Why Catholic Moms Need Voxer!

I'm 32 and I'll admit . . . I'm already stuck in my ways when it comes to technology. I loathe phone and computer updates. I sound like a grandma when it comes to trying new gizmos or apps. I usually have to hear about something at least ten times before I even give it a try.

So trust me, I understand why you might be reticent to try Voxer -- but let me tell you why you should anyway.

Catholic moms live largely invisible lives in the isolation of their homes. We are unseen. We are lonely. We feel like we're fighting in the trenches alone. We suffer through tantrums, endless messes, hilarious situations, heartbreaking challenges with teens, and we basically experience the whole spectrum of our feelings each and every day.

And often we ask ourselves, "Is this even worth it?"

That's why we need our friends. Not the abstract idea of having friends who probably get what we're going though but real live friends who actually SPEAK to us. This can feel like an impossible mission to carry out, though.

In comes Voxer!

"Why Catholic Moms Need Voxer!" by Sterling Jaquith (CatholicMom.com)

Voxer is a simple and free app that you can put on your phone. It's like walkie-talkies meets texting . . . kind of. Here's how it works. You load up your contacts. When you want to have a conversation with someone, you hold down a big orange button and you speak into your phone.

"Oh my, while I was in the bathroom, John Paul pushed a chair into the kitchen, grabbed a bag of flour and dumped it all on the floor. That boy drives me crazy!"

"Sally just said the funniest thing <insert funny thing>."

"Husband has been on a business trip for four days and I'm really struggling. I don't think I can handle any more crying or 3-year-old questions!"

"How's your mom doing? Does she get to come home from the hospital soon?"

You share your stories, ask your questions and pour your heart out like you're right there in your friend's living room having coffee. What's great is that you friend gets to hear the inflection of your voice - the joy, the heartache, the giggles.

[tweet "Easy as texting, Voxer adds voice to messages! #techtalk by @sterlingjaquith"]

But here's the wonderful part! She can listen to it any time she wants. You can stop talking any time you want. It's like a text message that you deal with when you have a moment.

Why is this magical for moms? Because we all know that having a real, live conversation on the phone seems . . . impossible. There are spills, tears, fights, and general kid chaos that makes talking on the phone . . . less than pleasant.

This has been such a wonderful lifeline for me. I get to actually hear the voices of my friends cheering me on, consoling me on bad days, and just BEING WITH ME without actually having to come over. It feels like I have my girlfriends back.

So here's the deal. If your friends are stubborn and old like me ;o) they won't want to download a new app and learn how to use it. Force them. Sit in their living room, ask for their phone, download it for them, then show them how easy it is to use it.

Turn notifications off. I recommend this for texts too! I'm not a slave to my phone. I check it when it's a good time for me so I'm not constantly distracted by refreshing or chasing every ding that happens. But when you do have time, you'll find that you're friends are waiting. They're right there with you wanting to make you feel like the awesome mom you are!

Help me out, ladies. Who's tried this app out and loves it? Share your stories. Let's build up our community with love and support!

Read more of our Tech Talk columns.