Yes, I am one of those moms. You know the ones that I am talking about – the ones that always have their phone in their hand. I admit, it’s like an extension of me. The few times that I have forgotten it, I felt like part of me was missing.
When I got my first smart phone a couple of years ago, it was more like a shiny new toy. As my life has gotten busier between my kids, my husband, my job, and writing, it’s become more like a lifesaver. Ok, that’s exaggerating some, but it really does help me every day in many different ways.
Here is a list of ways that it helps me to keep things together at least a little bit.
1. Calendar: I put EVERYTHING in the calendar in my phone. If there is any question as to if we have anything going on, I can quickly check it no matter where we are. I also set it up to send me reminders of appointments and such so that I don’t forget them if I am out and about.
2. Notes: I have used the notes function on my phone for many different things. I have typed in the number of the fields my girls’ soccer games are so I don’t forget when we get there. I have typed in my license plate number that I had to turn into the state park when we were camping. I think you get the idea - pretty much anything I need to remember I have put in the notes so that I have it with me.
3. Blogging: It’s hard sometimes to find the time to sit down at my laptop and get a post out. I love that I get publish a quick post from my phone. Just this morning I wrote a quick blog post while I was waiting for the kids to be able to go into school. It’s so easy to blog on the go.
4. Email: It’s so easy to shoot off a quick email from my phone no matter where I am. I can send an email to my mom, my husband, or a potential writing client. If I am waiting for an important email from a client, I don’t have to sit at home at the laptop. I always have my email with me.
5. Entertainment for my kids: We were in the car for a bit the other day unexpectedly, and I just handed over my phone to my 5 year old so she could play a game of Angry Birds and then watch some cartoons on Netflix. This is not something that I do often, but it’s nice to have the option sometimes.
6. Camera: My phone has a great camera and since I always have it with me, I can take pictures of my kids (or whatever) anytime. I can even upload them online so that my dad in Florida can see what we are up to at all times.
7. Reading: I have the Kindle app on my phone. If I am waiting somewhere, I can pull up the current book I am reading and sneak in a few pages. As a busy mom, I have to read when and where I can.
8. Cloud computing: I use various apps such as Evernote and Dropbox so I always have my important documents with me if I have a minute to do some writing or need to reference something. It’s so convenient to have that right at my fingertips.
9. Social networking: I can check Facebook quick or even Twitter. I don’t have a ton of time to spend on these things, so it’s nice to be able to check them quickly from my phone if I am waiting at the doctor’s office or for my girls to get done with school.
10. The Internet: I don’t do a lot of browsing online from my phone, but it’s nice to have the option if I want to look something up quickly.
Honestly, I would so lost without my phone. I don’t know how I functioned without it. As a busy mom of two girls who works full time and is also trying to manage a freelance writing career, it’s seriously a lifesaver.
About the Author:
I am a writer/editor at Not Just 9 to 5 and have a blog at the Working Mother magazine mom blogs. I also will be having a piece published soon at Liberating Working Moms.
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