6 Tools And Resources For Busy Parents

Organizations & Companies That Can Help Busy Parents

Helpful Products for New Parents

If you're expecting your first child and want to make sure you're fully prepared, be sure to add these to your checklist:

• A baby backpack so you can take your little one on-the-go
• Some baby wash to keep away germs & bad smells
• A bottle for when they get hungry
• If you have extra time to cook, a baby food maker is a good investment
• An entertaining play mat will keep a baby stimulated
• Keep track of precious memories with a baby book
• Some cute & comfy onesies
• A monitor so you can keep track of them without being glued to the nursery

How to Raise Successful Kids

9 Chapter Books Parents and Kids Can Read Together

1. The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman & Victoria Jamieson
2. The Trouble With Chickens by Doreen Cronin & Kevin Cornell
3. Saving the Team by Alex Morgan & Paula Franco
4. A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry & Mónica Armiño
5. The Book of the Wise by J.T. Cope IV
6. No Cream Puffs by Karen Day
7. Scary School by Derek The Ghost & Scott M. Fischer
8. Mo: The Talking Dog by Michelle Booth
9. Nick and Tesla's Secret Agent Gadget Battle by Bob Pflugfelder & Steve Hockensmith

Achieving a Work-Life Balance

In Depth

Now more than ever, kids have a surfeit of activities and distractions competing for their attention. From technology, to school, to friends and family, young people sometimes struggle to find balance. Adults, too, deal with this issue on a regular basis, trying to juggle parenting, careers, health, and other considerations. Fortunately, there are numerous resources out there that help slow things down for busy families. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, then here are, in no particular order, six useful tools for on-the-go parents.

Coming in at #1 is Working Mums. Founded in 2006 by Gillian Nissim after the birth of her second child, this website collects flexible and remote employment opportunities. Catered to the mom of the twenty-first century, it allows visitors to search available positions using several different parameters, including sector, location, and salary range. Additionally, it publishes useful advice for jobseekers, with past posts covering topics such as returning to work, turning a passion into a career, and being employed as a woman in tech.

Complementing the resources Working Mums provides for jobseekers is a separate section for employers, which shares information on how to advertise positions and improving gender equality in the workplace. Each month, the website receives more than 21,000 applications, many of which are for management-level positions. Building on its continued success, the team behind this resource has also launched a website for working dads and one geared toward older applicants.

Building on its continued success, the team behind this resource has also launched a website for working dads and one geared toward older applicants.

In the #2 spot is Learning Heroes. This online resource, founded by Bibb Hubbard, encourages parents and guardians to take active roles in the educational experiences of younger people. In conjunction with other organizations such as Common Sense Media, National PTA, and PowerMyLearning, Learning Heroes provides guidance and tools to equip adults with the information necessary to help students thrive.

Central to this group's work is the Learning Hero Roadmap, which parents can use to chart a specific plan of educational action for their children. In addition, this tool connects adults to a number of age-specific resources that shed light on academics, emotional wellbeing, and individual strengths. Educators, too, can benefit from accessing Learning Heroes, which issues family engagement resources and tip sheets, as well as actionable insights on relevant research.

At #3 is Door Buddy. First released in 2015, this tool was created by Shanelle Johnson and her family, after their baby girl managed to make a mess in their laundry room, which also housed the cat food and the litter box. Frustrated by the lack of available options, Johnson conceived of an adjustable strap that would mount to the door and its frame, limiting its opening. This flexible tool provides enough space for cats to enter, but keeps dogs and small children out.

This flexible tool provides enough space for cats to enter, but keeps dogs and small children out.

In addition to the flexible strap, which comes in different colors, Door Buddy offers foam stoppers and finger pinch guards, to protect the safety of its users. On its website, individuals can access a step-by-step installation guide and read stories from customers. Furthermore, Door Buddy maintains its own blog, where it publishes posts on topics like caring for pets, training cats, and holiday gifts for dog lovers.

Coming in at #4 is The Family Dinner Project. Launched in 2010, this non-profit initiative promotes mealtimes as opportunities for families to gather, communicate, and bond through food, fun, and conversation. Based in Boston and affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital, it offers a variety of resources online for those who are interested in getting closer to their relatives over food. Its introductory guide, for example, lays out a four-week plan to cooking better meals and having more meaningful conversations at dinner.

Other helpful tools developed by FDP range from printable conversation starters organized around specific themes to fun games designed to make dinnertime a more enriching experience. Furthermore, the organization's blog shares posts on a wide variety of topics, covering things like setting goals for the future and interviews with specific families. In October 2019, FDP published its own book through Familius Press. Entitled "Eat, Laugh, Talk: The Family Dinner Playbook," it contains a year's worth of simple recipes, games, and discussion topics to make meals more enjoyable.

In October 2019, FDP published its own book through Familius Press.

In the #5 spot is Raised Real. Founded in 2016, this company provides nutritious, plant-based baby foods to its customers. A subscription service, it curates the frozen meals it sends out based on the ingredient preferences entered by each user. With a particular focus on healthy and organic ingredients, Raised Real develops meals that are gluten-free and contain low amounts of sugar.

In addition to these meal boxes and recipes, Raised Real supplies its subscribers with a number of helpful benefits, including access to a text hotline, discounts from its partner organizations, and occasional surprises. Sourced from sustainable farms, the ingredients used by this company cover a wide range of tastes and textures, exposing young people to a variety of different foods. In recognition of its work, Raised Real has received coverage in several publications, such as "BuzzFeed News" and "Fast Company."

Last but not least, at #6 is Confident Parents, Confident Kids. Launched by Jennifer Miller, a mother and educator, this compendium of online resources helps parents find ways to support the social and emotional development of their children. Designed with children between the ages of four and twenty-one in mind, CPCK focuses on skills promotion, prevention, and turning problems into teachable moments. As of 2020, it has been viewed in more than 152 countries.

Designed with children between the ages of four and twenty-one in mind, CPCK focuses on skills promotion, prevention, and turning problems into teachable moments.

CPCK gathers a variety of tools for its visitors, including a list of recommended books, ideas for educational activities, and games devised to increase self-awareness, self-management, and relationship skills. Elsewhere, its blog offers practical parenting tips, touching on topics like alternatives to punishment, family emotional safety plans, and solving problems. In November of 2019, Miller published a companion book for her website, outlining strategies that parents can use to help their kids improve their emotional intelligence, communication skills, and social consciousness.