Kids these days are so much quicker and further ahead than mom and dad with the latest gadgets and technology. Think back to when smartphones came out and the learning curve for teenagers was so much quicker than their parents, as every new gizmo comes out that is happening over and over again. As the mind wanders, troublemaking and covering your footsteps with technology has never been easier for our children, in fact how many parents don’t know exactly what their son or daughter is browsing on their iPhone, PC, or any internet connected device you have around the home.

Even bigger picture, how are you keeping track of your tech-enabled kids in your own home? Not even 15 years ago the family computer had to be in 1 place on a desk or table hardwired into the grid and internet, there was no hiding. Fast forward to today and with wifi and bluetooth your kids could escape to your basement or a closet with their bluetooth headphones and watch R rated movies or anything else inappropriate without their parents ever having a clue. Now that our homes are getting updated with tech like Alexa, Google home, automation systems, and security cameras parents can level the playing field and take back knowledge of what is going on in their home and also the devices underneath the roof.

Know Who’s in Your Home

When your children reach a certain age, leaving them at the house while you run errands or a few hours before you come home from work is common. You may trust them to walk home from school and wait there until you return home. If you’re nervous about suspicious characters lurking around while you’re not there, installing smart feature on the property can help.

A whole home automation system complete with a video intercom will allow you to see what’s going on around your house. Should someone ring the bell while the kids are at home alone, you can see who it is on your smartphone or any other internet-capable device. You can inform your children whether they should answer the door or contact the police.

Keep an Eye on Teens

Worried your teens might be sneaking out of the house when you’re not there? Or even worse, that they’re sneaking someone in? Unfortunately, teens will be teens and are likely going to test their limits. If you want to make sure they’re not breaking any house rules you need to consider a smart home system. With various cameras and sensors installed in the home you can easily keep an eye on them and anyone else in the house. You can have notifications sent to your phone instantly letting you know if someone came in or out of your house. You can also zoom in on the cameras just to get a clearer picture of what they’re up to while you’re away.

Handle Emergencies Simply

Though we’d like to hope the biggest dangers to our families are outside of the home, there are plenty of dangers that could occur in the home. The house could catch fire, someone could break in, one of the kids could get hurt, or any number of emergencies could happen whether you’re home with the children or not. You want to know that you can get them help right away.

Home security systems have control panels with clear images of authorities to have dispatched to your home. Your children, no matter what age should be able to easily press an emergency button and get the cops, fire department, or ambulance to your home in a flash. Not to mention you could also prevent disasters from getting worse. For example, if a fire were breaking out, a simple voice command to close off certain doors would prevent it from spreading to the entire home.

Simplifies Life

Here’s another benefit to home automation for families with children - simplification. Life is already hectic enough for parents and there’s always so much to do. So, if you could invest in technology that makes certain tasks easier, wouldn’t that be a bonus? Turn off all the lights in the house when you leave, have the televisions in a house set to a timer based on each child’s bedtime, turn on or off the oven to prepare meals (or to prevent fires), the list goes on and on.

Keeping your children safe is of the utmost importance to any parent. If ever there was something worth investing in, adding smart features to your home is one of them. Such advancements make it easier for you to protect your children from burglaries, fires, natural disasters, and peer pressure, whether you’re physically there with them, in the office, or away on business. Not do smart homes keep your kids safe, but they save you time, simplifies tasks, and provides you with a peace of mind.