The dreaded,
"what did you do at at school today?" is a staple of
parent-child relations and frustrations. As a teenager, I rarely
remember giving much in the form of an answer, except for good grades or
the ever-appreciated teenage gossip. I do remember having good
communication skills in middle school. When learning was an adventure,
sharing with your parents brought that initial joy of discovery back
home.
What's a parent to do when their child is too young to grasp
broad concepts, yet old enough to want to convey their daily exploits?
Apps released in recent years tackle this initiative by
offering parents a glimpse into the day in the life of their children. Catching up to the likes of other photo and video sharing services, apps like
HiMama and
Tadpole give
interested parties the opportunity to share in a way not previously
available. Each of the apps has different features for parents and
caregivers/schools.
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| HiMama FB |
Starting in 2012, the founders of Toronto-based
HiMama came together with the idea of
effectively capturing childhood.
By harnessing the organic interactions between children and caregivers
or parents, HiMama "[combines] modern technology with long-standing
simple pleasures, like hearing about someone's day or seeing a fun
photo." Thus, HiMama software became a reality.
On one end, for parents, the app acts as a journal of sorts
where a child's favorite things, personal milestones and photos/videos
can be saved online for a nostalgic review later down the line.
Real-time media exchanges, sharing capabilities, and access to daycare information (menus, reports, photos, calendar events) are icing on this free cake.
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| HiMama |
Conversely, schools pay $29/month per class for attendance
management, scheduling, developmental guidelines, interactive training
and customer service, in addition to the communication with parents. The
added bonus to this service is the cost saved on printing and paper!
With user numbers somewhere around 100,000, HiMama has overwhelmingly positive reviews online and is available on both iOS and Android.
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| iTunes |
Tadpoles' service, based out of Bethesda, MD operates similarly to
HiMama when it comes to parent and caregiver functions, stressing the
savings on paper and time. However, they've streamlined their business
model by choosing to operate only on iPad or iPod Touch. In
limiting their capabilities to two devices, the company knows "exactly
how each device will perform for the teacher in the classroom" down to
the battery capabilities for a day's use. Opting for a safety-focused app,
Tadpoles shows the headcount for each classroom, facilitates immediate
contact with parents, and allows directors to take care of
administrative tasks, all in real-time.
Tadpoles costs
$2.25/month per child and is free for parents.
While the app is restricted to iPad and iPod Touch for in-school use,
the information gathered including online profiles, teacher
interactions, and journal-like memories are
available to parents on both iOS and Android or, for those without a smartphone, through
email.
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| Tadpoles |
Word spreads like wildfire through the realm of parenthood, especially
when a service is offered one place but is lacking elsewhere. Honestly
though, how could parents not jump at this service? Each service provides an informal method of communication which promotes parent input and investment.
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