One of the weirder things about me wanting to live out in the middle of the jungle for a goodly portion of my life is that I unabashedly enjoy technology. Not only do I enjoy it, but it plays at least some role in most parts of my life. It just makes things easier. Since October, and the birth of my son, there have been five apps in particular that have been making my life easier, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to share them with you, in hopes that they might make your life easier, too.
In no particular order, here they are:
Baby Connect: - Available pretty much everywhere. This app is used for tracking information that might be pertinent to your kid. It can be used for tracking everything from how many dirty diapers the kid has had in a day, and when, to weight changes over time, to which immunizations he has had. As long as you are willing to put in the time to input the data, it will keep it organized and accessible for you no matter what device you are using, and can be synced between multiple devices.
Simply Noise: - Available on the web, iOS and Android devices. We use white noise to help our kid to sleep better at night, though it can be used anytime you want to drown out other noises so you can focus in on a task. I used it while studying in grad school, as well. The web version is free, but requires a computer with an internet connection to use. You can also buy the app on Android or iOS to make it available in a more mobile friendly fashion, or download it to a computer for a choose your own price to make it available offline. While there are plenty of white noise options out there, this one is hands down my favorite.
Night Light: - Available on Android only. While I'm sure there are plenty of other night light options out there, this one works well for me since I keep my phone plugged in overnight anyways. Basically it just lets you adjust your screen brightness in order to give you a light for those times when you need to get up to take care of the kid. A simple touch will change the screen from black to white, and the brightness is adjustable from there. It also has the time showing on the screen, which can be helpful in its own way. Again, it is super simple, but it works for me.
Skype: - Available pretty much everywhere. Skype isn't necessarily a "baby-rearing" app per se, but it is most definitely useful. We use it for keeping in contact with the grandmothers so they can see their grandson while we are traveling. Skype is, of course, free for Skype to Skype calls, and it works well whether on the computer or on a mobile device. You can use it for other things, like calling a cell phone from your computer, but that costs a little bit. All in all, Skype is one of my favorite communication apps out there.
Baby Monitor: Available on Windows Phone only. Though my wife wanted me to point out that they are working on a PC to PC version. This app connects your Windows Phone to a PC's camera and microphone, essentially converting it into a video baby monitor. We have regular baby monitors, so this isn't our primary method, but it does work when we need something in a pinch and have a spare lap top to use it with. Again, you might be able to find something that works just as well or better, but this is what we've used. Shop around.
Runners up -
All the systems apps on my phone. It's amazing how useful a simple alarm can be, and my phone camera has been used to take more pictures since our son was born than the rest of the time I've owned it together. But since you're probably already using these apps, I figured I'd share the others.
So what great apps do you know of that makes the life of a new (or old) parent easier? Let me know in the comments below!
In no particular order, here they are:
Baby Connect: - Available pretty much everywhere. This app is used for tracking information that might be pertinent to your kid. It can be used for tracking everything from how many dirty diapers the kid has had in a day, and when, to weight changes over time, to which immunizations he has had. As long as you are willing to put in the time to input the data, it will keep it organized and accessible for you no matter what device you are using, and can be synced between multiple devices.
Simply Noise: - Available on the web, iOS and Android devices. We use white noise to help our kid to sleep better at night, though it can be used anytime you want to drown out other noises so you can focus in on a task. I used it while studying in grad school, as well. The web version is free, but requires a computer with an internet connection to use. You can also buy the app on Android or iOS to make it available in a more mobile friendly fashion, or download it to a computer for a choose your own price to make it available offline. While there are plenty of white noise options out there, this one is hands down my favorite.
Night Light: - Available on Android only. While I'm sure there are plenty of other night light options out there, this one works well for me since I keep my phone plugged in overnight anyways. Basically it just lets you adjust your screen brightness in order to give you a light for those times when you need to get up to take care of the kid. A simple touch will change the screen from black to white, and the brightness is adjustable from there. It also has the time showing on the screen, which can be helpful in its own way. Again, it is super simple, but it works for me.
Skype: - Available pretty much everywhere. Skype isn't necessarily a "baby-rearing" app per se, but it is most definitely useful. We use it for keeping in contact with the grandmothers so they can see their grandson while we are traveling. Skype is, of course, free for Skype to Skype calls, and it works well whether on the computer or on a mobile device. You can use it for other things, like calling a cell phone from your computer, but that costs a little bit. All in all, Skype is one of my favorite communication apps out there.
Baby Monitor: Available on Windows Phone only. Though my wife wanted me to point out that they are working on a PC to PC version. This app connects your Windows Phone to a PC's camera and microphone, essentially converting it into a video baby monitor. We have regular baby monitors, so this isn't our primary method, but it does work when we need something in a pinch and have a spare lap top to use it with. Again, you might be able to find something that works just as well or better, but this is what we've used. Shop around.
Runners up -
All the systems apps on my phone. It's amazing how useful a simple alarm can be, and my phone camera has been used to take more pictures since our son was born than the rest of the time I've owned it together. But since you're probably already using these apps, I figured I'd share the others.
So what great apps do you know of that makes the life of a new (or old) parent easier? Let me know in the comments below!
