Back to School Apps for Parents

9/13/13 - By Brandee Gilmore

So, you're off and running.  Brand new backpacks and bento boxes.  Everyone's shoes fit.  Jackets are at the ready for those cool mornings at the bus stop.  And there you all stand.  Waiting.  And waiting.  It's refreshing in September.  By December, it's gonna be annoying (in my case, add a rammy toddler and a baby to the bus stop entourage -- yowza).  But lucky us, we're raising kiddos in the age of apps.  For better or worse, most of us have a smartphone in hand at all times, and with that weapon you can suss out your school bus, keep track of your car pools, or line up playdates for the wee ones in your life.  And when the stars align, and free time actually lurks on your family's radar, our newest family member -- the Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app -- will be ready to help you figure out where to have some fun!

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Where's Our School Bus?
Any parent knows the value of ten minutes in the morning (or two for that matter), so imagine knowing exactly how far behind (or ahead) your child's bus is for pickup or dropoff.  Where's Our School Bus was designed by a set of Westport parents sick of wondering when their bus was going to show up.  Here's how it works:  Choose your route from the list, or submit a request to the app to add your bus route.  If it's an elementary school route, it works via crowd sourcing -- parents at each stop check in on the app when their child boards -- the app updates with accurate ETAs for everyone down the line.  For a high school bus, a student with a phone can update it in real-time via GPS tracking.  The founders are parents of three, so they say privacy is paramount.  According to their website, only school bus location information is disclosed (never an individual's), that location information is only used during bus hours or for security purposes, data is encrypted and secured using advanced technologies, and requests for accounts are email verified.  The app also allows for group messages, which can alert all the parents to something as benign as a substitute bus driver (who might blow past stops), or a creepy vehicle in the neighborhood.  The app is free, and available on both iOS (iPhone & iPad) and Android platforms.

Carpool --School Edition
How the heck did our moms do it?  Soccer practice for this one, ballet class for that one, homework for both ... and who's cooking that healthy dinner while mom's playing shuttle driver?  One release valve you can reach for is the almighty carpool.  Even dropping one trip from your day can mean the difference between chicken nuggets and chicken marsala!  This app -- Carpool School Edition -- was designed with the commute to school in mind ... but you can repurpose it for anything.  It allows you to set up and then share a monthly carpool schedule with other drivers using iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.  Those not on iOS can access the info on any browser, and print the schedule.  This app also allows for group messages/updates (again, those on Android or without iOS wouldn't be able to receive them -- a definite downside).  This app is clean, straightforward and free. 

Instant Playdates
After you've shipped off your big boys and girls to school, are you left staring at a formidable 2-year-old to entertain until naptime?  Talk your local mommy Facebook friends into downloading an app called Instant Playdates with you.  That way, when you show up willy nilly at a park or decide to jump in leaves in the backyard, you can send out an alert for any or all of them (or a select few) to meet-up with you.  Conversely, you can click a map and see if any of them have already set up camp somewhere.  It'll save you all that emailing/texting nonsense you're doing now.

Cozi
Deep breath.  After school.  Okay.  If you need, like, MAJOR organization with the entire family on the same digital page, Cozi is the ticket.  It can handle your car pool info, plus detailed color-coded calendars (each family member is assigned a color), to-do lists, shopping lists, meal planning ... it even has a journaling section.  Cozi is free for Android or iOS users, BUT requires a 'Gold' membership for certain upgrades (unfortunately one of which is a monthly calendar view - who can go without that?!).  The Gold upgrade is an annual subscription of $29.99.

Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go
And finally ... the subject of free time.  Be sure to build some in -- families so desperately need it!  Just days ago Mommy Poppins launched its very own app, guiding you to all the places families want to learn, shop, eat, play and explore, both indoors and out.  Filter by activity or use the map markers to identify places of interest, plus their hours, contacts and pertinent links.  So far, just the NYC version is available (perfect for a day trip from CT), but the Connecticut version will be close on its heels!  iOS devices only ... for now ... Android users should be able to download it sometime this fall.