parenting

Today’s parents have a lot on their plates. From stresses at work to getting the little ones to school and extracurricular activities to grocery shopping, our daily duties compound with unforeseen last minute duties that rear their heads ever so often and make it seem like we’ll never get everything done. Cue helpful technology. These are the apps that can make everyday parenting that much easier.

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Baby MedBasics

There are plenty of worries to go around when it comes to parenting, especially if you’re new to the game with your first child. Medical issues are a constant concern to parents from the moment your little one is born, and if you need a bit of reassurance, Baby MedBasics will surely do the trick. It has a plethora of important health tips that parents need to know in the first year of raising your little one and beyond. Think of it as a reference guide at your fingertips for all the common maladies, including allergies, fevers, and even details on potential poison risks. It’s a great app that will definitely make you feel more relaxed on a daily basis just by its presence.

Magic Sleep

If you have a new baby, you know how difficult it can be to come by deep rest, and every parent struggles with getting their little one down for a nap. That’s what Magic Sleep aims to correct. This awesome app works as a sleep aid for infants and toddlers specifically, but can work wonders for older children and adults alike. The app recreates the noises heard within the womb to calm the mind and put little ones to sleep in mere minutes.

RedRover

When it comes to playdates, it can be hard to determine when your child’s friend (and their parents) are free for a get-together. The fun app RedRover makes it easy to plan playdates at the last minute by helping parents find fun things to do in local areas. Type in your address, look at all the fun listings that come up. You’ll likely find a bevy of social activities you had no idea existed, and get to show your kids some amazing offerings in your local area filled with learning opportunities and chock-full of fun.

Baby Pack & Go

Traveling with kids, and especially babies, is never easy. If you want to make it easier to get around with your little ones, it’s important to have a handle on your listing abilities. This app comes with packing and traveling checklists, with a preloaded mast catalog of over a hundred baby and toddler related items that you made need on your trips. You can also create your own travel lists, specify different lists for each of your children, and send the lists between any of your handheld Apple devices.

Potty Chart

The dreaded but welcome time of potty training is enough to make any parent pull out their hair. Little ones these days are accustomed to iPhone screens and often toddlers are better at navigating a tablet than their adult counterparts. Use their affinity for iPhones by using Potty Chart to track their progress. Each time they go number one or number two on the toilet, they get to use a rewards system with stars. Once they reach each level of stars, they can be granted the prize promised on the screen, whether that extra time on the swing set at the park, or a special cupcake for their success. The app also includes happy tips on how to help your children learn to potty train and stays with you throughout the process to ensure a smooth transition for everybody from diapers to toilet.

With your phone now holding a treasure trove of helpful apps, I figured it’s as good a time as any to tell you to take precautions with keeping it safe. We all know life with little ones is unpredictable, and a jostle here or a quick save there can result in a dropped phone. Keep your phone protected in an iPhone 6s case to prevent shattering in case it takes a tumble, and protect the screen from sweet but sometimes grubby little fingers with screen protectors that you can replace occasionally.

Enjoy!

Amber

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With the babies waking from afternoon naps between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, we now have quite a bit of wake time before bed. This time also coincides with “witching hour” (in other words, a time when the babies are particularly fussy and sometimes downright intolerable). We have learned in recent days that “witching hour” is reserved solely for home, however. Because the babies are enamored with novelty, they are chipper on field trips. Since babies that cannot yet walk, we are limited as to what they can manage. We have come up with a few creative outings for the wee ones.

Friday, we ventured to Cabela’s, which is only minutes from our home. I’m not much of an outdoorsy gal, but Cabela’s is FREE, indoors, and best of all air-conditioned. We spent well over an hour showing the babies the taxidermy zoo and aquarium. We then enjoyed noshing on some sweet potato fries. The babies especially loved this snack and three of them signed “more” repeatedly. While Sydney didn’t sign, she vocalized that she enjoyed her snack too. Sydney isn’t terribly interested in signing, but she babbles so much, I expect she may just say, “MORE” one day.

This is how we toted four babies around Cabela’s!

Terri chauffered Rylin in a shopping cart.

Sydney was far more fascinated by the lighting than anything else.

We stopped by the kid’s fishing pole koisk for Grandpa. He’s been dreaming of taking the babies fishing since they were mere dots on a sonogram. Notice, the girls have a Tinkerbell and Barbie pole while the boys have Cars and Spiderman. There is something for everyone!

The babies sat perfectly in these high chairs. I forgot our sticky place mats at home so improvised by washing the table with Germ X.

The sweet potato fries were surprisingly tender and tasty.

On Sunday, the babies enjoyed another field trip. This time, to Grandaddy’s house for a dip in the pool. He has an in ground pool so it was a true swim this time. Mason wasn’t keen on the crisp water, but was content to float in an inflatable boat or snuggle in my arms. The other babies happily splashed and kicked in their respectable rafts. After swimming, we changed them into dry diapers and pajamas in an assembly line then served up a delicious meal. Following dinner, the babies enjoyed some poolside entertainment as George’s cousin, Brandi, practiced diving. The babies gawked in amazement for well over 20 minutes allowing us time to clean up and load the van. They may have well enjoyed the show over Baby Einstein!

The girls are suited up for the pool!

Carol helped keep babies from crawling into the water.

And this is what it looks like to have four babies in a pool together.

Family picture in the pool.

It was much easier snapping a picture when we could hold the squirmy babies.

Mmm, poolside dinner!

Mason never ceases to amaze me. He used poor little Sydney to boost him up.

The Pack ‘n’ Play worked well as a baby holding tank that prevented anyone from heading towards the water unsupervised. Mason never ceases to amaze me. He used poor little Sydney to boost him up.

Rylin rocked some wild post swim hair.

I’m hoping to pack in many more field trips this summer, especially when I have the help of our weekday babysitters. I’m thinking of visiting the aquarium, zoo, restaurants, and mall. Do you have any baby friendly field trip ideas? I’d love some suggestions, particularly inexpensive or free options.

hugs!

Amber