Raising kids in these times we live in, is a challenge on a different scale altogether; very different from the earlier generations. Children are now growing up in a highly dynamic world that is riddled with fast-changing technologies and demands. The dynamics of parenting have become complex beyond imagination! Adding to all this, is the new normal we have been building and getting used to since COVID-19 hit us. The very definition of a ‘home’ has evolved.
As parents, it is always a top priority to provide a home that is safe, secure, comfortable and convenient to the growing kids. The environment, and the amenities that come with it, are crucial. Even more so now. Buyers who are seeking new homes are looking for these very details – from easing their lives to moving into a luxurious space that is their dream home, a ‘future home’ – for the whole family.
Smart Homes brilliantly brings together all that’s needed or looked for by parents and children alike. From maintaining a comfortable, controlled home environment, to monitoring movement to help with schooling, everything can be covered with the right smart plan. Not to mention, be handled from the palm of one’s hand. Yes, this is now a reality.
Benefits of a kids-friendly Smart Home
We have seen the growing trends around the world, and here in Australia. The adoption of smart home technology is growing at a steady pace, not to mention accelerated since last year, with the ‘new normal’ setting in. Privacy, safety and security concerns have always been a matter of concern around new technology. It is hence no surprise that there are apprehensions about smart home integration with kids around.
Smart homes can be secure and safe when set up with professional assistance, and with the right configuration. There are privacy policies set up, in line with government rules, to check how these technologies are offered. Before companies bring these out to market, several rounds of checks happen to ensure that privacy is respected. Having said that, good faith apart, as users, there are these multiple measures that you can take to stay aware and protected. You can read up on related information in our earlier blog.
Now let’s look at how smart homes can be quite a boon to parents.
Security, lighting, amusement, and environment control are just four highlights of smart home innovation. In any case, smart homes aren’t only for grown-ups. Children can also benefit from various perspectives from living in a smart home.
A mechanically progressed home that is both fun and instructive is both stylish and energising. However, keeping youngsters safe and ensuring your house is childproof stays quite possibly the main subtleties for any parent.
Any parent can agree that watching children and guarding them all day, every day is, without a doubt, quite difficult. One of the best features of smart homes is the strong security that it allows, apart from the remote monitoring and access it allows. From monitors to sensors, smart locks, alarms, smart lighting, the utility value is immense. There are various smart products in the market that can be configured and customised to suit the residents.
Keep Your Kids Safe at Night
Smart lighting is perhaps one of the first things to go into any smart home. They especially assist children in going to the washroom at night; you need to put smart devices into a central hub, a few sensors and have them set into scenarios. You can undoubtedly mix and match brands as long as they work well together.
Also, Automatic lobby lights that turn on with movement sensors can guarantee that children don’t run into things and hurt themselves out of the loop.
With Smart home lighting control, you need to set lights on and off on explicit occasions.
Security Systems to Keep The Whole Family Safe
You can take security one phase further with cameras both inside your home and outside as well. Security lights controlled by movement are probably the most significant way to protect from thieves and robbers.
Surveillance cameras aren’t restricted to the safety of a home, and they can likewise permit you to monitor your children while you’re busy working. By introducing surveillance camera frameworks around the house, you’ll have the option to watch out for your children every minute of every day.
Smart sensors help coordinate with gas and smoke alarms in the home and report any such occurrence in the house and protect from such disasters.
Set and monitor screen time, remotely
Managing screen time is one of the biggest parenting challenges of our times! What and how much they watch – imagine if you can monitor and control this from wherever you are! This can be an easy-peasy task with smart home technology, configured right. Inappropriate content, overuse of devices, gaming systems, and other such ‘entertainment’ devices can be accessed, monitored and controlled, from the palm of the hand.
Set Boundaries With Geofencing
Geofencing or GPS can help you make virtual limits, and you’ll get versatile alarms when somebody enters or leaves the assigned region. These GPS trackers can be handy; for example, if you’re at the shopping centre and your kid gets lost, you can use a GPS tracker to find them.
Smart locks
Home automation frameworks enable you to distantly open the doors when your children return from school or if they lock themselves out of the house incidentally while you’re away from the house.
The market offers smart locks that work with keypads; they’re secure and solid. They even send you warnings to tell you that your kids are free from any danger at home, they will likewise ensure that doorways and windows are bolted after they go into the house.
Monitor air quality
This has become a growing concern and needs in many locations across the globe, unfortunately. Smart homes help you effectively track and monitor the air quality in your residence. Smart air purifiers bring in the solution to ensure that the family, especially kids, are safe from environmental threats. Smart sensors and safety systems can receive updates from authorities, or pick on the changes, and provide timely alerts.
Energy monitoring & savings
Forgetting to turn off lights is perhaps the most mundane yet relatable daily concern in every household. More so where there are kids! Smart home devices offer features like timers and motion sensors that can control appliances and raise an alert, as programmed. They are also a great way to track energy/ electricity usage. Not to mention, almost all smart home automation safety systems are controlled by apps/hubs, allowing you to respond from anywhere and very quickly in case of emergencies.
Many brilliant gadgets can give readings on how much energy-smart gadgets are utilizing in the house. If you make children a part of the interaction and you urge them to comprehend those readings, they can be more mindful of the climate and attempt to utilize less water or to keep machines off when they’re not being used.
Daily routines, turned into ‘experiences’
Let’s take the use case of a bedtime routine at the end of a long workday. Smart-home technology can be cleverly used to ease this process for both parties involved – parents and kids. You can in fact make bedtime more relaxing. The tech lets you create predictable scenarios and action expected thereon.
Your nighttime routine can be built into one such ‘scenario’. Some of the possible actions your smart home can do? Automate the closing of blinds…dimming the lights…play soft music, lullabies or even white noise to help the atmosphere…turning all kids devices and electronics off at preset times..to name a few!
Comprehensively talking, these devices appear to have two fundamental points. On one level, they are just about accommodation- they guarantee to make life simpler, assist us with overseeing schedules and requests, and diminish the exertion of commonplace homegrown errands. Nonetheless, these items guarantee a greater sense of wellbeing and security to support day-to-day life.
Get yourself a smart home automation partner to approach this in a structured way. A smarter, safer home for kids is very much within the grasp.
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