Parenting :: There’s an App for That

Smart phone apps are nothing new, and we all have a stack of mainstream go-tos when it comes to the little icons on our home screen. Parents (and their kids) tap into the typical Netflix (hopefully only the parents are chilling), YouTube, Snapchat, Pandora/Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, Cartwheel, Clicklist etc.

The hope is that this list will blow your banana mush, Paw Patrol theme song filled mind with a whole new set of app “game changers.”

Do me a solid and:

1. Read the list in full before abandoning this post and downloading excessive amounts of apps
2. Give back: Provide your thoughts, comments, and favorite parenting apps in the comments so that we can all “tap in” (see what I did there?).  

Brag Worthy Moments:

Keepy – “Helps families organize and save kids artwork, schoolwork, and mementos in a private and secure place” I’ve never used this app because I tend to throw everything away the moment my kids walk through the door but this sounds like something a nice parent would do.

A Beautiful Mess – Apparently the “easiest way to make pretty photos and share them with your family and friends.” This Buddy the Elf-like description makes me skeptical, but whatever. Try it yourself (then let us know). 

Growth App– This app “lets you see your child’s progress over time and compare it to the growth of a healthy child of a comparable build.” As if we’re not freaked out enough when our kid’s pediatrician reports our child’s height and weight percentages, here’s an app for the uber competitive parent to chart progress vs everyone else’s kid. Ok, I kinda sorta really want to download this…

Day One – “From once-in-a-lifetime events to everyday moments, this app makes journaling about your family a simple pleasure.” Isn’t this darling? I could see myself spending all night (when I am supposed to be sleeping) setting this up and then never using it again. But great in concept.

Tiny Bean – “A modern family photo album app that gives parents a happy space to enjoy their children’s life stories with family.” This app is the jam! Hey parents who want to share pics of their little dumplings ALL THE TIME, now you can share with a select group of people who WANT to see pics of your kids ALL THE TIME. I can’t stress the importance of this app enough (for the love of the rest of the world)…

Dolla, Dolla Bills Y’all:

ShopSavvy  “This app lets you scan the barcode of any product and compare all the best prices online and locally.” It’s not like you have a screaming kid (or 3) attempting to steal all the toys and eat all the candy while you’re casually scanning barcodes.

Ibotta “Better than a coupon, this app allows you to get paid real cash money whenever, wherever you shop.” Lies! Can this be true? Someone with time and energy test this out and report back stat!

VarageSale – “A virtual garage sale – buy and sell app.” It likes Craig’s List without creepy Craig…

Lucie’s List – “Survival Guide for New Parents. Get the latest on the best baby registry basics” Lucie is ma girl! Perfect for anything from what to get a preggo friend to researching the best friggin’ stroller money has to buy.

Boobies, Bottles and Bites:

Moms Pump Here – “The most popular nursing/ lactation room locator to help traveling moms find, rate, share, and review nursing rooms.” YES!

Baby Tracker Nursing App “Helps you track your baby’s nursing progress, growth, diaper changes, doctor’s visits, and more.” When you literally cannot remember to breathe, let this app do the work for you.

Yummly – “2 million+ recipes from the best of the best.” You don’t have to be a parent to use this guy but it sure helped me go dairy free without starving when I was nursing the child ped refers to as “wimpy white boy.”  

Ibaby Feed Timer – “Designed by and for breastfeeding mothers who want to track when and for how long their baby feeds, including a useful reminder for when a feed is due.” A dummy proof guide to telling you which ta-ta needs emptying and when…

Kids Eat Free – “A free, crowdsourced app that lets you instantly find local restaurants offering discounted or kids eat free meal offerings.” Now, this is money. Literally. Why didn’t I think of this?

Not All Heroes Wear Capes:

Sound Sleeper – “A Large selection of white noise, sounds of nature, and lullabies to calm your baby. Get to sleep quickly and sleep well through the night.” Better than sssshhhh-ing all night… And when you go out of town and inevitably forget the sound machine, no need to freak out.

Baby Sleep site – “An incredible free baby app designed to give you the information you need to help your baby or toddler sleep.”  I’ll take two, please…

WebMD Baby – “From baby bottles and bedding to development and sleep, this app helps parents know what newborns need during the first year.” Dr. Google, meet your competition…

SitOrSquat – “Helps you find public restrooms near you or where you’re planning to travel.” Your golden ticket to avoid a golden shower…

Life With Kids CAN Be Fun:

Mom Maps – “A directory of kid-friendly locations that parents can access straight from their iPhones created by a community of mom-mappers.”

Instant Play Dates – “A friendship app that instantly introduces you to new people to hang out with right now.” Bored of staring at your kid and your kid only? Go on, get social…

Playground Buddy – “A free app that helps families find playgrounds worldwide.” This is key for long car trips when everyone needs to shake their willies out…

Trekaroo – “The 5 star family vacation planning tool powered by real parents and family travel experts. Get vacation ideas, read honest reviews, and find family travel deals.” Perfect for spending all that left over money following Buffy’s Junior All Star Club Cheer Competition Season. Oooh lala!

UrbanSitter – “Quickly and easily connecting parents with trustworthy, reliable sitters in your hometown or when you are traveling. Word of mouth recommendations and sitter ratings.” What’s that? No more sitting in the hallway outside the hotel room while your baby sleeps? Amaze-balls!

Wyndy – “Wyndy makes it easy to find, book, and pay college babysitters instantly from your smartphone.” Wyndy is only in a few, select markets and Memphis is one of them! It’s like a dating app but for babysitter! 

Eat and Drink, Yo:

UberEats/Bite Squad/Door Dash/Grub Hub – Why are there so many ways to get food delivered?

MiniBar and Drizly – “Minibar Delivery is the premier online and app shopping experience for having wine, beer, spirits, and mixers delivered to your door seamlessly.” And Drizly does the same thing. Some days, you need wine delivery…

Hollywood Feed – Not an app, but your pets have to eat too and Hollywood Feed does same day deliveries free for orders over $75!

For your Once-a-Month Visitor:

Clue – “Track your menstrual cycle with Clue, the #1 doctor-recommended free period tracker app built in collaboration with top health researchers.” You mean, you can TRACK your period with an app!?!

Period Tracker- “Press a button at the start of your period every month. Period Tracker logs your dates and calculates the average of your past 3 months’ menstrual cycles to predict the start date of your next period.” This one is much more low fuss.