10 Ways to Use Your Smartphone to Make Parenting Easier

We’ve all had mommy brain, right? Sleepless nights, temper tantrums in the middle of the post office and trying to manage the lives of multiple people with social calendars fuller than a Kardashian sister’s combine to overload and shutdown our minds.

For the first three years after David was born I could not remember my own home phone number if someone asked me for it on the spot. There are a few places, like the kid’s barbershop, that have me listed under multiple phone numbers and aliases in the their records.

But that was before I had a smart phone. Now I don’t need the brain in my head, because I carry it around in my purse. Well, my smart phone that is. I let it do all the remembering, tracking and organizing for me. (If only they’d figure out a way for it to do my laundry. Artificial Intelligence still has its limits.) Here’s some ways your smart phone can make your life as a mom or dad a little easier too:

1. Program emergency numbers into your contact list. Do you scramble to find the pediatrician’s phone number when you  need to make an appointment? Can’t find the school’s phone number when you need make arrangements for someone else to pick up your kid in the afternoon? I was always having to Google places like that to find the number. No more! Program it all into your contacts list on your phone. You always have your phone with you, now you’ll never be without a number when you need it.

2. White noise app. Not long ago we stayed in a “family friendly” hotel. It was so friendly that apparently some families thought it was OK to run down the hall shouting at all hours of the night. We really needed a fan or something to block out the noise. White noise apps will do just that. Soothe children to sleep in hotels rooms or anywhere you need to block out noise. Try the SimplyNoise app available for .99 from iTunes and GooglePlay.

3. Save clothing sizes in a note app on your phone. Ever see a good deal on clothing or shoes while out shopping, but can’t remember what size everyone wears? This happens to me often. Especially when it comes to footwear sizes. Try Evernote for a workhorse note app with all the bells and whistles. Free on iTunes and GooglePlay.

4. Stop watch app. Need to put someone in a time out? I’m done it in the middle of the grocery store. (I have no shame.) Did you say, “Five more minutes then we’re absolutely leaving the park!” (Yeah, like every time we go to the park.) Know exactly when time’s up with a stopwatch app. Several different free versions are available on iTunes and GooglePlay.

5. Store important medical information on your phone. Do you need to keep track of complicated medical information like the names of meds and the dosage size your child takes? Store this info on your phone, and you’ll have it if you ever need to know in an emergency. A note app would work great for this also.

6. Keep track of birthday and Christmas present ideas. Ever walk through the toy aisle with you kids and they’re like, “I want this and this and this,” and you say, “Well, Christmas is coming.” But then Christmas comes, and you can’t remember what it was that they just can’t live without? Snap pictures of those items when your kids point them out at the store, and pull them up later when it’s time to buy presents.

7. Never say, “I don’t know,” again. You can Google it anywhere, anytime with your smart phone. Kid wants to know why the sky is blue while you standing in line at the bank? Google it. Boom! You’re the smartest mom ever. You can even search by image. Want to know what kind of frog your kid brought in from the backyard? Snap a photo of the frog, upload it to images.google.com, and Google will search for a match!

8. Store current I.D. photos of your kids. God forbid you child ever gets lost or goes missing, but if it happens you’ll want a current photo to give to law enforcement. Keep current head shots of your kids on your phone for just that. Headed to a crowded location like a theme park? Snap a full length photo when you arrive, so you’ll be able to remember what color shirt and pants they’re wearing in case they get separated from you.

9. The RunPee App. This is simply genius for parents who take kids to the movies. It’s a given that sometime during the movie somebody will need to pee. Enter the movie you’re watching in the app, then it will give you 1 to 4 best times to skip out for a potty break. The app will also summarize what you miss, so you’re caught up when you return. Granted you have to coordinate your kid’s bladder with the app, but maybe you can offer to take them before they, “Have to go now!” RunPee is .99 on iTunes and GooglePlay

10. Track your baby’s schedule. If you like to keep track of all of your baby’s activities from feedings, to naps, to diaper changes the Total Baby app is for you. In some cases tracking this info is crucial if there are medical issues, or maybe you just need to remember which one of the quadruplets you fed last. Breastfeeding moms can even use it to track which side they nursed on last! Let’s face it, when you’re exhausted from caring for a newborn your brain is mush. This app will do the memory work for you. Sorry Android loyalists, this app in only available on iTunes for $4.99.