5 Smart Home Hacks For New Parents
Even though your life just kicked up to a new level of busy, a few smart hacks will help keep your life as a new parent simple as possible. Having a smart home as a new parent can help you keep yourself hands-free for late-night feedings and restless nights rocking your baby back to sleep – and can give you a new level of peace of mind.
Sensors
Keep track of your household functions with a variety of smart home sensors that can make your life as a new parent much easier and help you go easy on your household budget by saving energy costs. You can monitor home temperature and thermostat use, regulating heat based on room use. You can set up light sensors to turn off lights when you leave the room. Window and door sensors add a measure of security by alerting you if someone unexpected opens a window. Motion sensors also can send you alerts if they detect movement where there shouldn’t be any.
Smart sensors also can detect water leaks early, catching them long before you’ve got a major problem on your hands. Smart smoke sensors add an extra layer of security by monitoring not only for smoke and carbon monoxide, but also for other air quality issues that may be important to you and your baby.
Amazon’s Alexa
Connect your smart home devices with asmart assistant like Alexa to give you that all-important hands-free ability to multitask during late night cry sessions or serious diaper blowouts (oh, get ready). Control your smart lights, appliances through smart plugs, locks, the thermostat and more all with voice commands. You also can get quick and convenient info about tomorrow’s weather, play calming classical music or get updates on the sports scores you missed.
Cameras
One of the best ways to increase your home’s safety is by installing smart cameras, which can connect to doorbells to allow you to view who stopped by even when you’re not home (your doorbell will email you—really!). You also can connect the cameras to other smart devices, including locks, so your house will open when it recognizes you. The convenience comes in handy when you’re loaded down with a baby carrier and a bag of diapers.
Cameras in the baby’s room can add a level of comfort for new parents, giving you the ability to check your baby with HD-quality wide-angle viewing. One example is the Evoz, which has the ability to invite loved ones to view the baby with secure access, record important information and send you alerts when the baby is crying.
Baby monitoring
Take baby monitoring to the next level with smart monitors like Owlet or Mimo. This smart tech can help create a stronger peace of mind for parents of newborns by being a first-alert system against the potential of SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome. While regular baby monitors can help you feel connected to your baby in the other room, they don’t ease the terror that comes when things get quiet. Now, your smartphone can alert you when there’s a problem when you connect to the Mimo, which monitors your baby’s movement and breathing through a onesie with built-in technology. The Owlet works in a similar way, monitoring pulse oximetry and heart rate through a sock the baby wears.
Car seats and strollers
Take your technology on the road with a smart car seat – the 4Moms self-installing car seat, for example, levels itself and applies the correct tension based on the baby’s weight, sending you notifications via app when it’s time to adjust for your rapidly growing baby. Sensors monitor the car seat while in use, and it also offers parents the extra security of an in-vehicle alert system to help avoid the tragedy of a baby left behind in a hot car.
Smart strollers like the Maxi contain rear-wheel generators to charge headlights, taillights and a smart dashboard that tracks your speed, distance, and calorie-burning. And bonus, it also keeps your phone charged so you can keep a close eye on your in-home apps, search the latest baby product information or finally listen to that audiobook that everyone has been talking about.
With a few technology hacks like these, you can adjust a little easier to the brand new world of parenting – smart tech can ease the worry, boost convenience and let you focus more time on enjoying your little bundle.