This isn't morbid.
It started on the way to the grocery store.
I was running an errand with my husband when the thought showed up uninvited: what would happen with our kids if we didn't make it back from this?
We'd moved 3,000 miles from our families. Neither side was our first choice to step in. We had people - the right people - but nothing written down.
No plan. Just the assumption that it would somehow get figured out.
I built Parent Protocol because
I suspected we weren't the only ones.
You already have the plan. It's just stuck in your head.
You know who you trust. You know what your kids need. You know that one friend who'd show up at 2am without being asked, and you know exactly which family member absolutely cannot be left unsupervised with the snack situation.
The hard part isn't the knowing.
It's having somewhere to put it - in a form your people can actually use when you're not there to narrate it.
What it feels like to use it
Our first round of parents described it as sitting with a friend going over the things you've never quite named out loud. A few cried - in a good way. Most said the same thing: I realized I'd never actually given myself time to think about this.
It's not heavy. It's the opposite of heavy. It's the feeling of finally putting something down that you didn't realize you'd been carrying.
Here's what's inside
Three sections you'll actually use - built to be filled in pieces, not all at once.
How This Works walks you through the whole thing in five minutes so nothing feels overwhelming.
The Essentials captures your kids, your crew, and your handoff plans - the details that need to exist outside your head.
Values in Action is where the deeper stuff lives: the traditions, the rhythms, the things that make your family yours.
It's organized, shareable, and lives on your phone.
What you'll have when you're done
-
Your crew named and organized: who they are, what they handle, who leads when you're not there
-
Your kids noted: routines, allergies, pickups, comfort things, the "please don't forget this" details
-
Handoff plans: for a work trip, a hard stretch, or a longer window - so whoever steps in isn't texting you every twenty minutes
-
Your values: the traditions, the money conversations, the everyday rhythms that make your family yours
-
A note in your own voice: for the days that wobble
-
A shareable system: because one person with the link is better than a perfect plan no one has
This is for you if:
You carry the mental load. You have people who could step in but don't have the full picture. You've been putting this off because it felt too heavy, too morbid, or just too much - and something recently made you think okay, I actually need to do this.
This isn’t:
A legal document. Something you finish in one sitting. A plan that replaces a will. A judgment about how prepared you are right now.
Choose what fits
Digital products. Instant delivery. All sales final - if you hit a technical issue, email hello@parentprotocol.co within 7 days and we'll sort it out.
FAQs
Is this a legal document?
No. It's not a will, a guardianship form, or an estate plan. It's the human layer those documents don't cover - the routines, the preferences, the people you actually trust, the values you want carried forward. It works best alongside legal planning, not instead of it.
Do I have to finish it in one sitting?
No. Most people build it in pieces - in the car line, at 10pm when the house is quiet, on a Tuesday when something finally makes them think: I need to do this. Start with what you know. Come back when you can.
Is this only for worst-case scenarios?
No. It's for work trips, sick days, long weekends, and the moments when someone else just needs to run point for a while. Most absences are ordinary. They still go better with a plan.
What if my family situation is complicated?
Good - this was built for that. Co-parenting, blended households, chosen family, difficult dynamics on one or both sides. If the default wouldn't pick the right people for your kids, that's exactly why this exists.
Is my information private?
You control everything. You decide who sees what and when. Nothing is stored anywhere except in your own Notion workspace - which you own and manage.