3 Little-Known Apps to Solve Pesky Back-to-School Problems

By Deanna Hurn, Founder and Executive Director of Miracle Math Coaching

What happens when your five-year-old freaks out on the first day of school? How can you get your child out of the house in time to catch the bus? What do you pack for lunch if your kids are likely to dump the nutritious food into the cafeteria trash?

As problems go, they’re not earth-shattering. But wouldn’t it be great if they didn’t exist at all? Here are three apps to help with freak outs, chronic tardiness and lunches destined for the garbage can.

Hooray for PreK (iPad, $1.99)
Children have wild imaginations, and some might think school is a fiery place filled with kid-eating monsters. Even a pre-school visit to the classroom might not alleviate all the anxiety.

Hooray for PreK will put their fears to rest. Based on a book of the same name, the app allows parents to record their own narration to an exciting story about the first day of school for a class of equally anxious children. The tale introduces your child to fun activities, a nurturing teacher and other students they can relate to. It’s a cool, relaxing way to ease first-day jitters.

Here Comes the Bus (iPad and Android, free; limited availability*)
Sure, you know what time your children should be at the bus stop. But time can get away from you in the midst of morning chaos. This app will keep you focused because it tracks the location of the bus, giving you a visual incentive to get those shoes and coats on faster. And you’ll be able to tell if the bus is delayed because of traffic or bad weather. Plus, you’ll get a five-minute alert before the bus arrives so you can make sure the kids are out the door in plenty of time.

*The app only functions within school districts that have contracted with its developer, Synovia Solutions. Contact the transportation office of your local school district to see if it’s available in your area.

Lala Lunchbox (iPad, Free)
Chances are your kids will eat everything in their lunchbox if they help choose everything in their lunchbox. This app makes it easy to get your son or daughter involved in lunch prep. As if playing a video game, your child “feeds” a hungry monster from an assortment of food items categorized into proteins, fruits, veggies and snacks. Kids can assemble meals for the entire week, and the app will deliver a grocery list so they can help with the shopping.

As we get closer to the first day of school, I’ll share a list of other apps focused on time management, classroom refreshers, homework, sports activities and more.

And to find out about other ways to help your child excel academically, please call Miracle Math at 707-398-3474. And definitely contact us for a FREE Learning Discovery Evaluation to see where your child stands academically and how we might help: Click here to sign up now. Miracle Math Coaching is an award-winning, student-focused service with a track record of boosting academic achievement.