Four Smart Home Devices You Need to Make Your Home Safe for Kids

With the ability to change the color and texture of their skin, octopuses can expertly blend in with their surroundings. They are masters of evasion that can swim at speeds up to 25 mph in short bursts when they need to make a quick escape, and they can squeeze through spaces as small as an inch in diameter. They could be considered one of the most elusive creatures on Earth, though parents may argue that a small child bursting with energy is far more difficult to keep track of even when you devote your full attention to them.

It can be frustrating when we put so much into making sure our kids are well-cared for and safe, but it feels like they’re trying to be little masters of evasion so they can get into trouble. Luckily, there are technologies today that can help. If you have young children, here are four smart home devices you need to make your home safe for kids.

1. Door Sensors

After all that work you put into childproofing your house to make it safe for kids, you may find that your kids have figured out how to get past your cabinet locks. This probably won’t happen when they’re very young. However, they’re inevitably going to reach an age where they’re still young enough you don’t want them getting into the cleaning supplies, medicine cabinet, and other areas, but they’re old and clever enough that no child lock is going to be a hindrance.

When this time comes, you may want to install door sensors on the cabinets and doors to areas you’ve told your kids are a no-no. Then, when they get curious and go exploring while you’re not looking, you’ll get an alert that they’ve opened the cabinet or door, and you can intervene before they can cause any trouble.

2. Smart Locks

When your kids get old enough to come and go on their own, you may want to give them a way of getting in and out of the house on their own. That way, if you intended to return from the store before they get home from school but you’re stuck in traffic, they won’t be stuck out in the snow until you arrive to let them in. You could give them a house key, but chances are, they’ll forget to take it with them or they’ll lose it. As an easier, more reliable alternative, you could get a smart lock. Then, your kids don’t have to keep track of keys. you can simply give them a code that’s easy to remember, and they can use that.

Do you have a social butterfly who tends to be blabby? Chances are, you know they wouldn’t be able to keep code or secret no matter how much you emphasize the importance of not telling anyone, and you don’t want all their friends to have easy access to your house. In this case, you could get a smart lock with fingerprint recognition. These usually have a code option, too, but there’s no need to share the code with your kids. They can simply get in with their finger.

Another advantage of smart locks is that you don’t need to worry about if your kids remember to lock the door when they leave. Some smart locks have an auto-lock feature, and you can program the door to automatically lock after a set interval. If you don’t have a lock with an auto-lock feature, you may be able to manually check the app on your phone and lock the door remotely if you find the kids forgot.

3. Interior Cameras

Usually, we think of security cameras as a way of combating outside threats. They can also be a good way of making sure your family is safe while they’re inside the home. You can’t be in the same room as them all the time. Even if you could, you’d still need a break on occasion.

Maybe you get together with some friends for game night, and you send all the kids to play together in the playroom while the grownups play their tabletop RPG. While your party is fighting a dragon, you can check the cameras every now and then to make sure the kids aren’t fighting amongst themselves. On another occasion, you and your partner could be out for date night, and you’ve recently found a new babysitter. You could check the cameras here and there to make sure things are going okay at home.

4. Robotic Vacuum

Especially when kids are younger, they like putting things in their mouths. You don’t want them making a snack out of something bad they found on the ground before you can intervene. Instead, at the press of a button or a command to the voice assistant your robotic vacuum connects with, you can send your robotic vacuum to eliminate any small pebbles that got tracked into the house, those leaves your house plant dropped, and so forth before your kids find them.

You could vacuum manually, but a robotic vacuum saves you time when you’re already swamped. Plus, you won’t run into the dilemma of cleaning taking twice as long when your kids decide they want to help. Now, you’re not just vacuuming the floor. You’re dodging the kid who keeps running in front of the vacuum and minding the cord so your kids don’t trip on it. If you have a robotic vacuum, you can take your kids to a different part of the house and play with them while the vacuum does the work. Your kids are safe and out of the way of the vacuum, and you have one less chore to worry about.

The less you have to worry about, the more time you have to enjoy raising your family. They grow up fast, almost as fast as technology changes. For now, use the technology currently available to make your job as a parent easier and to keep your kids safer.