Wow, things have been pretty busy around here. We’re adjusting to a new normal that includes scheduling, feedings, one-on-one time with the kiddos, and life. There have been some successes and some misses as well (like my almost forgetting to purchase the chorus shirt for little S.’s chorus uniform and my forgetting to schedule my postpartum visit), but we keep pushing through and we make it work. One of the things that has been a great help is the inclusion of apps in our lives. Let me start with the ones for our middle schooler.
First of all, we never had anything like this when we were growing up. I’m thankful because it could have caused a lot of overparenting. That being said, I love it for little S. and for keeping him focuses. The first app the school encourages is ParentVue. ParentVue is a software application that allows me to view little S.’s grades, missed assignments, absences, tardies, and upcoming assignments. With it, I can avert those nasty little progress report and report card surprises that can occur. For example, my son has been doing his homework with me nightly. Imagine my surprise when I see a less than stellar grade for not turning in the assignments. Turns out, he does them at home and forgets to turn them in. Not good at all. So, we’re working on that and getting things done in a timely manner. Pray for us. We hope to get things improved by the time the quarter ends.The great thing about this app is it has a companion app for him called StudentVue. It allows him to see the same things I can see. He is aware of what needs to be done and the time for it to be turned in. He has been enthusiastic in following it. Hopefully, great things will come of it.
Add to that the good old fashioned standby of Class Dojo has returned. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one, but it turns out it was because of how the teacher used it, not the app. This app shows plenty of positive reinforcement and plenty of opportunity to do well. The other’s usage seemed held in a more negative light and that didn’t make much for success. I logged on today and was able to see that my son used some pretty smart decision skills to earn positive points. He can see it on his smart phone and is allowed to view it at school during “free device time”. It gives him reinforcement and you have to love that.Now, I have to talk about the apps that are assisting the new baby. Can we talk about Deep Sleep? One of my #TTCsuccess moms DM’d me about this beauty. It’s white noise. There are dozens of choices and you can set a timer for how long they play. It’s awesome! The baby loved the womb one when we first came home, but now that she can move and do things, it seems to freak her out. (Maybe it’s claustrophobic to her?) So now, I play the fan or the rain. She loves the rain one and will knock out after feeding and her paci. Seriously, I love this thing!
My next favorite is Babytracker. I was hooked on this thing in the hospital when the nurses kept asking how long the baby was nursing, dirty diaper amounts, etc. I was able to capture all of that stuff here. I still use it now so the sitter has knowledge of when the last time baby was fed, changed, and slept when I leave for work in the mornings. It also helps on the weekends when I may be a bit sleep deprived if the baby is a bit cranky.
Finally, this one isn’t for little baby but for my preschooler. I found the EduKidsRoom app just the other night. It goes over letters, puzzles, numbers, and colors. She already can recognize most of these, but she can also do some writing and developmental activities. You have to love that and I certainly do! I limit screen time with her because I prefer her to get lost in crayons and books, but she loves this app so far and I love the knowledge she gets from it.So, there you have it. I’ve been “apping” it up and I definitely wanted to share. Have a fantastic day and I will join you all again soon.
-K
