Being a parent is the most important role of your life, and it’s an exciting, ever-changing experience. Yet it’s also a challenging time, and many parents struggle to cope with the conflicts that can arise as children grow and test their boundaries. How can you remain calm as parents while raising resilient, responsible kids? There are many practical strategies to help you build a happy home for everyone, and here are some apps to help.

1. Parent Lab

Parent Lab is packed with age-specific advice for raising your child, building a strong relationship, and healthily resolving conflicts. There are solutions for every issue, from potty training to puberty. Everything’s broken down into courses with activities and resources for each area. And there are also workshops, live support sessions, and the facility to match you with a 1:1 professional parent coach.

If you’re at your wit’s end, there’s a Parenting Burnout section that might just help you cope.

The advice comes from excellent sources, with a team of top experts in child development providing strategies for you and your family. Parent Lab is the quiet voice you need to support you through those challenging moments.

Download: Parent Lab for iOS (Subscription required, free trial available)

2. The Happy Child

The Happy Child is the product of the Human Improvement Project, which has collated the results of years of research in psychology, neuroscience, and pediatrics into this free app.

You’ll enjoy The Happy Child’s approach if you prefer to watch bite-sized video lessons rather than read lengthy advice articles. It’s not quite as easy to navigate as Parent Lab, and the course is more scientific, but it can help you understand why problems might have happened.

The volume of practical advice and the thousands of positive reviews from parents suggest that this would be a valuable addition to your parenting toolkit.

Download: The Happy Child for iOS | Android (Free)

3. Positive Parenting Solutions

Positive Parenting Solutions is one of the market leaders in providing answers to all your parenting problems. It’s the brainchild of parent Amy McCready, a self-confessed “recovering yeller” who has devised a hugely popular 7-Step Parenting Success System online course.

This app puts Positive Parenting Solutions right into your pocket, with around 40 strategies and tips to help you practice Positive Parenting skills all the time. The full seven-step course is included, along with the accompanying course workbooks and note-taking features.

Adopting PPS methods has helped thousands of families through the familiar battles with bedtime, homework, sibling squabbles, and defiance. Remember that sound can help calm children down, as well. Take the free lesson on the Positive Parenting Solutions website to sample the approach before you commit.

Download: Positive Parenting Solutions for iOS | Android (Subscription required)

4. Happy Kids Timer

If the primary source of conflict in your house is chores and routines, Happy Kids Timer can help you to avoid the pain through fun games and activities. It’s a simple visual countdown timer that children can operate by themselves, with incentives to complete tasks.

The main sections cover morning and evening routines, and a premium version allows you to add custom chores and print certificates. The simplicity of this app makes it perfect for use with children of all ages. Still, it’s particularly useful for parents of children with neurodivergence who may need help improving time management skills.

Download: Happy Kids Timer for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases)

5. S'mores Up

S’mores Up combines chore management, rewards, calendars, and savings goals into one comprehensive app. It’s a great way to keep your whole family organized. Smore’s Up takes a little time to set up, but the effort pays off. It assigns chores, sends reminders, and rewards task completion. Everyone can see their jobs, encouraging a sense of responsibility and, hopefully, avoiding rows.

Easy to use and customize, S’mores Up’s clear interface will appeal to all, with the Family Calendar feature particularly useful for busy households. And Family Campfire provides a secure networking feature for your extended family, where kids can learn about social media safely. Then, explore more sites to teach children internet safety.

Download: S’mores Up for iOS | Android (Subscription required, free trial available)

6. Homey

Homey is another app that will help you with positive parenting through rewarding chore completion. This one is particularly useful for any family that wants to teach kids financial skills, as parents can reward children with money for completing chores and even set them longer-term goals to earn extra.

If you subscribe to the paid version, you can connect your bank account to quickly transfer allowance and reward money to your child’s savings account. Homey is a helpful tool to show children the value of work, teach responsibility, and get the whole family working as a team.

Download: Homey for iOS | Android (Free, subscription available)

7. Joon

If your children have ADHD, consider using Joon, an app that rewards focus and task completion yet functions as a video game. This app is brilliant. Like some of the other apps on this list, the parent assigns tasks, monitors progress, and rewards completion. Your child chooses a virtual pet called a Doter, which they’ll need to take care of by completing their assigned tasks, called Quests, so that they can level it up.

There’s even a companion app called Joon Pet Game that kids can install on their own devices to check on their Doter. There's a great bank of parental resources to help you as well. Parents of children with ADHD have reported fantastic outcomes from using Joon, as you’ll see in the product reviews on the App store.

Download: Joon for iOS (Subscription required, free trial available)

Download: Joon Pet Game for iOS (Free)

Positive Parenting Methods Can Create a Happier Household

Every child is unique and has particular needs. Although there’s no one way to keep every household happy, positive strategies such as rewarding good behavior and actions work for many kids. These practical tools can advise parents on how to set ground rules, deal with difficult situations, encourage and praise children, and help establish a happy home for everyone.