7 Apps For Parents Trying to Juggle Everything

The challenges of parenting can often feel like a roller coaster. There will be high points  when everyone is happy and enjoying the ride, but an inevitable turn could bring stress, surprises and even fear. While there’s only so much you can prepare yourself for, taking steps to cover your bases can help take some of the anxiety out of your day to day. There are so many parenting resources out there–, don’t feel like it’s cheating to use them! Whether you’re looking to make chores easier or wanting to add some time back into your day, we’ve compiled a list of apps to help you win at parenting.

Mealtime

With countless activities and demanding schedules, it can be hard to carve out time to go to the store to get groceries and even harder to cook at the end of a hectic day. Sometimes you just have to open the refrigerator and ask yourself what you can make with what you already have. Luckily, these next two apps are here to your rescue:

AllRecipes Dinner Spinner

Sometimes the hardest part of cooking is simply not knowing what to make. Decision fatigue is a real thing and by the end of the day, you’re most likely too tired to think about creating a dish for your family. Using the AllRecipes Dinner Spinner, you can shake your phone for a random selection, or slide through dish type, ingredients, and the time categories to narrow the results more specifically to your needs. Not only is it a great way to find recipes, but you can save the ones you like, easily create shopping lists, and follow tutorials when you’re unsure on certain steps.

goPuff

Many working moms have recently found themselves working remotely for the first time, and likely know this scenario all too well. You’re at your computer in the middle of an important project when your kids start complaining to you that they’re hungry. That’s when it hits you– you’re out of bread and snacks, plus you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer last night. You don’t really have time to defrost the chicken and cook it, nor do you have time to pack the kids up and run to the store to grab food. With the goPuff app, you can browse through their wide variety of food, drinks, and snacks, and have them delivered right to your house. It can also save you in a pinch, whether you need over the counter medicines delivered, bath and body products, pet supplies, or other home essentials dropped at your doorstep when you’re busy or can’t leave the house.

Health

There is not much in life that outranks the importance of your family’s health. From seasonal ailments, scrapes, and infections to the state of your loved one’s mental and emotional well-being, these apps are must-haves for your  super-parent arsenal.

Baby and Child First Aid

Even though this is primarily a UK-based app, the information provided is very valuable no matter where you live. This app, Baby and Child First Aid, will give you access to a wide variety of health information and videos. Since not every ache or complaint is a crisis, this app will help you tend to your child’s more mild medical needs with easy to follow advice. Taking steps to be prepared for some emergency situations can give you peace of mind and potentially save your child’s life, should the occasion arise. By learning simple first aid skills you might be able to step up until you can seek a medical professional’s help.

Headspace

As they say, you can’t pour from an empty cup. In other words, you need to take care of yourself so that you’re able to fully show up for your family. One great way to do this is setting aside some time to meditate and focus on your breathing. Many studies have shown evidence of the benefits of meditation, like reducing high blood pressure and symptoms of anxiety or depression. Headspace has guided sessions for those that aren’t quite sure how to meditate yet on their own. If you have trouble finding time during the day, this app also includes sessions on meditation for sleep and even provides a guide on how to wake up for non-morning people.

Moshi

Bedtime can be a struggle for many families, but creating a solid nightly routine can help your little ones get comfortable and fall asleep. While reading is an excellent way to wind your kids down before bed, you may find that they still have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. With the app Moshi, kids can go to bed to the soothing sounds of their choice as well as stories or music. Many of the parents who have used this app claim it is a game-changer. Not only has it made bedtime less stressful but many have noted that their children are falling asleep faster. Just as it is for adults, sleep is essential to your child’s health. Ensuring your children are well-rested boosts memory, increases attention, and is crucial for their overall mental and physical well-being.

Scheduling

One of the most challenging aspects of being a parent is keeping up with everyone’s schedules and maintaining the house. With these next two apps, you can manage both of these tricky parenting responsibilities with ease. Getting the whole family involved in household chores not only helps you keep the house tidy, but it will help to teach your children responsibility simultaneously.

Remember the Milk

It can be hard enough to keep track of all the things you intended to do in the upcoming week. Add in your partner’s schedule, upcoming appointments, and your children’s activities or play dates, and it can feel like you’re not in control. By keeping track of your to-do list in Remember the Milk you have one place to log it all. You can choose how you receive reminders, with the option to get text messages, emails, or notifications on the app. Get even more organized across all your devices by adding sub-tasks to each item or by sharing  your to-do lists and assigning tasks to others when you need the help. Remember the Milk will stay in-sync with all of your devices so you will never miss an upcoming event or reminder again!

BusyKid

Get your kids involved in the housework by assigning them chores in the BusyKid app. Within this app, you can schedule your child’s chores for them and once their tasks are completed, they can earn their allowance. Not only will it make it simple to see what’s expected of them for the week but this app is a great tool for teaching money management. Within BusyKid, your child has the ability to manage their allowance by choosing to either save, invest, donate or spend their earnings. Of course, parents have the ability to monitor and approve all transactions when money is moved outside the BusyKid platform.

As parents, we sometimes try to do it all on our own without asking for help when we need it. In those moments when extra hands aren’t available, incorporate these apps into your daily routine. Not only will this technology help keep you organized, but you may just find yourself feeling more empowered and ready to tackle the week ahead!