Most parents now will probably be a little lost when it comes to technology as they didn’t have this much technology when they were children, it can often at times feel a little like a blessing and a curse. There are certainly days when you will just want to unplug the devices and stay off the grid. But realistically, there are too many reasons to embrace the benefits how new technologies can help us to make life easier, to stay connected to loved ones, organize our busy lives and yes, be a better parent.
With summer vacation, there’s no better time for you to consider some of these ways that technology can you be a better parent:
Connections
Life is about people and connecting. With the use of sites like Facebook and Twitter, they give us the ability to connect with family and friends instantly. Facebook allows you to check in on loved ones, see photos and videos of events locally or specifically invited too and even stay connected to old classmates, colleagues and distant, otherwise unreachable loved-ones.
Sure, there will be those who counter with “social media has replaced face-to-face interaction”. There are still many who would disagree. Social Networking websites allow us to remain in touch with those we might otherwise not be able to. We can post updates of photos and videos widely to our ‘friends’ or to those in our private circles. There are many grandparents who miss their grandchildren who are now able to use these sites to connect indirectly but still effectively keep a strong bond, share and celebrate. Facebook has not replaced peoples social lives, merely it has helped many to maintain one.
With social media on the topic, there are some considerations of what everyone does share online. There is plenty of intriguing online information regarding things to look out for, when we may indulge in social media in the wrong ways.
Access to All Sorts Of Information
When any child approaches you and asks for help on that math project on the Fibonacci Sequence you’re bound to stop and slightly panic. It will probably sound familiar to most because of the experience of state education, and you may find this a regular occurrence. We now have the luxury of being able to quickly search using things such as Google to refresh our memories and stop ourselves looking a little silly in front of our children. A lifesaver and smart parents!
Staying Organized
Indifferent as to whether you are a stay-at-home parent or you work full time, tech and apps are always invaluable assets. You can keep the family schedule updated and organized by using a shared calendar which makes things simple with planning. Most commonly liked is particularly the apps that make adding to your calendar and sharing updates easier such as Evite for parties, OpenTable for meal reservations, whatever you need to tackle in life, chances are, there’s an app for that. Because many people have got busy lifestyles, applications such as iCloud Mail has ample storage for free accounts that iCloud Mail offers. With this, you can get free email accounts with 5GB of online storage, which can be shared with calendars, documents, and backups. Additional space, if needed, can be purchased for a low monthly fee. Have a look at how to set up iCloud Mail today for easy email management.
Here Are Some Must-Have Apps For Families
(Dependent on the devices you use)
- Cozi – Now one of the top-rated apps used by parents Cozi is an organizational app that can be synced across numerous devices such as your iPhone, your partner’s phone, your tablet and laptop or computer. It’s able to keep track of everyone’s calendars, to-do lists, grocery lists, and more. Brilliant for families with a lot of after-school activities or parents that work different shifts each week.
- Remember The Milk – This app can be really handy, think about all the times you’ve returned home or opened the fridge in the morning and have forgotten to run to the store. Remember the Milk app is a list app that works for busy people means that shopping and planning is a lot easier. You’re even able to set it up on more than one device with the same login and send notifications to the family. Handy for letting your partner know to pick up the milk on the way home.
- LaLa Lunchbox – For parents who are packing lunches for their kids, LaLa Lunchbox is a great app that allows both parents and their children to create healthy meals.
- Choremonster – Choremonster is a fun and interactive approach to the old-fashioned chore lists and chores. This fun app allows parents to manage their children’s chores and rewards.
- Winnie – Winnie is an app for families and it is specifically designed to help families find places or events that are kid-friendly. Unlike other standard online maps, Winnie focuses on the parks, trails, playgrounds, and family-friendly restaurants.
- Kids Media – Developed by Common Sense Media, this website provides parents with reviews of movies, television shows, books, apps, video games, and websites. It has a clear rating system that is handy for being able to see if anything your kids can see online is suitable for them.
- Tweekaboo – For parents who want to share pictures privately with other family members while staying off of social media, the Tweekaboo app is a smart choice. The app includes a journal and photo diary, and it can create scrapbooks instantly that you can print.
Creativity
Education has certainly changed since a lot of us parents left school. And, children now are advanced, adapted and creative with technology in a way that most of us will never understand. A lot of children blow their parents away with their ability to even create whole worlds on things such as Minecraft or create pieces of music and short films all from their tablets, it’s mad how easily they find they’re way around a tablet filled with apps and what they can achieve with it It’s hard to imagine what will be next but it’s a good idea to keep up to date with the world of tech so you are able to enable your kid’s creativity to continue to flow.
With the abundance of advantages that technology has given us already as parents nowadays it’s difficult to imagine what will be around the corner. However, there is sure to be something. Do you have any ways that technology has helped you become a better parent? Please share them in the comments section below.
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