Keeping in touch with grandparents

What a grandparent sees

The home page says good morning by name and shows who has checked in. A note about dinner, a ride, or a school play is on the same page as the check-ins. A memory, such as a garden or a spelling star, can sit there too.

The check-in choices are Happy, Okay, Grateful, Please call me, and Not feeling well. The home page shows who would like a little care. A grandparent can tap one feeling. A parent can see it without waiting for a text that gets buried.

Buttons are large. High contrast is black and white. Read aloud uses the voice already on the device. The words stay plain. There is no public feed to learn.

How to set it up for a grandparent

One parent starts the household and adds the grandparent as a person on the board. Sit together the first time. Set the letters, sign in once, and leave a note so the board is familiar. A friend who helps with care can be added too. A friend can be family.

1. Start the family, or open the sample family first and look around together.
2. Add the grandparent on the Family page. They do not pay a separate membership.
3. On their device, open Reading comfort and choose Large or Extra large.
4. Turn on High contrast if black and white is easier.
5. Show Check-in. Ask them to pick one feeling and save it.
6. Leave a short note they will recognize, such as a meal or a visit.

What a check-in does not do

A check-in is not an emergency call. This site is not watched by a helper, and it does not call 911. If someone needs emergency help, call 911 yourself.

When a parent turns texting on, Please call me and Not feeling well can also be texted. That is still a message to the family, not a call to 911. The parent places any emergency call.

Keep the first notes familiar. A meal they like, the day of a visit, and one picture with a caption are easier than a pile of old photographs. Show them the home page, then Check-in, then one note. Stop there. The next visit can add a recipe or a plan. The board will still be the same place.

Family is $5 a month or $50 a year. The yearly price saves $10, which is two months free. A new family gets 7 free days. The card is saved to start and is not charged during those days. One payment covers everyone the parent adds.

Notes, pictures, check-ins, plans, and recipes stay on that household board. They are not sold, and the board does not carry advertising. Another household cannot open them. The sample family on the welcome page is for looking. A real grandparent's notes are not part of that sample.

Other guides

• An easy family app with large type. Comfortable, large, or extra large letters, high contrast, and read aloud on the device you already have.
• A private family app. One board for the people you choose. A friend can be family. There is no public feed and no advertising.
• Family check-ins. Happy, Okay, Grateful, Please call me, or Not feeling well. The home page shows who would like a little care.
• A private family message board. Short notes for the people on your board. Strangers cannot read them, and the notes are not sold.
• A family group chat app without social media. Notes for your household only. No public profile, no feed of strangers, and one payment for the people you add.
• Private family photo sharing. Pictures and story cards stay on the household board with a caption. They are not posted to a public gallery.
• A family calendar and shared recipes. Visits, meals, school events, and the soup recipe live next to the notes. They are not published to a social network.