High Tech Parenting 101

Being the mother of six wonderful children and now working full time, I know all about wanting to stay on top of everything. I have found the top 5 high tech ways to have your home running smoothly even when you're not there to watch it.

Online Calendar

There are many online colanders' however I have found the cozi online calendar to fit my needs the most. This calendar as so many functions that make it so versatile. Besides having a to do list, journal and shopping list it also has a multi functional calendar. This calendar will email anyone on your list to warn them what's going on. As most of my children have their own email that they check all the time it works out very good about eliminating the excuse "I forgot". My favorite feature on this site is that I will sync with my outlook on my computer. Having everyone on one calendar helps in planning rides, doctors and events without scheduling difficulties.

Chores

Chore busters is a free service that my children love. They receive an email from this service at 5am everyday that tells them what their chores are for that day. No more excuses especially when I know they check their email every hour waiting for friends to face book, MySpace or whatever media they are using. This site allows you to set up your schedule any way you would like. It also lets you set who can and can't do a certain chore. It has its quirks however I have found it a god sent especially since I have returned to work and can't be there to tell them each day what needs to be done.

Parent LINK

This website is offered by the Clark county school district in Nevada. This site allows me to see the children's grade and even in some classes view what they are doing in class. Parent Link will now even email me when a grade moves up or down. So I can be on the children as soon as possible to guarantee their success in school. I can also email every teacher with a click of the mouse. I don't think my children like this site as much as I do!!!

Chaperone

This is a feature that most cell phone providers now carry. It allows you to view the location of the cell phone within 10 feet on a website. You can also program perimeters that send you a text message when the cell phone moves one mile away from the location that you tell it. We used this feature when my children's Bio mother threatened to take the children to Reno and we could not deny visitation due to a threat so we used this feature for peace of mind. This feature does run $5-10 extra on any cell phone plan however was well worth the price.

Text Messaging

Text messaging is a teen's best friend. So instead of the normal call me when you get there I text the children are you there yet. It's my revenge for hearing "are we there yet". When the economy hit and we could not afford cell phones for the children they could still text us from the cell phone company's website. There are also many sites on the internet that offer to send texts to cell phone at no charge. You can also text to and email now a days with certain plans/phones. Any way to stay in touch is awesome.

In short technology is making it easier on us by keeping our kids organized, safe and in contact with us always. Make it fun and enjoy every day with your kids as they grow up so fast.