Top apps for parents Updating your Will

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of apps available in the App Store, and you’d be forgiven for wondering how many of them are really truly worthwhile. When it comes to parenting though, getting good apps can really save time if you’re looking to keep the children entertained, connect with other like-minded parents, research childcare options or seek guidance on how to make family life just that little bit easier.

Here are some recommendations:

Mush (www.letsmush.com) The number one social app for mums to find friends who live nearby with kids the same age, arrange to meet up and get advice from parenting experts and fellow mums.

Allrecipes Dinner Spinner (https://armagazine.com/3Icg2jT) A handy bank of recipes and cooking inspiration which helps solve the ‘what can I make for dinner?’ question and keeps little bellies satisfied every evening.

The Wonder Weeks (www.bit.ly/WonderWeeksApp) A week-by-week guide to your baby’s development right through from pregnancy to after birth, showing how you can support and stimulate your little one. Sound Sleeper (www.soundsleeperapp.com) Help your baby get off to sleep with this app’s collection of calming sounds.

Kidday (www.kidday.com) The easiest way to store your child’s photographs in one place, as well as share albums with friends and family. Family Locator (https://family-locator.com) When older children or teenagers are out and about, keep track of their location with this app which keeps your family secure and connected, for extra peace of mind.

CBeebies (www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies) This staple app on any parent’s phone or tablet offers both educational games as well as classic cartoons, for when you just need a break!

Bubble (www.joinbubble.com) The UK’s biggest on-demand childcare platform, with over 100,000 users and 5-star Trustpilot rating. Parents use the Bubble app to find, book and pay local sitters or nannies who come recommended from their friends and other parents in their area.

OLIO (www.olioex.com) Here you can give away unwanted kids’ items to those in the local area, allowing you to help out a neighbour and reduce waste. You can also use the app to look for anything you might happen to need and save some pennies.

Ari Last is a parenting guru and founder of childcare app Bubble. For more information, visit www.joinbubble.com

New additions and other changes in

your life? Don’t forget to update your Will!

It’s probably been a busy time for you, but as your family grows and changes in your life happen, we urge you on the importance of having an up-to-date, valid and robust Will.

If you don’t have a Will or your current version is not up to the job, it is likely that, should the worst happen, you could be placing the most important people in your life in great difficulty and causing them avoidable problems at an already distressing time.

The number one issue with not having a valid Will is that you will be declared “Intestate”. In short, this will mean that your estate will be managed and distributed in a fashion that you may not want, it can take a great deal of time, and ultimately your family may struggle during the process. For those of us with families, we should be especially mindful of: • Guardianship of your children; in your Will you can state who should be Guardians of your children. Without this it is possible that the courts may appoint someone you would not want. • That you can leave explicit instructions through Trusts to ensure your children’s inheritance is in safe hands until they are ready to receive it. • If your family home is your main asset, estate planning can help protect it from external threats and ensure it passes down to your children and future generations. • Inheritance Tax; let’s face it, we all want to ensure that our children receive as much as possible. With a Will and associated services, the tax burden could legally be reduced, leaving your loved ones in a more secure state. • You might have taken out life insurance; we can help ensure that should this be claimed, it can be done so in the most tax efficient way possible. Getting your Will and estate planning in order might seem onerous, but a good estate planner will make the process understandable and straightforward. Put your mind at rest and start preparing your Will today!

David Robinson is Director of Templar Estate Planning, and can be contacted on 0118 948 4381 or via info@templarestateplanning.co.uk for initial free advice or even just a chat about your Will and estate planning.