School has been in session for around a month now for my boys, and if you’re like me, that initial rush of motivation to be super on top of things has definitely worn off a bit! The daily grind has started to sink in and I’ve found myself needing an extra push in the parental organization department. I started doing a bit of research and asking around to see what other families have in their sanity tool belts and actually found some great tips and tools! Here are the ones that piqued my interest.

Homework

MyHomework: Whether you want to track your child’s homework or you have school-aged children with a smart device of their own, this app is a great way to plan things virtually. It also lets you sync data if you want to share school info between devices! In MyHomework you can track classes, homework, tests, and assignments all in a format that reviews say is super intuitive and simple to use.

Todoist: This is another app that helps track to-do lists and deadlines, and while it would be great for schoolwork, it’s set up to work in a more general sense. Todoist helps you track to-do items separated into projects, so you can keep everything separated by category.

Tracking Allowance

Bank of Mom app: This is an app that sets up “bank accounts” for each of your kids. It’s a great way to introduce the concept of allowance and money management. Set up automated weekly or monthly allowance schedules, and then make additional deposits if children earn money in other ways. This is an easy way to make “withdrawals” when you’re out and about shopping and your kiddos may not have their piggybank in hand.

Chore Bank: This one is great for older kids. It allows you to set monetary values to different chores, and when checked off, the value gets applied to the child’s account. You can even assign interest rates to begin teaching the value of saving money!

Meal Planning

Walmart Grocery Pickup: This is an absolute mom-sanity-saver. You can add things to your cart throughout the week or as you meal plan, and then schedule a pickup time that works for you. Drive up, get your groceries loaded, and drive home. SO EASY.

Yummly: This app makes it super easy to sort through over 2 million (!) recipes. You can narrow your search by cook time, allergy restrictions, occasion, diet, etc. Then it lets you save the recipes that interest you so you can come back to them as you meal plan!

Go Old School

At the end of the day, a good old-fashioned master family calendar works best for so many families. A huge whiteboard works wonders here. Enter everyone’s events, lessons, appointments, etc. as they pop up. Add extended family member’s birthdays, weekly meal plans, even chore lists! Keeping everything in one spot and visually accessible keeps everyone on the same page.

No matter what you use, a new system or organizational tool can provide a great burst of motivation to carry you through a crazy season! Drop your favorite apps or organizational tips in the comments below to help fellow parents and caregivers maintain their sanity during the school year.

Photos and writing by Nancy Yen. Visit Omielife for more great ideas!

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