In pursuing adoption, there are many steps to the process, no matter your path. During the first few months are when most families find themselves buried in the business of home study, profile, and excitement. Once these things are rolling, adoption moves into more of a maintenance mode of ongoing networking and advertising, responding to inquiries, and evaluating and tweaking.
Using technology to streamline things is beneficial and efficient. Here are a few apps that we recommend to keep you productive on and track:
Facebook Pages Manager
Install this on your cell phone for maximum productivity when receiving messages from potential birth mothers, comments on your adoption page, and management of paid Facebook ads. This is a great tool for staying on top of things from anywhere. Make sure you try it out and understand that not all features are available on the mobile version, such as hiding posts, so full management is not yet integrated, but the majority of needs are available.
Wunderlist
Available both as an app and on an online interface, this slick little tool makes it easy to create “to do” lists and share them with others. You and your spouse can have a grocery list you both share, and whenever something is added you both see it. It is great for categorizing tasks and staying on top of deadlines. Different lists can be created with different people, yet your personal lists remain private. There’s also a great bell that sounds when you complete a task!
Keep My Notes (or other note taking app)
Some people love robust tools like Evernote. But sometimes you don’t need all the bells and whistles, you just need a place to keep quick notes or things you don’t want to forget. This app (and other similar) provide just simple note taking for when that is all you need. It’s great to keep on your screen when you need to use it, for instance when you are speaking to a birth mother and have no pad and pen to take notes. You can open this app and type in while talking.
A Pomodoro Timer
Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? It’s a simple method of getting things done and staying focused in 25-minute increments. Learning this easy-to-implement idea (takes less than 5 minutes!) will help you get and stay focused on your hour a day, completing two pomodoros. Sound greek? Learn more about it at Zapier.com. Choose a free app, there are many available, and give it a shot!
Do you have apps or tools that keep you on track? Let your coordinator know what works for you so we can share with other families!
