4 Smartphone Tools & Strategies for Busy Parents

Educational Resources for stay at home Kids and Parents

As a parent, it’s important to stay organized with not only your own schedule, but the agendas of your children as well. Your career, hobbies or appointments may conflict with family time, your children’s school hours, or sports practices too. To be able to prosperously achieve a well-rounded lifestyle that supports you and your crew, it could require a shift in your recent method of organizing a successful schedule.

Technology has turned into a way of life for many individuals, but more specifically, busy parents. From using notebooks and planners to track your time, to now doing so through a screen, prioritizing parental tasks during technology-driven society has brought about new forms of organizing an overwhelming schedule. While it is important to track how often you use your smartphone, it can be a really helpful tool to utilize! Mobile devices are convenient, easy to use and improve user-experience through features and apps that benefit your to-do’s.

As a busy, on-the-go parent, here is a list of mobile tools that can create more organization in your daily life.

Default Calendar

Almost every smartphone comes with a default calendar. Through this app, you can create events, set reminders, and even schedule notifications so you can be informed of your to-do list in real time. Customizing your calendar is essential, as this will display a set-up that works best for you and your kids. Each event can be categorized through color, making the process of viewing the kind of obligation you have a simple and quick read. If you’re unavailable to bring your child to practice, or you’re running late to an event, you are also able to share your calendar with your significant other, family member or babysitter so they can see any updates you make to the schedule as they happen. If you know that someone else is viewing your calendar as well, provide your work hours and other busy times so each individual is informed and can act accordingly.

Budget App

Monitoring your financial health is essential as a busy parent. There will be times when you run into additional costs that were not a part of your spending plan. If you’re in this situation, a budgeting app can help you stay on top of your family’s expenses. Along with this, you can transfer cash from one account to another, and set spending limits for costs for you, your kids and your partner.

A financial management platform that is free of additional fees could be beneficial as well—this includes fee-free overdraft protection, maintenance payments, and foreign transaction costs! Knowing that you’re saving money with every swipe can create additional opportunities for the whole family, such as group travel. Through a finance app, you can also make payments automatically so that it’s not a huge priority to remember to pay your bills so you can focus more on family time.

Digital Grocery List

As a parent, it is your responsibility to provide for your family. Doing so can create a household of happy moods and healthy habits. To ensure you’re getting all of the necessary items for your significant other and children, you make a list that entails the things you cannot forget to purchase at the store. While this method can do the trick, digital grocery shopping apps are taking over, giving you as a parent the opportunity to create an online list, and depending on the store, order your grocery items ahead of time. This can decrease the amount of time it takes to shop, in order to meet other necessary needs, appointments or sporting events. For organizational purposes, many grocery shopping apps can categorize your list based on the food or item group.

Censor Pay

Smartphones are now allowing people to add their debit and credit card information to the device in order to complete transactions at a faster rate. Once your payment information is properly entered into your device, you can quickly scan the digital version of your card at checkout using an in-store scanner. If you have to run a quick errand, this method can save you a lot of time if you’re rushing to get somewhere else. If you’re worried about receiving a receipt, you can do so through this service as well.

This option does not require a download, as services like Apple Pay and Android Pay come on your smartphone when purchased.

As a busy parent, it’s important to take advantage of the digital tools that are provided to you and recognize that some can make your life easier. Remember that excessive smartphone use is never a great idea, as this can take more time away from your family, but to use it sparingly to achieve organizational success.

JP

Dad, Cyber Safety Influencer, Product Evangelist, Avid Cyclist, Hobbyist Musician. Battling the constant love/hate with tech.

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