“There’s an app for that!”
We hear it all the time, and it certainly seems true for almost every issue we face today. Applications on our smart phones can make our lives a whole lot easier. Bored during your commute? Listen to your favorite podcast or audio book app while you sit in traffic. Forget to set the crockpot timer this morning? Food delivery app to the rescue. Feeling stressed out? Upload a soothing meditation app to help you unwind at the end of the day.
But if you’re the often-exasperated parent of a teenager, there still are some apps left to be designed that could really help you out. Software programmers out there, here are a few apps we’d definitely pay money to have.
Six apps parents of teens would love to see:
1 The “My Kid Is Safe. Full Stop” app
A lot of us really don’t want to spy on precisely where our teen is located at every moment. It can feel too obtrusive and, in reality, it doesn’t keep them any safer, even if we feel like it gives us some peace of mind. So what about an app that just automatically notifies a parent when a child has arrived safely at their next destination? And sends an alert if the mode of transportation they are in has been involved in an accident? Bottom line; safety and not constant hovering is what we truly need.
2 The “Time to Do Your Laundry” app
We’ve all experienced that early morning or late night ask that drives us crazy. They need their uniform or a certain favorite article of clothing clean RIGHT NOW! The one that’s been sitting dirty on the floor of their room for 5 days. A laundry reminder app would alert you – and nudge them – to wash the needed item 24 hours before it had to be on their body. Should they choose to ignore the nudge, they can suffer with wearing a spaghetti-stained team shirt.
3 The “So Over Nagging” app
With the SON app, you’d never again have to nag your kid about cleaning their room, studying for a math test, applying for a summer job, or picking up wet towels from the bathroom floor. Your teen chooses the celebrity voice they’d like to hear when getting reminders about chores and tasks. When it’s Harry Styles whispering to your daughter to unload the dishwasher, there’s a much higher chance it’s actually going to happen.
4 The “It’s Right There!” app
Every time your teen yells that they can’t find the yogurt in the fridge, pretzels in the pantry, or their backpack that’s in the backseat of the car, this app would clap back at them with an image showing exactly where said item is. Imagine your life becomes free of shouting from distant rooms and getting up to move one milk carton aside to reveal what they couldn’t find after five minutes of searching. *Great for husbands, too.
5 The “Do They Really Want To Do That?” app
This app would alert you when your teen was getting close to taking a very unwise risk or experiencing or acting upon a fundamental lapse in good judgment. You could choose any number of appropriate responses, such as sending a text to them with a suitable “urgent” message about their pet or video gaming system, along with in-app purchase options like having contraceptive measures immediately delivered to their location – or an impromptu visit from Grandma holding a plate of warm, homemade cookies.
6 The “I’m Proud of You” app
When our kids are teens, we frequently become fixated on what they are doing wrong, because they can be so utterly annoying. And it’s easy to forget that their brains are far from being fully developed, particularly when they can be so mature at times.
Wouldn’t it be awesome to have an app that would send us a message when our teens did things like hold open a door for a stranger or thank a teacher for extending a homework deadline after a busy weekend? We often miss out on the great things they do when they are not with us, and an app like this could send them a virtual hug or fist bump. And a “Good Job, Mom and Dad” message for you.
Until we can find apps like these, just keep on doing your best. Because the teen years are challenging and wonderful, all at the same time.
You’ll Also Love Reading:
Easy to Judge Until It’s Your Teen, Let’s Try Compassion
Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults – best-selling guide for parents of teens!
