Teaming With Tech
Friday, January 30th, 2015As we head into our finally day of our first “normal” week as a family of four, I’ve found myself realizing a number of times this week just how dependent our family is on technology. So I thought it would be fun to reflect on the top five ways in which my family relies on technology during the course of a day or week. to help navigate the stormy seas and calm waters of parenthood.
Text Messages
Texting is, hands down, my main method of communicating with my husband during the course of a day. The parent handling day-care drop-off lets the other parent know via text how Rory’s arrival at school went each morning. We let each other know via text when we are heading home for the day. We regularly communicate our whereabouts and ETAs via text. Quick questions that would otherwise require emails or phone calls are asked and answered via text during meetings, breastfeeding sessions, and otherwise inaccessible time periods. We’ve even been known to text each other from different floors of the house if necessary (e.g., we’re out of ear shot or yelling might wake Charlotte and/or Rory). Whether to communicate essential information or simply keeping the other person informed, texting helps both of us feel involved in the lives of our children even if we are not both physically present. I’m thankful to have such a mechanism to stay involved, so that when we do arrive home from our respective busy days, we can enjoy the time in the present, we’re already up to speed on the day’s events (at least to some degree).
Google
Each of us blogger moms has lamented the volume of conflicting information out there on the internet. I proceed with extreme caution when seeking parenting advice or other guidance, as it seems as though you can find volumes of conflicting opinions and advice. That said, having all of that information at your fingertips is tremendously helpful when seeking basic, objective information like the instructions for the prescription that you accidentally threw out, or reviews for repairmen and/or other vendors. Google is one of my primary time-saving techniques and I rely on it at least once a day if not ten or more times.
Facetime
We are just under two and six hours, respectively, from my parents and my husband’s parents. Accordingly, we rely on video chats to keep in touch with the grandparents in hopes of allowing our children to get to know their extended family. We also chat regularly with my brother, sister-in-law, and their two boys. Rory adores his cousins. I’m consistently thankful that our kids are growing up with access to this quick and convenient method of staying connected. Sure, it is no substitute for actual visits, but it helps make the time and distance between those visits seem much shorter.
Online shopping
Amazon prime is my saving grace as a working mom. The annual fee I pay in order to get two-day shipping on all purchases means that the time I might ordinarily spend running errands on the weekend can be spent with my family. Or, as necessary, at the office. It’s a small price to pay for a little free time. Other sites, like Diapers.com for example, have similarly swift shipping over a certain dollar amount. Between these two, I find I can meet most of my baby/toddler feeding/bathing/diapering needs.
Nursery gadgets
I’m pretty sure there is a product on the market for just about every walk of parenting life that is meant to make the task at hand faster/more convenient/less intrusive/more soothing/etc. for your child. My mom and I had a good laugh last week at a baby seat/swing that costs upwards of $300 and does just about everything but feed the baby. I’ve tried my best to make cost-effective decisions when it comes to equipping our house for both Rory and Charlotte, but there are certainly a few conveniences that we’ve come to rely upon for our peace of mind (and sanity). The top three, in no particular order, are our video monitor, our sound machines, and our fisher price bouncy seats.
What technolog(ies) do YOU rely on the most?