From games and photos, to maps and recipes, many parents are taking advantage of smartphone applications to help make their lives easier.
Angela Crane had a smartphone before her children were born, but said that the device and the apps she's downloaded really make life and parenthood much easier to navigate.
"I don't know what I did without my iPhone," she said.
Crane maintains that many of the children's games are so simple that 2-year-old Erinann and 3-year-old J.B. can navigate them without difficulty.
"There is a DoodleBuddy app that they can use to draw, and they can watch movies in the shopping cart. It's very user-friendly."
But fun and games aren't all that these applications offer. My Baby Einstein programs also provide learning opportunities.
"It's got educational apps for children," Crane said, not to mention all of the handy gadgets and games in Appzilla. "I use that one a lot. It actually has like 130 apps inside of it."
She also keeps family and friends updated about the kids via Facebook and Twitter.
Even apps that aren't specific to parenting or children can improve day-to-day life. Maps can help find the nearest playground on a road trip, and weather predictors tell parents how to dress their children for the day.
"It helps me use my time a lot more efficiently," Crane said.
A calendar app helps Darcey Noirot keep track of her multiple personalities as a stay-at-home mom, student and social media leader for IndyMoms Like Me (www.indianapolis momslikeme.com).
"I can access information on the navigation app a lot faster than I did on the TomTom I used to have," said Noirot.
Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Pandora also are convenient, she said.
"Those are just my favorites in general. I have access to life outside the house."
Plenty of apps also pull double duty as useful and entertaining.
"I take pictures of the kids when we're out, and I don't have my camera," Crane said. "One of my daughter's favorite things to do is open my (pictures) and slide them across the screen."
As a pre-smartphone mom, Noirot can compare life with 3-year-old Haley to life with Alexis, now 11, when she was younger. Noirot said she has more photos of Haley, for example.
"We've always got a camera on us, now that it's on our phone," she said -- for both stills and video. "(Haley) likes to watch videos of herself on the phone."
Noirot's husband, Mike, recommends Cozi, an app that allows families to share documents such as calendars, to-do lists and grocery lists, so that each family member can view, edit and share information in real time.
Even though smartphones and apps make life easier, technology addiction is a concern for some parents.
"It does kind of bother me that (Haley's) using phones so much. Sometimes I even have to hide (mine)," Noirot said, while Haley was sitting on her dad's lap playing a Super Y game on his phone.
"Angry Birds is a favorite of hers," Noirot added.
Still, the benefit of being able to occupy a child's time when needed sometimes outweighs the concerns that parents have about over-exposing their children to technology.
Hulu Plus, YouTube and Netflix come in handy for keeping Haley entertained when a distraction is necessary on the go.
"My husband and I are both runners," said Noirot, who usually runs eight miles each time. "She's in a jogging stroller. She just hangs out, watching a movie (and eating) snacks."
Angela Crane had a smartphone before her children were born, but said that the device and the apps she's downloaded really make life and parenthood much easier to navigate.
"I don't know what I did without my iPhone," she said.
Crane maintains that many of the children's games are so simple that 2-year-old Erinann and 3-year-old J.B. can navigate them without difficulty.
"There is a DoodleBuddy app that they can use to draw, and they can watch movies in the shopping cart. It's very user-friendly."
But fun and games aren't all that these applications offer. My Baby Einstein programs also provide learning opportunities.
"It's got educational apps for children," Crane said, not to mention all of the handy gadgets and games in Appzilla. "I use that one a lot. It actually has like 130 apps inside of it."
She also keeps family and friends updated about the kids via Facebook and Twitter.
Even apps that aren't specific to parenting or children can improve day-to-day life. Maps can help find the nearest playground on a road trip, and weather predictors tell parents how to dress their children for the day.
"It helps me use my time a lot more efficiently," Crane said.
A calendar app helps Darcey Noirot keep track of her multiple personalities as a stay-at-home mom, student and social media leader for IndyMoms Like Me (www.indianapolis momslikeme.com).
"I can access information on the navigation app a lot faster than I did on the TomTom I used to have," said Noirot.
Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Pandora also are convenient, she said.
"Those are just my favorites in general. I have access to life outside the house."
Plenty of apps also pull double duty as useful and entertaining.
"I take pictures of the kids when we're out, and I don't have my camera," Crane said. "One of my daughter's favorite things to do is open my (pictures) and slide them across the screen."
As a pre-smartphone mom, Noirot can compare life with 3-year-old Haley to life with Alexis, now 11, when she was younger. Noirot said she has more photos of Haley, for example.
"We've always got a camera on us, now that it's on our phone," she said -- for both stills and video. "(Haley) likes to watch videos of herself on the phone."
Noirot's husband, Mike, recommends Cozi, an app that allows families to share documents such as calendars, to-do lists and grocery lists, so that each family member can view, edit and share information in real time.
Even though smartphones and apps make life easier, technology addiction is a concern for some parents.
"It does kind of bother me that (Haley's) using phones so much. Sometimes I even have to hide (mine)," Noirot said, while Haley was sitting on her dad's lap playing a Super Y game on his phone.
"Angry Birds is a favorite of hers," Noirot added.
Still, the benefit of being able to occupy a child's time when needed sometimes outweighs the concerns that parents have about over-exposing their children to technology.
Hulu Plus, YouTube and Netflix come in handy for keeping Haley entertained when a distraction is necessary on the go.
"My husband and I are both runners," said Noirot, who usually runs eight miles each time. "She's in a jogging stroller. She just hangs out, watching a movie (and eating) snacks."
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