From tracking nap schedules and organizing playtime to prepping lunches, you’re accustomed to multitasking as a nanny or babysitter. Luckily, new technology can make your job a lot easier, especially if you have a smartphone. “It doesn’t matter what age the kids are,” says Rachelle Gershkovich, sleep coach and owner of Maternal Instincts night nanny agency in Englewood, Colorado. “There’s definitely an app for that.”
Nanny and babysitter apps in general can be extremely helpful to nannies, babysitters and parents alike, but not all nanny apps are made equally. How can you find ones that work for you and your on-the-job needs? “My advice would be to consider what you and your employers need most from an app, and then download one with those abilities,” says Gershkovich. “I always check for high ratings, too.”
There are seemingly endless options. Whether you’re looking for an easy way to keep track of your babysitting or nannying hours or log the details of baby’s napping and diaper-changing schedule, here are nine of the best nanny apps, along with their features, pricing and links to download.
1. Daily Nanny
This app is great for keeping track of babysitting and nannying hours. Simply enter your hourly rate — as well as your overtime rate — and watch the app do the work for you. By clocking in and out through the app or entering your shifts manually, Daily Nanny will keep track of your hours, pay and even your overtime! Various features on the app can be shared with parents. For instance, they can also keep tabs of payments by marking shifts as paid or unpaid.
There are tons of other great features included in the Daily Nanny app, like:
- Shared events calendar (including appointments, activities, play dates, etc.).
- Shared photo albums (you can even share these with those who don’t get to see the kids regularly, like grandma and grandpa).
- Group messaging between parents and caretakers.
- Daily tracker for naps, bottles, meals, etc.
Price: $6.99
Download Daily Nanny on AppStore
Download Daily Nanny on Google Play
2. Baby Connect
If you work with newborns and infants, you know that keeping them on a regular schedule is critical. But instead of taking notes on the latest feedings, check out this helpful app.
Karen Morgan, a nanny from Atlanta, Georgia with 21 years’ experience, says Baby Connect is her go-to app — especially for newborns and infants. “This helped me keep track of feedings, bottles, naps and diaper changes,” Morgan notes. “[It] was especially helpful when I did a nanny share.”
With the Baby Connect app, nannies and babysitters can track virtually anything, including:
- Feedings.
- Naps.
- Diaper changes.
- Behaviors.
- Moods.
- Illnesses.
Parents can also utilize this app by tracking breastfeeding, pumping, milk stash and expressed milk, doctor visits, medicines and vaccines.
Each time you track something throughout the day, you can send an update (along with pictures and messages) to the parents to reassure them everything is going well. Another great feature? Baby Connect is customizable for children of any age — from infants taking bottles to toddlers learning how to potty train.
Price: Free
Download Baby Connect on AppStore
Download Baby Connect on Google Play
3. Cozi Family Organizer
Find a babysitting job
The Cozi Family Organizer app is a huge step up from your typical calendars and perfect for caretakers who are very involved with their family’s activities. With this app, nannies and babysitters can keep an impeccable track of the family they care for — especially if there’s a hectic schedule to manage. That’s because each person in the family has their own schedule with activities and to-do lists along with shared family ones.
Cozi has tons of other great features, like:
- Shared grocery and to-do lists (updated in real-time) so you can help parents keep track of low-running items and supplies.
- Chore checklists for kids.
- Daily and weekly agendas.
- Reminders for activities and to-dos.
Price: Free
Download Cozi Family Organizer on AppStore
Download Cozi Family Organizer on Google Play
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4. First Aid by American Red Cross
It’s no secret that accidents happen — especially when you’re caring for fearless and energetic kiddos. Rebecca Webb, a child care provider from Tucker, Georgia, used this app to ask questions about children’s mild injuries, such as small cuts or burns. She also loved the easy use and browsing, which she said makes it easy for a nanny or sitter to find what they need quickly.
The First Aid app helps you prepare for any kind of scenario and includes features like videos, step-by-step guides and interactive quizzes to help keep your knowledge intact. And, in case of more serious situations, the app is fully integrated with emergency services if you ever need to contact them.
First Aid also expands beyond just medical emergencies. The app also has helpful information and safety tips for other potentially dangerous situations, like tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and severe winter weather because you can never be too prepared. “I used the First Aid app during a tornado warning to make sure I was finding proper shelter while I was working,” says Webb.
Price: Free
Download First Aid on App Store
Download First Aid on Google Play
5. MyID – Medical ID Profile
While it’s recommended that you set up your own personal medical ID on your iPhone or Android, nannies and babysitters also need that information for the kids they take care of. Enter: MyID. This helpful app lets you set up multiple health profiles, so you’re armed with the right medical information should you need it, including:
- Personal info.
- Medical conditions.
- Emergency contacts.
- Allergies.
- Medications.
- Doctors and physicians.
This app is free to use, but you can upgrade to a subscription for $1.99 a month for additional features like pill reminders and the ability to upload and share medical documents.
Price: Free
6. Flush
Find a nanny job
For nannies and babysitters who are out and about all the time — especially in larger cities — Flush is a great app to have in your arsenal. It helps you find the nearest public bathrooms and restrooms, which is a necessity when caring for children. Whether you need to change a diaper or take a potty break, simply open the map and get instant directions to the nearest toilet.
Pro tip: If you know of a public restroom that’s not on the list, you can add it! And if you have a bad bathroom experience, you can rate or report a toilet to prevent others from the same fate.
Price: Free
7. TripLog
Whether you need to track work-related travel expenses for taxes or your employers pay you for transportation, TripLog automatically tracks your mileage and calculates potential reimbursement rates. That way, you can set it and forget it. As an added bonus, there’s a real-time location monitoring feature that lets parents see where you are throughout the day, giving them peace of mind.
Price: Free
Download TripLog on Google Play
8. AnyList
Many nannies and sitters run errands for their families or do small tasks around the house. Katy Huie Harrison, author and founder of Undefining Motherhood, uses AnyList with her nanny to share lists of things that need to be restocked in the house or for her child. “We can see when someone adds an item and when someone removes one,” she explains. “If [the nanny] notices we need new diapers, she puts them on the list. Whichever one of us shops next can buy them.”
You can also use AnyList for recipes, making it easy for everyone involved in meal prep for the children to know which ingredients are in the home and which need to be purchased.
Price: Free
Download AnyList on Google Play
9. LetterSchool
As any babysitter or nanny knows, technology isn’t just for the adults. Whether you’re in charge of helping with the kids’ education or you want to sprinkle educational activities into their approved screen time, there are plenty of learning apps and games.
Pediatric occupational therapist Adriane Ransomone from Los Angeles recommends the LetterSchool app. “It’s one of my favorite apps for preschoolers and young elementary schoolers,” she shares. “I especially like having children use the app with a stylus to help children develop fine motor skills and proper letter formation simultaneously. We always set our preferences to the ‘Handwriting Without Tears’ style of letter formation since that is most developmentally appropriate and easiest to learn.”
Price: Free, for a limited version; then, $4.99 for monthly access
Download Letter School on AppStore
Download Letter School on GooglePlay
10. BONUS: Care.com
With the Care.com app, you can easily search and apply for jobs near you, as well as:
- Request reviews from prior employers — even ones not already on Care.com.
- Send a child care summary to parents after you complete a job.
- Receive daily job matches based off your profile, jobs matched to your desired pay rate, # children and distance.
- Share your profile to social media apps like Facebook and Twitter in order to spread the word about your services.
Price: Free, with in-app subscription options
Download Care.com on Google Play
Find a nanny app that works for you
No matter your unique caretaking role, apps can be extremely useful to help you stay organized, track hours and manage day-to-day tasks and activities. All it takes is a quick download and a little extra time to get up and running.
The best part? If an app doesn’t work for you or isn’t to your liking, take heart in knowing there are plenty of others that could better suit your needs.
