There are a lot of ways moms can use smartphones that are obviously useful. We use them to look up obscure facts our kids want to know (Is a tiger faster than a cougar?), to tell us if it is closer to lunchtime or snack time, and to distract a preschooler during a long wait. But you might not have thought of these five unusual ways that a smartphone can help a mama out.
Cleaning Routines
Whether you want to implement a new cleaning routine or already have a reliable routine that you use, your smartphone’s calendar can provide the perfect way to set-up and get reminders of the chores on your plan. I have a focus area designated for each day, for example Mondays are bathrooms. In my smartphone calendar, I made a recurring appointment each Monday at 10:00 a.m. (cleaning time) titled “Bathrooms.” I love anything that will keep me on track that I don’t have to think about.
Tooth Fairy Reminder
If you have a forgetful tooth fairy, your smartphone is the solution! When my child loses their tooth, I take a quick picture of their adorable toothless smile, then immediately go into my smartphone calendar and set an alarm for that night before my bedtime. I just title the alarm T.F. and I’m good to go. No more forgotten tooth fairy deliveries or disappointed kiddos.
Decision Maker
We all have days when the kids are fighting over EVERYTHING. Your smartphone can serve as a neutral third party for those decisions that aren’t “fair!” Introducing our family’s universal decision-maker…the smartphone spinning wheel! It is a lifesaver for us! This DOES require the purchase of an app, we use “SpinnyWheel,” and it is awesome because: you can have as few or as many choices as you want, you can set a certain number of “lives” for each spin before that choice disappears from the wheel, you can choose the colors AND you can set it to throw confetti and play a celebratory tune when it lands on a choice (my kids love this!). We have used our spinning wheel to decide: chore assignments, meals, who gets to choose the first book at night and one time our soccer team name (Orange Fireballs!). This is one of the FUN ways moms can use smartphones–and still get stuff done!
Daily Kid Reminders
I’ve discovered that sometimes my older kids use my busy-ness to fly under the radar and get away with doing less. I started using alarms to help me stay on top of daily tasks. I have an alarm each day for chore time, homework time, and at night when we need to get backpacks and lunch ready for the next day. It might sound excessive but when you have lots going on, a little reminder to jump onto those essential tasks means that you don’t miss anything!
Photo Wish Lists
This strategy works really well to help you remember toys and products that your kids want for birthdays or Christmas. It also helps stave off the “gimmes” or fits that can result from a kid not getting a toy or candy that they want at that moment. Here’s how it works. Anytime my child finds a toy and says, “can we buy this?” I say, “Let’s take a picture of you holding it so we can remember it for your birthday/Christmas!” Then they put on a happy smile, I snap a quick picture and we put the toy right back. I DO actually use these photos to help me remember what my kids want…and sometimes my kids actually like to look back at their photo wish lists.
I hope these unconventional ways moms can use smartphones help you with your organization, productivity and stress levels.