10 iPhone Apps for Stay at Home Dads

According to U.S. Census data, the number of stay-at-home dads has more than doubled since 2001, meaning that there are a lot more dads spending time at the park with the little ones while mom is holding down a career. In some cases, this shift is due to the recession and the loss of jobs that accompanied it, but there’s also a hefty portion of fathers who have simply chosen to stay home with their children because the arrangement is best for their individual families. Whatever the circumstances are, more men than ever are beginning to understand that maintaining a household is, in fact, a full-time job. These 10 iPhone apps can be real lifesavers for harried dads and husbands.

1. Feeding Your Kids – Ensuring that your children develop good dietary habits begins when they’re very small, and depends upon the choices that you make for them during those formative years. This free app helps you make small changes each day that help kids learn to choose healthier fare on their own. No cajoling, bargaining or resorting to hiding vegetables in their less-than-healthy favorite foods required.
2. Remember the Milk – Running a household successfully requires you to complete a variety of small tasks, many of which are easily forgotten in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Remember the Milk is heavy on features and synchronizes with a dedicated web application, allowing you to update and maintain your to-do list from a variety of devices.
3. Evernote – Sometimes important tasks, reminders and ideas occur to you when you’re otherwise engaged, forcing you to take a quick note lest you forget about it. With Evernote you can store all of those notes in one searchable database for free. As an added bonus, this paper-free method is a small step in a greener direction, reducing your footprint and saving money on sticky notes in one fell swoop.
4. Baby Connect – When your partner is away at work she’ll almost certainly want to track your baby’s habits and actions. With Baby Connect the two of you can sync your apps so that all information is shared between you instantly. There’s also a medication feature that allows you to log each dose, greatly reducing the chances of double-dosing by separate parents who were unaware of medication administered by the other.
5. ESPN ScoreCenter – Gender biases and stereotypes aside, it’s an accepted fact that plenty of fathers are also sports fans. When preparing dinner, doling out homework help, or helping with bath time coincide with the big game, this free app can help you stay on top of the score.
6. WebMD App – Making the decision to rush your child to the emergency room or to simply wait for a scheduled appointment with her pediatrician requires you to have a bit of information regarding her ailments. The WebMD app certainly shouldn’t take the place of an opinion from your doctor or clinician, but it can help you make an informed decision regarding the immediacy of her care.
7. Sleep Machine –Fathers that have stumbled on the power of using a long drive, the washing machine or some other form of white noise to lull fussy babies into a sound sleep are sure to love Sleep Machine. Choose between a plethora of customizable options for the best sound to soothe your little one for only $1.99. There’s also a free Sound Machine Lite offering, for budget-conscious parents.
8. Holdr – Chasing children around the house with a phone wedged between your ear and shoulder can be challenging and cramp-inducing, a situation that only becomes more frustrating when you’re listening to canned hold music. Rather than letting your aggravation build up, consider the service of this free app. Holdr will do the waiting for you, sending you an alert when the representative you’re waiting for comes on the line.
9. Grocery iQ – Grocery shopping with children in tow can be one of life’s more challenging propositions, especially if you’re trying to adhere to a diet that doesn’t’ include junk items marketed towards children and filled with artificial colors, flavorings, preservatives and empty calories. Get in and out as quickly as possible with this free app, which also helps you find coupons for items you buy often.
10. Find My iPhone – No matter how much you try to limit your kids’ screen time, there will inevitably come a moment when you hand your iPhone to a youngster with an educational app for the sake of diversion. For those times when you’ve done just that and they’ve promptly misplaced your pricey device, this free app really comes in handy.

While your iPhone can be a very handy tool when it comes to managing a household and acting as primary caregiver for a house full of children, it can also be a very dangerous one if you choose to use it inappropriately. To ensure that both you and your children are as safe as possible, it’s best to make sure that your phone never presents a distraction while you’re driving or performing other tasks that require your full attention.

Taken From Become a Nanny