing the tutor help with something real is the moment it clicks for most children. If you'd like to know what to expect, What Actually Happens in a Tutoring Session walks through one end to end.

Days four to five: the Learning Genius interview (optional but lovely)

When your child has a relaxed twenty minutes, point them at The Expedition โ€” a friendly, story-led chat (not a dry quiz) that helps them discover their Learning Genius, one of nine animal types. It tells you a lot about how your child likes to learn, and the tutors quietly use it to adapt. We describe it in The Expedition.

This is optional and can slip to week two if life is busy. It is a treat, not a chore.

Over the week: give your child their own login

At some point in the first week, set up a login of your child's own โ€” a username and a password you create and control. It gives your child a safe, self-contained space (their learner home) without touching billing or a sibling's data. It takes a couple of minutes and is well worth doing; the full walkthrough is in Giving Your Child Their Own Safe Login.

A gentle first-week checklist

  1. Sign in and follow the welcome flow.
  2. Meet Mentor โ€” one short, friendly first conversation.
  3. Pick one or two subjects your child has real work in.
  4. Bring a real question into a professor's room.
  5. Try the Learning Genius interview when there's a relaxed moment.
  6. Create your child's login for their own safe space.
  7. Let Mentor run the weekly check-in โ€” see below.

Tick these off across seven days, not seven hours.

What to expect by the end of week one

By Sunday you'll likely have a light routine, a first sense of how your child likes to learn, and a child who no longer finds the tutor strange. You'll also have met the weekly check-in: Mentor acts as the family's "energy keeper", planning the week and reading whether your child is running green, amber or red. Rest is a valid, honestly-logged outcome โ€” we explain that rhythm in The Weekly Check-In With Mentor. Do not aim for a session every night. Aim for a sustainable habit.

FAQ

How long does it take to get set up?

The essentials take a few minutes: sign in, let the welcome flow point you to the right starting place, and your child can meet Mentor straight away. The optional extras โ€” the Learning Genius interview, setting subjects, creating your child's own login โ€” can be spread across the week at your own pace.

Does my child need their own login to start?

No. You can start in your own account on day one and add a login for your child whenever you're ready. A child login is worth setting up soon, because it gives your child a safe, self-contained space, but nothing about the first session depends on it.

What if my child isn't keen at first?

That's normal and fine. Keep the first sessions short and low-pressure โ€” meeting Mentor and doing one small thing counts as a win. The tutor is designed to bridge into a child's interests rather than force a lesson, and a quiet first week is a perfectly good first week.

Duke Harewood built aitutors.me for his own KS3-aged daughter. The first week that sticks is the calm one โ€” start small, and let the habit grow. Updated 09 July 2026.