Managing a household can be a full time job: driving one kid to soccer practice, another to ballet, cooking dinner, doing the laundry, maintaining a clean house (if there is time) and the list goes on…and on.
For a family with a child with special needs the to-do list gets even longer. Add in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, IEP Meetings and anything else that may be on the agenda for that day. It is hard enough remembering where you put your keys, so of course it is easy to lose track of appointments, practices, and play dates.
With technology at our fingertips, there are some great apps to aide in keeping track of all the big and little details going on in the family. From apps to help you manage schedules to apps allowing you to easily share pictures and stories with your family, you are bound to find something suitable for all of your family’s needs.
Productivity Apps
Here are five apps that focus on task management, lists, and more in a family setting.
1. Cozi
Cozi is a free mobile app and website that helps you manage the family schedule, organize shopping lists and to do lists, and capture favorite memories—all in one place. Especially designed for the modern family, Cozi is accessible from any computer, mobile phone or tablet.
Features:
Family Calendar
Shopping Lists
To do Lists
Family Journal
Meal planning
Reminders and Messages
Use with other calendars
Photo screensaver
Mobile: Android and iOS compatible
2. Life360
Life360 is a free smartphone app that helps keep families and close friends connected stay in sync throughout their busy day. With Life360, you can see where your family and friends are on a private map, stay in touch with group and one-on-one messaging, and get help in an emergency.
Features:
Location check-ins
Automated favorite locations
Messaging
Crime Pins
Emergency Button
Customizable circles of friends and family
GPS tracking
Premium versions available
Available in iOS and Android
3. AboutOne 
Combining both social and productivity elements, AboutOne integrates your contacts (people and organizations) and calendar with the memories and household information you add to AboutOne in the form of notes, documents, photos, videos and other details. Then you can manage and privately share this information with anyone you want. Their companion iPhone and iPad Family Organizer app puts this highly secure digital filing cabinet in the palm of your hand.
Features:
Access to paperwork
Available for: Windows 8, iOS, Android, and Web App
Works with calendar and contact tooks
Pulls information from other apps
Alerts, reminders, and reports
4. Famjama
Famjama believes that the organizational aspects of running a family are not that different than running a small company. Many of their tools and the design behind them are based on proven technologies used by companies for years – now they are just easier to use and manage.
Features:
Family Scheduling
Shopping List
To-do’s & Assignments
Message Blasts
Automatic Coupons
5. Skedi
The Skedi app keeps the family calendar in the cloud. All the family members and babysitters (with Skedi on their iPhone or iPod touch) can keep track of what’s going on. Moreover, Skedi knows everyone’s actual availability because, in addition to Skedi events, it reads Michael and Jennifer’s work and personal calendars and publishes their busy times to Skedi. However, these non-Skedi events always appear as private to other family members
Features:
Assign tasks
Syncs with your device’s calendars
Realtime family status
Beta testing for Android now
Available in iOS
Social Apps
Here are five apps that add a social element to your day-to-day lives. While these apps also help you manage your day-to-day lives they also help you stay connected with photos, notes, blogs and more.
6. MyFamily.com
Everyone on myfamily.com gets their own personal profile page, where you can share more about yourself, access any of the family groups you belong to, set your profile picture, update your status and receive notes from your family members. Privacy settings allow you to control who can see the contents on your profile page, so you can feel safe adding your phone number, email address and more.
Features:
Stay connected: sharing photos, videos, and stories in one place
Share privately-you decide who joins your family circle.
Social Media Integration
Easily start a blog
Online family calendar
Archive family memories in one safe spot
Share from anywhere with iPhone pp.
7. Justfamily.com
Combine and organize photos from everyone in your household. Access all of your family’s photos from anywhere. Rest easy, your photos are securely backed up in the cloud.
Features:
Combine and organized photos
Easily tag people and things
Automatically sorts out duplicate photos
Add photos to journal entries
Available Web and iOS
8. 23 Snaps
23 Snaps is a beautiful way to enjoy your family photos. With a timeline, gallery view and cover art for your child’s content, your photos and videos are front and center. Each moment you save with 23snaps is visible to you and the family and friends you connect with – no one else. Of course your content will belong to you alone.
Features:
Automatically places photos and videos in correct albums
Easily print photos
Create photo books and order online
Online photo album to share
Available iOS, Android, and Windows
9. eFamily
The eFamily apps are available on the web, iPhone, or Android devices. Combining some productivity features such as phone numbers and e-mails in one place and social features, they are designed to be very simple for your family to remember: just type your family domain in and go.
Features:
Custom domain name
Share your favorite photos, videos, and stories with your family.
Family photos organized in one place
Easily import from Facebook, Picasa, and more.
Daily newsletter of your family’s activities
Share stories with a journal feature
Family birthdays, emails, phone numbers, and addresses, all in one shared place.
Available on iOS, Android, and web browsers
10. Squarehub
SquareHub encompasses both a productivity app and a social app. It is the private social network designed exclusively for your family. You can send private messages and photos, coordinate activities, manage schedules, and share those spontaneous moments of joy with the people who matter most to you!
Features:
Direct messaging
Scheduling
Photo Sharing
Check-ins with GPS
Private network
Family Bucket List
Family star chart reward system
Available for iOS and Android