As parents, it can be difficult to balance the seemingly endless tasks and chores that come with raising a family. While chatting with your kids over the dinner table can be great fun, preparing dinner and washing dishes can be quite the opposite. And while we all love seeing our little one taking part in sports at the weekends, organising lifts, making sure kits are clean and scrubbing muck from the back seat of the car isn’t quite as enjoyable.
We understand the trials and tribulations of parenthood and we want to help make family life that bit easier. That’s why we’ve put together this list of 30 online resources and apps for parents. This list is full of practical things to help you keep track of activities, shopping, keep the kids busy, manage bills and everything else you have to take care of.
Family Management
Managing day-to-day life as a parent comes with its challenges. That being said, there is some help available to help you along. Here are some useful apps to help you keep track of tasks, chores and everything else that comes with being a parent...
Tasks
Tasks: Todo List, Task List, Reminder is a free app for Android that can help you keep things organised. If like most parents, you’re constantly busy, this simple app could be just what you need to keep everything in check.
TimeTree
TimeTree is a schedule management app. This app makes it easy to manage yours and your family’s daily schedules through sharing and communication. Your family calendar, your work calendar and your social calendar can all be accessed in one place via your phone. You can share your schedules and communicate through the app. This way, you can easily view what everyone’s up to each day, making it easier to plan.
If you’re interested in knowing more about how TimeTree works, you can take a look at some examples and tutorials on their website.
Google Suite
Google Suite can be accessed through your computer browser or by an app on your phone. It’s a free alternative to Microsoft’s Office Suite so you can create all kinds of documents using Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Calendar and so on. All of these items can be shared with your partner or spouse if managing family life is a team effort. The calendar could be ideal for organising day-to-day activities while Google Sheets can be a fantastic means of tracking a household budget.
Many of us already have WhatsApp (a free instant messaging app) but we might not think to use it as a way to communicate with our family. Creating a family group chat can help you keep in touch throughout the day. If footie practice is cancelled at the last minute or your child wants to sleep over at friends house after school, they can give you a quick text to keep you in the loop.
Starting a family group chat is also a way to share funny videos, memes and have a bit of a laugh with your teenagers.
FamilyWall
FamilyWall describes itself as your family assistant. It’s another way to organise and communicate with your family, making it easier to keep on top of things.
Buymie
Avoiding a trip to the supermarket can save you a lot of time. The Buymie app allows you to shop through the app. Once you place an order, a member of their team will then go to the supermarket and source your items, delivering them to your door at a time of your choice. This is particularly useful as they often include supermarkets that don’t usually deliver. When you sign up, you will get your first delivery free.
Money Management
Making time to properly manage your finances can be a struggle amid the chaos of family life. But, keeping your finances in order is hugely important. By managing your money correctly, you could reduce stress and make plans to save for your future. And with all of the fantastic financial resources out there, it’s easier than ever.
Money Dashboard
With Money Dashboard you can manage several accounts in one place. This multi-award winning app automatically categorizes your spending so that you can get an accurate picture of where your money goes each week. This is a helpful app to download if you’re preparing to start a household budget.
10 Helpful Resources to Help you Manage your Family Finances
In our article 10 Helpful Resources to Help you Manage your Family Finances, we share our favourite online websites, apps and tools to make managing family finances easier.
A Beginners Guide to Budgeting
Our blog has lots of reliable financial guides. We’ve put together this handy Beginners Guide to Budgeting. If you’re new to budgeting, it’s a must-read!
Talking to Your Children About Money
The sooner you start teaching your kids good money habits, the better they will be at handling their finances when the time comes. The Money Advice Service offers practical advice on Talking to your Children About Money.
Family Entertainment
Sometimes keeping the kids entertained or settling on something to watch as a family can be tricky. So, instead of flicking aimlessly through channel after channel trying to choose something everyone can enjoy, check out these helpful entertainment resources.
Disney+
Disney+ not only has all the latest Disney shows and movies, it has all of the classics too. If you want to share some of your favourite oldies with the kids on Saturday morning, or you’d like to keep them out of your hair for an hour or two when you catch up on housework, Disney+ could be just the thing.
Their streaming service has tonnes of shows for young children as well as shows for teenagers such as classics like The Simpsons and popular additions for the whole family like The Mandalorian. (This is a subscription-based service but you may be able to access a free trial if you want to check it out).
Netflix Shows for Families
Anyone with children knows the struggle of trying to settle on something to watch together. Thankfully, Insider has pulled together this List of Netflix Shows for Families.
What to Watch on Amazon Prime with the Whole Family
Cinemablend has put together this brilliant list of shows to watch on Amazon Prime with the whole family. Again, if you’d rather avoid pulling your hair out or arguing over the remote control, then be sure to browse this list of family favourites.
Twinkl Parents
Twinkl Parents is a free learning resource for parents and kids. If you’d like your little ones to take a break from watching TV, then it could be a good idea to try out some of these educational activities. Twinkl Parents have divided activities into categories based on age and topic.
Podcast and Radio Shows for Kids
If you need help getting the little ones to drift off at night or you’d like something to keep them occupied during long car journeys, here are a few great podcasts and radio shows for kids.
CBeebies Radio Podcast
This podcast is full of imaginative stories and sing-along episodes to entertain your little ones.
BedTime FM
BedTime FM is great for… well bedtime of course! These wonderful stories are best suited for toddlers and preschoolers. Each episode is just under 20 minutes (just enough time for you to tuck them in and let them drift off).
Wow in the World
Wow in the World podcast is ideal if you would like to listen with your kids. The hosts take you on an adventure into the wonders of the world. Whether it’s a deep space tale or looking inside the human brain, these stories or science and technology are both educational and entertaining.
Story Seeds
Story Seeds podcast is a little bit different in the sense that the premise of the show is pairing kids aged 6-12 up with best-selling authors for a unique kind of collaboration. You’ll listen in on a brainstorming conversation between the two. Each episode ends with a short story that the child and author have put together.
List of Best Podcasts for Kids That Adults Will Like Too
If you have a long car journey coming up or you’d like to spend some quality time away from the computer or television, why not listen to a podcast together? Here’s a List of Best Podcasts for Kids That Adults Will Like Too.
Story Pirates
Story Pirates is one of the top three kid’s podcasts in the world. The sketches in each episode are based on stories submitted by children all over the world. The podcast often features special guest stars such as Julie Andrews, David Schwimmer and Clare Danes.
Parenting help
There will always be times when you’re stuck for meal ideas. There may also be times when you find you’re so busy that you’re neglecting your own wellbeing. You could find yourself trying to organise birthday parties or celebrations when you’re strapped for cash. These things happen all the time and they often go hand-in-hand with parenthood. These parenting resources can give you a helping hand or some encouragement when you might need it.
My Mind Centre for Mental Wellbeing
It’s important as a parent to look after your mental health and wellbeing. When you take a moment every now and then to check in on yourself and work towards maintaining positive mental health, you could find yourself handling stressful situations with ease. My Mind Centre for Mental Wellbeing is there to help you take care of your mind.
TED Talks - Advice to Help you be a Great Parent
If you haven’t heard of TED Talks, it’s a nonprofit organisation devoted to sharing talks on everything from technology to psychology, design to entertainment and everything in between. Their slogan is ‘ideas worth spreading’ and that’s what they’re all about.
They’ve put together this playlist full of insightful videos on parenting called TED Talks - Advice to Help you be a Great Parent. These talks discuss the complexities or parenthood while providing interesting insights and advice.
Eats Amazing
Eats Amazing is a cooking blog for parents. Here you’ll find easy-to-follow step-by-step recipes for seasonal treats and meals that you can prepare with your kids. It’s ideal if you’re stuck for inspiration for birthdays, Christmas, Halloween or any other special occasions.
The Family Life Podcast
The Family Life Podcast podcast from the Guardian covers topics like raising kids as an older mum, mixed-faith marriages and balancing a career with family life. It also includes interviews like this episode on childhood freedoms where host Miranda Sawyer is joined by actor Simon Pegg.
My Fussy Eater
My Fussy Eater YouTube channel has lots of great (and simple) recipes for you to cook with your kids. As you might have guessed from the name, Ciara also shares top tips for dealing with fussy eaters!
Our Tiny Tribe
Ebony’s YouTube channel ‘Our Tiny Tribe’ has almost 200,000 subscribers. She shares her experiences and advice on taking care of a newborn, moving house, going on vacation with young children and lots more.
Brummy Mummy of 2
Brummy Mummy of 2 is dedicated to bargain hunting, sharing weekly videos on planning for holidays, grocery shopping, home decor and just about everything else you can think of.
Depop
Depop is an app that can be used to buy and sell second-hand or handmade items. The app has taken off among thrifty individuals world-wide. If you browse Depop, you’ll soon find that you can source the latest trainers, school bags, and all sorts of second-hand items in excellent condition. You’ll even find brand new clothing with tags still attached for a significantly reduced price.
One of the major benefits of Depop for parents is the opportunity to sell on used items. You can get rid of school books that cannot be used anymore, and babies or children’s clothing (which we all know only last so long before the little ones have outgrown them!). If this sounds like something you’d like to try, here’s a guide to selling on Depop.
Keeping your kids safe
When you’re a parent, your children’s safety becomes top priority! We do everything we can as parents to protect our children. Thankfully, technology is making looking out for your kids that bit easier.
Norton Family
Norton Family gives you insights that can help you to promote a healthy balance for your kids when using online devices. This is a paid service that provides lots of tools to help teach your kids safer, smarter and healthier online habits.
Norton Family even allows you to put measures in place to keep your child focused on their homework while using the computer for study time.
Life360
The Life360 app is described as a family safety service. It helps you keep track of where your kids are through location sharing. You and your loved ones can also place alerts that notify your family when you leave a location i.e. your home, a friend’s house, school. It’s also possible to navigate to the location of another user by tapping on their photo, no address needed. You can even receive information on what your teenagers are doing behind the wheel so that you can make sure they’re being safe on the road.
Smart Insurance is Here to Help
We want to make life easier for our customers and while we want to share useful resources to help you manage day-to-day life, our blog has lots of information on helping to protect your family’s future. We aim to help parents make informed decisions, allowing them to secure the best possible life insurance policy for their loved ones.
