These apps for millennial parents track a child's whereabouts, internet usage, and even bowel movements on a smartphone.
Millennials, roughly defined as being born between 1980 and 2000, have grown up with the internet. Now that older millennials are having kids, they're also giving birth to countless new apps for parents like them.
These apps can track a child's whereabouts, internet usage, and even bowel movements on a smartphone.
There's a massive market for apps built with millennial parents — or "parennials" — in mind. The New York Times recently reported that more than 16 million millennial women are now mothers, according to Pew.
Here are the apps that parennials are obsessed with.
Winnie is a place for parents to connect and discover new things to do with their kids.
People on Winnie help each other be more successful parents. They can ask questions and get recommendations about everything from sleep-training to local childcare, and browse and search a directory of family-friendly restaurants, shopping, and parks. It's like Yelp for parents.
Sara Mauskopf, who created Winnie as CEO, is an alumna of Google and a millennial mother.
Life360 lets you keep tabs on your kid's location.
Life360 answers an age-old question: "Where are you?" The app enables parents to track their children's whereabouts using GPS, and lets them save their favorite locations so that family members get automatic alerts when someone comes or goes. A chat feature allows family members to let the group know when they're running late.
Cozi is a calendar for the digital-savvy family.
There's no shortage of calendar apps for your phone, but some parents say Cozi is the first you should try. Specifically designed for families, the app helps parents keep track of each family member's (color-coded) individual calendar, shopping lists, and to-do lists all in one place.
Users have the ability to add new events and lists and send reminders to ensure that no one misses a practice or an appointment.
Peanut is an app for "mothers who missed out on Tinder."
Peanut, a match-making app for moms, lets users log in with their Facebook accounts and connect with like-minded mothers nearby — for coffee, a vent session, or a playdate. The free app uses an algorithm to match moms with shared interests and parenting experiences.
Michelle Kennedy, the founder and CEO, worked previously at dating apps Bumble and Badoo. She created Peanut when she was a new mother.
OurPact gives parents the power to manage their family's screen time.
OurPact unlocks a parental superpower: the ability to block the internet, social media, texting, apps, or all of the above on their children's phones. Parents can schedule screen time around school, dinner, and chores, and even reward their kids with extra time when they deserve it.
OurPact's family locator tool lets parents quickly find family members by tracking their device locations.
After a free trial, users pay up to $6.99 a month for various features.
The Wonder Weeks keeps you informed about the mental leaps and bounds of your baby.
Based on the bestselling book, "The Wonder Weeks," the app condenses 35 years of research on a baby's developmental progress into an at-a-glance chart. It gives parents an idea of when they can expect their baby to be overly fussy, demanding, or calm at certain times based on their age. Parents praise the app for providing reassurance when they have no clue what's going on.
PBS Kids Video buys you downtime with thousands of videos.
PBS Kids Video lets users watch videos from their favorite PBS Kids television series at home, on the road, or anywhere with a 3G or WiFi connection. In addition to offering full episodes of "Curious George," "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood," and "Peg + Cat," the app offers "weekly picks" — sets of education videos that engages kids in reading, science, math, and more.
And unlike streaming apps for grown-ups, this one is free to use and requires no subscription.
WebMD Baby App is an all-in-one tracker for feeding, sleep, and diaper changes.
WebMD is a rabbit hole of health and wellness information where many people turn to self-diagnose their ailments. Its spinoff, WebMD Baby App, provides an extensive library of physician-approved content to help parents keep their baby healthy and happy.
The app also lets parents record their baby's growth and development through trackers for feeding and nursing, sleep, diaper changes, and height and weight.
UrbanSitter helps parents find babysitters that come recommended by their neighbors.
Only the most trusted babysitters and nannies make it into UrbanSitter. The company carries out background checks, as well as a review of social media profiles. Parents can scroll through local sitters' profiles to learn more about them, see their hourly rates, and read reviews from families in their neighborhood.
Lynn Perkins, a former investment banker, created the app after having twins and growing tired of sitters cancelling at the last minute. UrbanSitter was the answer to her troubles.
The app offers parents a monthly subscription of $19.95 or an annual pass of $99.95.