Parenthood can be immensely rewarding and incredibly challenging. But fortunately, there are a number of apps for parents that are designed to help you and your children in a variety of ways from paying for school lunches to scheduling playdates.
Keep reading to learn more about seven of the most useful parenting apps.
1. Pay for School Lunches Easily With MySchoolBucks
The free MySchoolBucks app is one of the apps for parents which is available on iOS and Android devices. This app makes it easy to pay for your child’s student school meal account provided your child’s school or school district signs up for it first.
You can use the app to:
- Securely add money to your child’s lunch account
- See recent cafeteria purchases
- Check the current balance
- Set up automatic payments so your child will always have money available
You can add funds to your child’s lunch account with an electronic check, credit card, or debit card, all with a few taps on your smartphone’s screen. The app will also send you a reminder when your child’s balance is getting low.
2. Make To-Do Lists Quickly & Easily With Evernote
Being a parent usually means having at least one long to-do list. But to keep everything on your list detailed and organized, download the free Evernote app to your iOS or Android device. This app will help you organize all of your notes, lists, schedules, and more.
You can use the free Evernote app from the App Store and Google Play to:
- Write your to-do lists
- Add text, images, PDFs, documents, and more to your lists
- Use your phone’s camera to scan and organize handwritten notes
The Evernote family organizer app will sync all of your lists to all of your devices, so you can check your daily to-do list from your phone, tablet, or computer. You can also add in due dates and reminders for your to-do lists, so you stay on top of everything you need to accomplish.
3. Help Keep Your Family Healthy With the Kinsa App
Having kids means dealing with colds, flus, and other bugs from time to time. The free Kinsa app is one of many apps for parents which is available on iOS and Android. It will help guide you when illness strikes you, or one of your children.
You can either purchase and use a Kinsa smart thermometer along with the app, or you can use your regular thermometer and manually enter in the readings.
Use the Kinsa app to:
- Monitor the temperature and symptoms of everyone in your family
- Get advice and recommendations on when to see a physician, based on everyone’s age and symptoms
- Keep a log of everyone’s health to share with your doctor, including when symptoms first began
- Keep track of medications, and get reminders of when to give the next doses
The Kinsa app also advises you on which illnesses are on the rise in your local area, so you can take extra precautions to avoid getting sick. The app works for all ages, so you can use it to track your own symptoms and temperature, too.
4. Know Where Your Kids Are With the Find My Kids App
It’s reassuring to know where your kids are at all times, and of course there’s an app for that. Choose the Find My Kids App for iOS and Android devices if you want to help keep your kids safer and more secure by letting you see their current location.
Download the app to your device, and to your child’s phone, or GPS watch, if they have one. Then use the Find My Kids app to:
- Get notifications when your child arrives at school, home, or visits any set location
- Track your child’s location history
- See the routes they walk or bike to school, or other locations
If your child is feeling unsafe and is unable to call you, they can send an SOS signal from their phone or GPS watch. Then, you’ll get their exact location and their device will record where they are.
5. Keep an Eye on Your Child’s Phone Usage With Bark
Stay in control of your child’s phone with the free Bark parent app. Smartphones can be a useful tool for kids, but they can also come with their share of concerns including:
- Inappropriate texts
- Issues with social media platforms
- Not knowing who your kids are speaking to
Content control apps for parents like Bark help you monitor your child’s online activity and keep an eye on what they’re being exposed to.
You can use this app for parents on Android or iOS Android devices, to:
- Monitor text messages, photos, and activity on social media websites
- Block and filter apps, websites, and other content
- Set up screen time limits
The Bark app will also scan for issues like inappropriate content and potential grooming. Helpfully, it will send you a text when it detects something may be wrong.
6. Schedule Playdates With the Huddle Playdate Planner App
Even the youngest of children can have busy social schedules. But you can plan, organize, and remember their playdates with the help of the Huddle Playdate Planner app.
Huddle lets you easily communicate with other parents, and plan the best days and times for playdates. The app will also:
- Let other parents know if you’ll provide food during the playdate
- Who will attend the playdate
- Advise if parental attendance is optional or required
You can also use the Huddle Playdate Planner app to let other parents know what activities you have planned for the children, as well as what clothing would be best for the playdate.
7. Meet Other Moms & Make New Friends With the Peanut App
It can sometimes be challenging for moms to find new friends. At the same time, it’s also important to have people you can spend time with. If this sounds like something you’re looking to improve, try the Peanut app. This app is a safe and secure place that helps moms to meet other moms.
You can use the app to:
- Find other moms who live nearby
- Join online groups and communities with women who share your interests
- Ask questions through the app, get advice, and share information
The Peanut app can help you find other moms who are at a similar stage in their life, including pregnancy, or have the same age children as you.
Apps for Parents Can Make Parenthood a Little Easier
As you can see, apps for parents can really help make the incredibly important and sometimes challenging job of raising kids a bit easier in a number of ways. From helping to keep your children healthy and safe to taming your to-do list, these apps can ease your worries and help you make the most of your quality time with your child.
