Can Your Tech Make Parenting Easier? Appsolutely!

The lot of a parent has never been a walk in the park (although, ironically, it tends to involve at least some walking in the park. Nonetheless, raising a child in the 21st century brings its own unique challenges that our parents simply didn’t have to encounter, or at least encountered in different ways, when they were raising us. Today’s parents face a unique set of challenges, whether it’s the declining standards in food marketed at children resulting in record levels of child obesity, or the proliferation of online predators. Parents must walk a difficult line between being protective and allowing their children to express themselves in a safe and edifying way both online and in the real world. Balancing your duties as a parent while maintaining a healthy family relationship has never been such a challenge.

Fortunately, as in most things, technology has your back. Whether it’s making sure your children are safe when out with friends or using your devices to making sure they get their chores done, there are a plethora of apps out there designed to make your life easier.

Here are just a few and all are available on iOS and Android…

Family Orbit

There was a time when we only needed to install parental control software on the family computer. In the multi-device age, however, you need a parental control app that will rise to the challenges of the modern age. Family Orbit is great because not only does it allow you to block inappropriate or dangerous apps and websites, it allows you to lock or unlock their phones and tablets at any time, monitor your child’s in-phone activities, and keep an eye on their location at all times via GPS. It’s a flexible tool that allows the right balance of freedom and peace of mind for your family.

Yummly

In an age where childhood obesity is rife, the importance of nutritious home cooking has never been more paramount. But staying organized can be a challenge while you’re juggling a full-time job with your parental responsibilities. Yummly is great because it enables you to scroll through a selection of nutritious meals, select the ones you want, and create a grocery list instantly.

ChoreMonster

If your kids have a tendency to throw a tantrum when asked to clean up their room, Choremonster can help to incentivize them with its subtle gamification of household chores. It allows you to create a list of chores on the app and keep track of when they have been done. Your son or daughter also has their own login to mark chores off when they are done. Your kids will earn points by completing their chores which can be used to “purchase” rewards of your choosing.

Artkive

When your child has a talent for arts and crafts, it’s vitally important that you nurture and encourage this gift with lots of positive praise. This used to extend solely to posting your kids’ artwork on the fridge, but in the digital age, we can do a little better than that. Artkive allows you to scan your child’s artwork with your camera and store it in the cloud for all time. You can share it on social media, send it to other family members and ensure that their masterpieces will be stored in a safe place for all time.