Some parents seem to have it all – the cooking is done, the chores are done; the children are sent to school and they remember all appointments without fail. They are efficient, organized, calm and even have time to cook up exotic dishes and work out!
How do they do it, we wonder? Until scientists can prove the probability of their race-superiority, we’ll just have to settle for 5 great gadgets to help us with our daily parental needs.
Not only will these gadgets save you time by allowing you to be more organized and efficient, they may also serve as temporary sitters for that much needed break.
1. Multi-purpose Work Station
The HP TouchSmart 310 PC is well, SMART. Not only does it serve as a central family entertainment system, it also works well as a work station – perfect for the parents who work from home or to organize everyone’s busy schedules or to help junior brush up on his reading, phonics or creative skills.
The smart PC has several clever features such as the Master Chef which is basically an encyclopaedia of new recipes for the family to try, or the Magic Canvas which allows you to leave notes for each other on the screen with the stroke of a finger. Now who needs fridge magnets?
And if you have a son who is into superheroes, he is so going to love this! HP Touchsmart collaborated with Marvel Comics and Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 to incorporate some of the best loved superheroes into the computer that your kid can recall with a touch of his finger.
You have a child who is too young to use the keyboard or mouse? No worries. The TouchSmart feature means that with a touch of your toddler’s finger, he or she can join in any of the games or software that requires participation. And it is a no-brainer to set up with only one power cable, a wireless mouse and keyboard.
For more information, click here:
2. Personal Organizer and Part-time Babysitter
A worldwide sensation, the iPhone triggered an insane popularity among the young and old alike due to its functionality and multiple purposes in being able to organize, entertain and inform. Check out the “App” store for thousands and thousands of free and chargeable applications for everyone in the family.
I love that it could help me find my way to appointments in out-of-the way places like Sembawang or Tuas (Googlemap), calculate my distance travelled, calorie burned and provide music when I exercise (Nike+iPod). And a huge bonus is that it keeps my 4-year-old entertained with YouTube and simples games like Talking Tom while waiting in line for mundane errands. It’s almost as good as having a personal assistant. Here are more of our favourite applications:
- Evernote – Turns the iPhone into an extension of your mind. It helps you to remember everything and anything in your life. Record and take note of whatever that you have in mind, Evernote will sort it according to the way you’ve programmed it to. (Time, importance etc.)
- Google Mobile Application – When you’re on the move and don’t have the patience to type in a query on your iPhone, simply hold your phone to your ear and ask your question.
- iChalky – Sometimes, we just need a 5 minute break during the run of each day. We’re just human after all. When you need that little bit of time to reset your mind while your child is near you, this application comes in handy. Your child will be occupied using his or her finger to flip little chalky all over the screen. Father and writer for the unofficial Apple Weblog, Dave Caolo swears by it: “When my 3-year-old is out of patience, I hand over iChalky to him. Preschoolers just love it.”
3. Family Entertainer
If you only have budget for one digital family game in the house, get the Kinnect for XBOX360. Here’s why:
- Everyone is off the couch, moving and laughing as the body is the controller for Kinect. The kids and you will definitely get a good work out.
- There are games to suit just about everyone in the family. Kinectimals is suitable for kids aged 4 onwards; 5 – 7 year olds would love Kinect Adventures and Kinnect Joy Ride and those who love to dance (moms and dads included) would adore Dance Central.
- Parents who can’t find time to exercise should try “Your-Shape: Fitness Evolved” – it gives one the opportunity to exercise within the comforts of their very own living room, comes with a virtual personal instructor and offers work outs such as yoga and martial arts.
Kinnect for XBOX 360 offers a great excuse for family bonding that is entertaining and rewarding. A word of caution: it is so fun that the adult is required to exude some control and share the game with the young ones.
For more information, click here
4. Personal Tracker
If you have a young child who tends to wander or one who is of upper primary level whom you want to instil some independence, you may be interested to get a personal tracker – Unico’s MT88 GPS Personal Tracker. It is small, light-weight, and especially designed with the safety of pets, children, personal safety and even vehicles in mind.
The MT88 allows you instant access to your child’s position via a series of GPS and GSM or GPRS communications that is downloaded into your mobile phone, allowing you to track the whereabouts of your child instantly. It even has a recessed Braille SOS button for the visually impaired. For more information, click here.
5. Memories are Forever
We love family moments, but printing them out can be a chore. Let us introduce you to the HP Photosmart printer which makes this a pleasurable and easy experience. Beautifully designed and operating on wireless technology, this printer is a saint for photo-printing. Here’s why:
- With the wireless technology, the HP Touchsmart allows you to print simply by dragging a photo from your email, web content or photo collection to the printer icon and printing it on the spot without having to use a computer.
- You can print from any mobile device. With “HP E-print”, just email the photo to your printer and pick up the prints later.
- This printer isn’t just for printing memories but for printing activities as well. With built-in print applications, you can also print coloring pages, puzzles and activities from Disney, Crayola and DreamWorks for your kids.
- No other accessories are needed. With a touch-screen panel, all you need is your finger!
For more information, click here.
So, go ahead, try these wonder gadgets and free up your time for the more important stuff – quality family time!!