If you’re one of those neatniks with a tidy desk and alphabetized files you can always find, then this family-friendly software package probably duplicates something you’ve already done. But if you’re like most messy mortals, whose idea of organization is a refrigerator papered with post-it notes, then Carin’ 4 Kids could be for you.
Developed by a California working couple with children, this PC program provides a complete and convenient tool for families who have neither the time, ability or inclination to organize their own household sourcebook. The no-frills package provides a very basic but highly detailed checklist that centralizes all the vital stats about one’s children and household for easy use by any caregiver at any time.
The four-disc package designed only for Windows 3.1 or 95 is easy to install and use even by the timid. The program opens to a main menu with eight topics: Emergency, Family, Childcare, Household, Insurance, Financial, Itineraries and Schedules. Within each category, highlighted prompt boxes offer space for users to fill in personalized information as basic as local emergency and poison control phone numbers to details as specific as children’s favorite foods and playmates.
The package includes a handy loose-leaf binder with color-coded sections where completed printouts can be stored. The format allows for easy editing, updating and highly selective printouts.
Caregivers’ misadventures with a slew of nieces and nephews –and the impending birth of their own son–inspired countless kitchen-table discussions that helped shape and refine Carin’ 4 Kids, said Greg Davis, founder of Practical Family Software, a mom-and-mainly-pop outfit that operates out of the family’s Los Angeles-area home.
It contains most of the information needed to run a household, whether it’s medical release forms for children’s emergency care to who to call if the toilet overflows or if the kids want pizza for dinner. Great features include a monthly calendar–current through the 21st century–that lets users highlight special occasions and activities, as well as daily schedules and to-do lists.
The main drawback is that users still have to be organized enough to keep information and printouts current. The program may seem a little pricey, considering that most users could design their own sourcebook with existing word-processing programs and a $5 binder. But for those who haven’t invested the time and effort by now, this program provides a simple cure for procrastination.
Families may quibble with some details and prefer more room for customization. For instance, emergency contacts are scattered throughout the book instead of centralized in the emergency section. Also, in this day of many non-traditional families, the mother/father family headings are limiting. But these points are pretty minor.
The package is available for $39.95 by calling toll-free 888-793-8298 or by accessing the company’s Web site at www.practicalfamily.com.
