Once you become a parent, you will be making lots of extremely important decisions. Aside from your regular responsibilities, you will be in charge of the lives of your little ones up until they are capable of making their own sound decisions. Every decision you make needs to be discussed and reconsidered over and over again, to ensure the outcome will be according to your kids’ best interests.
For instance, you are currently looking forward to buying a house and lot that’s for sale for your growing family. You can’t simply choose a house just because it can fit your family and is in a location ideal for you and your spouse’s work. You also need to consider if the neighborhood is safe for kids if there are near amenities the kids can use, and etc.
Parenting does make everything seem harder. But you also hold the decision on how to make it easier. Thankfully, even parents can take advantage of technology to aid them in becoming better parents.
Some will argue that technology can be a parent’s worst enemy. Most kids these days are obsessed with tech innovations and would rather spend time indoors with their gadgets than playing outdoors with their friends. But before we put the blame all on technology, it is important to realize that we are also the reasons why our kids are now tech-dependent.
Many parents are guilty of letting gadgets babysit their kids. They do this to get some peace and quiet and be able to get things done. But know that technology is not all bad.
There are actually many ways technology is helping modern-day parents become better at parenting.
Get Enough Support and Access to Information
Even parents need their own support system every now and then. But due to the pandemic, having friends over or calling in a babysitter can be a bit concerning. Even a trip to your kids’ pediatrician can invoke fear due to the increasing number of cases worldwide.
Connectivity allows us to reach out to our loved ones like our own aging parents, long-distance friends, and loved ones. Sometimes, we all need to talk to someone who knows our parenting struggles, won’t judge us for needing support, and will offer their ears for listening without judgment. This kind of support can be enough to keep us sane during the most trying times.
Technology also makes it easier to find the right professional support for ourselves and our kids. With just a quick search, we can easily find a local doctor that can answer your medical questions. If you or your child’s mental health is declining, you can reach out to a professional online and start getting help without having to leave the house.
Did you know that there now exist virtual nannies? In the past, tutors can teach online and in real life but nannies can only come to your house to babysit. Now, you can consider hiring a virtual babysitter to watch over your kids while you work or run some errands.
Staying Organized
There are numerous technologies that allow even the busiest parents to stay organized. You have your work to take care of, household chores and upkeep on the side, and children that need your help, love, and care. With some innovations, you can keep up with your schedule and ensure you don’t miss the important ones.
For instance, you have kids of varying ages and different needs. One has lots of school activities, the other is about to celebrate his birthday soon, and another one that requires your 24/7 attention. There are many apps you can use to make sure you don’t forget anything and will remind you to tackle tasks on certain dates to keep everything in order.
Improve You and Your Kids’ Creativity
Technology helps our kids become more innovative and creative. You will be amazed by how creative a child can get after watching one play and build a whole world in Minecraft. Kids these days also get many ideas on how they can make their school projects, giving parents on less task on their plate.
Parents, on the other hand, can use online research to find ways to keep their kids of all ages engaged. We can discover new information we haven’t thought about before that can help us discipline our kids better. We can even find new recipes to try that will surely make kids want to eat healthily.
There are fun apps parents can use to make parenting more fun. There are apps that have chore-incentive programs. You can basically create chores for the kids, and after they complete them, you can give them rewards.
Some apps allow you to monitor your kid’s smartphone activities. Your kids will still have their privacy. But you can get notified in case they search concerning keywords or use sites or apps that are not child-friendly.
These are but three ways technology can help parents be better parents. It can actually help parents be more creative at parenting, in staying organized, and in getting access to the right information and support. We only need to learn how to leverage technology, so we can make our lives a little bit easier.
