My husband and I are both educators, and our middle- to college-age kids are all in different schools this year. Throw dual enrollment for the high schooler in the mix, and we’re juggling seven school calendars for six people. I’m going to need some simple and reliable tech to keep us organized this year, so I thought I’d share what we’ve been using that works great . . . as well as a few other tech tools that come highly recommended.
The best tech to keep your family organized this fall
I received a Skylight calendar for review five years ago, and it is the only editorial sample I’ve gotten that I still use every day. Setup takes just a few minutes, and having everyone’s schedule in one spot is a lifesaver. I love the vacation countdown, and especially love the fact that multiple people can share an event (those with the diagonal stripes, above). This will make scheduling new events so much easier for you. No more having to wait for everyone to get back to you with their availability. Now you can see it all at a glance.
If your kids are finally ready for their own phone, you don’t have to break the bank. If you pass one of your own old devices down to them, plans with Boost mobile start at just $10 a month. I don’t think you’re going to be able to beat that price.
We had to buy three laptops for our family this summer (oof) but it didn’t kill us because two we bought were new Apple MacBook Neo laptops for our kids heading off to college. It’s serving their needs perfectly, and at under $700 it’s serving my bank account balance’s needs too. Since my husband and I use Apple devices, this just made sense in terms of keeping us all organized and synced together.
If you love to write by hand but you also prefer to keep track of things digitally, then you need an Ophaya smart pen. Everything you write in your notebook can be transcribed to your computer, so you can share your handwritten notes easily.
Don’t get caught the night before a project is due without any printer ink in the house. 123 Refills makes it super easy to stay on top of your ink supply.
When everyone is online at the same time trying to write papers, take online tests, watch YouTube to research their science project, and more, you don’t want everyone melting down over slow internet. This TP Link Wifi Extender is a top choice on Amazon right now.
None of your tech tools are going to help you if the batteries are dead, so makes sure everything stays charged with a TwelveSouth HiRise 3 Deluxe. This is the charger I use in my kitchen, and everyone can very quickly charge their phones, watches, or AirPods. It’s super handy.
If you want a little peace of mind about your family’s internet usage, invest in a Sentry PC subscription to monitor content and time management online. You can schedule when and how long users can be online, and you can filter apps, games, websites and more.
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