Sharing With Parents

[Ariana]

I currently have an FB secret group for my parents. It makes posting pics and notices/reminders super easy but I really want to get rid of facebook for personal reasons.

Any other way I can share things with parents (besides email) that is free and relatively easy?

[Annalee]

I currently have an FB secret group for my parents. It makes posting pics and notices/reminders super easy but I really want to get rid of facebook for personal reasons.

Any other way I can share things with parents (besides email) that is free and relatively easy?

I don't use FB. I sometimes text pics but mostly put pics on a display in my daycare room. I give monthly newsletters and a reminder text for upcoming happenings.

[Pandaluver21]

Have you looked into Brightwheel?

[CalCare]

My son's school uses parentsquare. As a parent it is free to me obviously I have no idea what the school pays but it could be something to look into, maybe it's cheap? It will also give all of the parents access to each other. Not sure if you're into that I think there are a few on here that wouldn't be interested in that!

[Mike]

What features do you want and how would you like it to work? If I put together a free system for you, what would you like to be able to do?

[Alwaysgreener]

I heard of an app called remind that a local teacher uses. I checked it out but it was not for me, you may like it.
I currently use wufoo website. I created a form for each family for there child/ren. At the end of the day, I fill out the form and we both get an email with the results. This was the only that I found that emailed the results and allowed more than one email (plus one text message).
(It is Limited to 3 forms and 100 entries a month for free)

[Alwaysgreener]

What features do you want and how would you like it to work? If I put together a free system for you, what would you like to be able to do?

I just want to be able to send reminders to group or individual. With wufoo I don't have enough free forms to do a group one or if I add another family but I like there set up. I have it set so both DCM and dcd get the notice.
I like that I can customize for a families needs. So the family that uses formula, I have a box that says bring formula. Only what I check shows in the email, so if I check formula but not wipes, the email only reads "please bring formula"

Downside with wufoo is that I have to enter everything at the end of the day, I can't add things when I get time and save it.

With remind, I couldn't find away to message a single family which was more important than group.
Bright wheels is to time consuming plus I don't like the required parent account.

[Ariana]

What features do you want and how would you like it to work? If I put together a free system for you, what would you like to be able to do?

Something that is exactly like FB...so super easy to use with easy access for parents. I find that FB is becoming a time **** for me and I really want to delete it. Maybe I can just sign up under a different name or something and delete all of my friends? I tried deleting all of my friends before and just using FB for recipes and stuff but people got really offended

[Snowmom]

I have a blogger website that I set to "private". So, only the people I invite can view it. I update it (post) once or twice a week with pictures, videos or business info.
The only downfall is that people actually have to check it... but I suppose that's Facebook too.
Blogger is free and you can customize it. I also uploaded my handbook and calendar of days off to the blog page (side bar), so they always have that to view.

[MarinaVanessa]

What about a Shutterfly Share site?

[Rainbow]

Have you looked into Brightwheel?

This. You can send notes and pictures to individuals or groups of families and every family only has access to their own child(ren)'s account. My dcparents love love love seeing pictures of their kids! You do need a smartphone or tablet to input information, however.

[Blackcat31]

What features do you want and how would you like it to work? If I put together a free system for you, what would you like to be able to do?

I know you asked Ariana but...

I want to send reminders about upcoming events and deadlines. (To some parents/all parents... it depends on subject)
I want to send a random picture of their kid during the day. Some times more than one parent the same pic.
I want to send calendars with marked events to families so they can print and/or save in whatever way works for them.
I want parents to be able to send me their weekly schedules and change requests

More than anything I want to send parents receipts for payment that I don't have to hand write and they can print out.

I know texting does most of that but texting doesn't allow me to separate daycare "stuff" all into one separate area/folder and doesn't allow for printing anything exchanged.

I am sure there really is an app or a way to do all that stuff but I'm not computer savvy and I don't like having 12 steps to everything and I don't like complex. I'm old(er) and took typing in school not computer lab. I know shorthand.

I want easy.
Click this or that. Print or save. Yes or no.
Paid or owe. Picture/text. In/Out.
No confusion.

[Annalee]

I know you asked Ariana but...

I want to send reminders about upcoming events and deadlines. (To some parents/all parents... it depends on subject)
I want to send a random picture of their kid during the day. Some times more than one parent the same pic.
I want to send calendars with marked events to families so they can print and/or save in whatever way works for them.
I want parents to be able to send me their weekly schedules and change requests

More than anything I want to send parents receipts for payment that I don't have to hand write and they can print out.

I know texting does most of that but texting doesn't allow me to separate daycare "stuff" all into one separate area/folder and doesn't allow for printing anything exchanged.

I am sure there really is an app or a way to do all that stuff but I'm not computer savvy and I don't like having 12 steps to everything and I don't like complex. I'm old(er) and took typing in school not computer lab. I know shorthand.

I want easy.
Click this or that. Print or save. Yes or no.
Paid or owe. Picture/text. In/Out.
No confusion.

I took accounting, shorthand, and typing as I was preparing for a career in business while in high school All this on a manual typerwriter. with one of those erasers that slowed you down if you had to correct errors:: I got to go to all the typing contest with the school system and come in second for the state, but can't remember how many words I could type per minute. I amaze my sons on the computer keyboard. I think my youngest is going to have my typing skills, he is doing great in his keyboard class. My brothers still use one finger to type on a keyboard::

[Mike]

I know you asked Ariana but...

Only because she started the thread.

As some of you know, one of the many things I do is website hosting and design. Part of that is my own programs. For example, there are many programs and scripts out there for various website features like guestbooks, counters, etc, and there is software like Wordpress and Forum programs, but quite often, the ones that exist aren't quite what I want, so I design my own. I like that for 2 reasons. First, it does just what I want, and second, since I did it, I can also change it later if I want to add or modify anything.

So, many of you share and discuss things with dcps via Facebook or other sites, but I have my own system planned for when I start. At this point in time, it's just ideas in my brain, and my plans were to work on it "someday", but, being a part of this forum has given me much more knowledge to be prepared for that day, as well as ideas of what my sharing program should cover.

Due to previous discussions, it looks like some of you may be interested in my sharing program, so to thank you all for the help you have been, rather than working on my program "someday", I'm moving that plan to the front burner.

My schedule is very erratic, so I don't know how long it will take to do it, but likely somewhere between 1 and 4 weeks. I'm going to start another thread about my idea. Others can give input as far as features and suggestions, and I'll update the thread as my program progresses. At some point, it will be ready for experimenting, then when it's ready to go, it'll be free to anyone here.

[Ariana]

I know you asked Ariana but...

I want to send reminders about upcoming events and deadlines. (To some parents/all parents... it depends on subject)
I want to send a random picture of their kid during the day. Some times more than one parent the same pic.
I want to send calendars with marked events to families so they can print and/or save in whatever way works for them.
I want parents to be able to send me their weekly schedules and change requests

More than anything I want to send parents receipts for payment that I don't have to hand write and they can print out.

I know texting does most of that but texting doesn't allow me to separate daycare "stuff" all into one separate area/folder and doesn't allow for printing anything exchanged.

I am sure there really is an app or a way to do all that stuff but I'm not computer savvy and I don't like having 12 steps to everything and I don't like complex. I'm old(er) and took typing in school not computer lab. I know shorthand.

I want easy.
Click this or that. Print or save. Yes or no.
Paid or owe. Picture/text. In/Out.
No confusion.

Perfect!

Also perhaps a way to turn off certain functions that are not needed for certain users.