7 Must-Have Smart Home Solutions Every Parent Needs!

Being a parent means you're constantly busy; the kids need to go to school, do their homework and chores, go to bed on time, and you have to stay on top of every minute. But it doesn't have to be this way — you can use smart home solutions to make everything easier!

For busy parents, smart home technology is just the thing to help schedules run smoother, remove routine stressors, and even increase the amount of time spent with your family. With a few tweaks to your smart home, you and your kids will have each daily routine down pat!

Automated Lighting

There are many ways smart home lighting can help you as parents and for more than just reducing energy waste. With lighting automation, you will not have to run after the kids to turn off the lights whenever they leave the room, think of all the extra time and extra money you will save!

• Are your young kids afraid of the dark? Automate the lights to get dimmer around bedtime, and then turn them off after a period when you know they've fallen asleep!
• Do your kids wake up at night to use the bathroom? Light the way by connecting motion sensors to your lights, so they turn on as they walk past, AND keep them dim so your kiddo isn't overstimulated.
• Are your teens hard to wake up in the morning? Use circadian lighting to help them gradually wake up in a smooth transition — they can even start the day with cool tunes from a wireless speaker as the lights come on!
• Are you tired of getting after the kids to go to bed on time? Set up your lights, so they flash to remind the kids when it's time to start going to bed! You can also add sound effects!

Comfort First

Feeling comfortable at home is a must for both kids and their parents, and that's where smart thermostats come in. These can help you set up multiple zones and tailor the temperature to individual needs. For instance, if you have a newborn baby at home that needs to keep warm at all times, set it, so your thermostat keeps only their room warm. Or, if your kids have sensitive skin, allergies, or asthma, you can adjust the settings accordingly.

No matter the season, you can keep everyone at ease without constantly battling over the thermostat temperature.

Voice Assistants: Secret Superpower

With voice-assisted software, you can take your smart home system to a new level of help. These assistants let you do hands-free commands, so you can be free to tackle that extensive to-do list. But they're also helpful with your kids, too. They can:

• Help remind young children of chores, like feeding the family pets, watering the plants, and washing dishes.
• Remind older teens of their daily tasks, walking the dog or getting food out of the freezer to thaw.
• Automate the alarms to go off at the scheduled wake time and help guide younger kids through their morning routine, like brushing their teeth, putting on their shoes, etc.
• You'll be able to remind all the kids when it's bedtime or set up a bedtime countdown.
• Keep younger kids entertained all day by answering all their silly questions while you're busy doing other things (make sure your voice assistant has special kids settings first!)

Guess Who?

Another benefit of smart home automation is seeing and monitoring who arrives home and when. You don't have to worry if your kids got home from school okay or brought a friend home without telling you. You can see it all! You can get a picture capture with the video doorbell whenever they use their code or smart device to unlock the door. And with the smart door lock, you can create unique codes for each person, so you know exactly who came home.

You can also set sensors on the garage door to know when your older teens who drive get home, too!

Security Systems

A smart security system is a must-have for all parents! With smart surveillance, you can watch your younger kids while you work from home or check in on them if they're being cared for by a babysitter. And if you have older kids, you can see when they arrive home or leave the house. But it's not just the video monitoring that's helpful; it's the sensors too!

• Motion Sensors:?Add motion sensors to dangerous areas, like by the pool or tool shed, so you instantly know when one of the younger kids goes out to explore where they shouldn't be!
• Door & Window Sensors:?With sensors on the windows and doors, you can keep your home more secure and see if your older teens might be sneaking out.
• Geofencing:?Set up a GPS-enabled virtual boundary within the premises to alert you when anyone crosses it!

Pro Tip:?Let your custom integrator know what you want your smart security system to do, and they'll set it up for you!

Safety First

It's not just a smart security system that keeps your children safe; there are other smart home solutions you can also rely on!

• Smart Smoke & CO Detectors:?Once it detects a fire or high levels of carbon monoxide, set it so your system automates lights that lead the pathway out and turns off the HVAC system.
• Smart Water Leak Sensors:?These will instantly alert you when leaks happen near water sources so that you can prevent flooding.
• Contact Sensors:?Add contact sensors to your medicine cabinet, cleaning supply closet, or any other place with dangerous materials to instantly know when they've been opened!
• Glass-Break Sensors:?Put glass-break sensors on all the windows and be instantly alerted to any breaks. These will help protect the kids from broken glass shards and potential intruders.

Other Cool Things

Once you have your smart home set up, there's no limit to how it can help ease your day and mind! There are many things to take care of when you have kids, and smart solutions keep them from slipping through the cracks! Some other things you can do, include:

• Add smart switches to other devices to check if the kiddos left them on (again).
• Put timers on the bathroom fans to run for a particular time after your teen takes their long shower so you can save energy!
• Install water level sensors in the bathtub to avoid overflow risk and coming home to a flooded bathroom.
• Place vehicle pressure sensors in the garage or driveway so you know when your teen with that brand-new license gets home!

Peace of Mind

While there is no doubt you'll always have plenty on your plate, these?innovative home solutions?offer the peace of mind you've been missing! Knowing that your home is running smoothly — and safely! — is unlike anything else. So, don't wait;?contact us?at DAVE today!

At your consultation appointment, we'll review what your smart home can look like and how it can be optimized to suit all your parenting needs!