Modern technology has taken on a huge role in our lives and it can sometimes become overwhelming and uncontrollable because our culture has become tech-obsessed. No doubt about that.
We hear a lot about the negative aspects of technology and its influences on parenting, families and kids.
Too much screen time will melt their minds…
Parents are much too distracted by their phones…
All mothers are in competition due to social media…
Teenagers spend way too much time on their phones…
No one is watching the road anymore because they are always texting…
While technology can have its undeniable downsides when raising kids, it can also have some pretty outstanding benefits. I think it is really important to remember that there are lots of great things about tech.
So today let’s talk about some of the awesome apps and tech that make parenting and family easier.
1Figure out why your baby is crying
A screaming baby can be extremely difficult to deal with and it is not always easy to pinpoint why they are upset or uncomfortable. There is science that indicates that different cries represent different discomforts.
It sounds a bit sci-fi but you can actually buy a baby cry analyzer. It gauges cry intensity, impact, and interval. It uses that data to determine the cause of the cry. These types of devices are certainly not perfect but they can be helpful when a crying newborn can’t calm down.
2Clean-up helpers
Children are messy and gross and dirty. The crumbs and fuzz and dirt and such never end. Don’t feel bad about the fact that your house is covered in dust and Goldfish crackers. You are no superhero.
They are not just messy but really time-consuming. Those two factors combined mean parents can really use help around the house any way that they can get it. Get an automated vacuum so that task can be permanently checked off of your never-ending chore list.
3Road safety apps for new drivers
Kids and cars are anxiety-inducing. If your child has just started driving, you will feel much better using a road safety app. Apps are available to control what the teen can and cannot do on the phone while the vehicle is being driven. For example, they cannot text unless they are parked.
You can also get apps with reward systems that encourage good driving. There are also apps that report not just where your kid goes in the car, but how fast they are driving and more.
4Make reading fun
You could carry around a huge bag of books around everywhere you go. OR you can load up a device with video, audio and ebooks. Reading is always at their fingertips and you can encourage reading all of the time – anywhere.
5Family calendar or co-parenting apps
Remember how we talked about kids being really time-consuming? They seem to have parties, games, activities, classes and more pretty much all of the time. There are plenty of awesome calendar apps and programs that you can use to organize it all.
If you happen to be divorced than you probably face a lot of the challenges of the typical co-parent. Often, communication is tense between exes and kids need their parents to be able to find ways to get along and work together in their best interest no matter how hard it is.
You will find that there is a lot of great teach out there to help you communicate with your ex and to set up visitations. The tech helps parents schedule and keep things streamlined.
6No more maps
Remember paper maps? Those were really a pain and caused plenty of road rage during family road trips.
I can still envision my dad folding and unfolding and turning his maps trying to make sense of it, waving his arms frantically with frustration and anger as he attempted to figure out the best route or figure out where we had gotten lost.
But, now we have the wonderful miracle of GPS technology.
GPS tech means you can track down the new dance class location in no time flat and can find the best family-friendly restaurants near you with just a few clicks.
The tech described in this article can really help take some of the guesswork and stress out of the basics of everyday life with kids. Though we have to be careful how much we allow tech to encroach upon our lives, it is also important to remember that technology has some wonderful benefits that can make people’s lives easier!
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