Kids today are tech savvy. Known as “Generation Z,” they are children who were born after the turn of the millennium and grew up in a world dominated by the Internet.
If you currently have a Gen Z child living under your roof, how can you maximize smart home technology? Smart home technology to save money and improve your life. Smart home technology to save money and improve your life. The following smart home solutions are convenient and practical. relatively cheap. Some will even help you save money. Read More Which smart home gadgets are kid-centric?
In this article, I'll introduce you to five smart home gadgets and hacks that you can implement in your home.
Does your child constantly wake up in the middle of the night because they are afraid to go to the bathroom in the dark? You can banish the darkness forever if you spend some time setting up a smart lighting system.
But you'll need more than just lights; You will also need a central hub. Which smart home automation hub is best for you? Which Smart Hub for Home Automation is Best for You? For a while, people thought the idea was nothing more than a gimmick, but recent product launches have shown that smart home automation is starting to deliver on its promises. Read more and smart door sensors. Philips Hue Lighting is a great option. Here Are The Best Multi Color Smart Light Bulbs Of 2017 Here Are The Best Multi Color Smart Light Bulbs Of 2017 There are so many options for smart home lighting it can be overwhelming! These colored bulbs offer you the best features available today. Read More
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Install the lights along the corridor between the bedroom and the bathroom and place the sensor on the bedroom door. Next, connect the lights to your hub and program them to turn on automatically at night whenever your child opens their bedroom door.
Make sure you've set them not to come on at full brightness, and make sure you've installed a light in the bathroom.
To save power, have them turn off automatically a few minutes after turning on.
Imagine the scene. It's summer, and your toddler is enjoying the weather and playing outside in the garden. You're inside trying to relax, but you can't. You're too worried that your child will run down the street to chase the ice cream truck or that a stranger will drive them away.
You need to geofence your property. If you're not familiar with the term, this means setting up a virtual geographic boundary using GPS. Geofences are designed to let you know when people enter or leave these set boundaries using a specific app or device. Many smartphones have geofencing apps, but if your child is young, chances are he doesn't have a phone.
Take a look at Trax Play. It is a GPS tracker that is attached to a person's waist. You can create your own custom geofences and you can create as many geofences as you like. For example, you can create one for the perimeter of your home and your children's school.
Trax Play supports scheduling, so you can make fences that are only active on certain days or at specific times. And if you buy a device for yourself, you can set up proximity sensors. These sensors ensure that you will automatically receive an alert if your child walks away in a crowded place.
Devices come in blue or pink.
Trax Play New Updated Live GPS Tracker for Kids and Pets, Blue Trax Play New Updated Live GPS Tracker for Kids and Pets, Blue Buy Now on Amazon
Whether you think Amazon Alexa is awesome or stupid Let's face it:Amazon Echo's Alexa Is Stupid Let's face it:Amazon Echo's Alexa is Stupid There's no doubt that voice-controlled assistants are the future, but is Alexa the solution? Maybe not. In this article, I am going to argue that Alexa is pretty stupid. Read More It's too easy for your little darlings to accidentally rack up huge bills, gain access to mature content, or compromise your security.
However, given the proliferation of smart assistants in recent years, it is important that your children are exposed to technology. They will have to get comfortable with it as they get older.
Try the Mattel Aristotle. It's a fully functional Amazon Echo, and Alexa works in exactly the same way, but there's a twist. If you wake up the device by saying “Aristotle” instead of “Alexa,” it enters a kid-friendly mode.
Here are some of the features that make it so valuable:
Mattel introduced the product at CES 2017. It will go on sale in June 2017 and will cost around $300.
I'm not going to focus on a specific toy. Suffice to say, you'll have smart toys in your home whether you like it or not.
I'll let Mr. Buckleitner explain:
Toys don't have to be creepy pseudo-rabbits that listen to your child's every word. There are many educational toys out there that are safe and secure to use.
For example, Grush the Gaming Toothbrush has a Bluetooth sensor that allows you to make sure your kids are cleaning their teeth well while also offering interactive brushing-based games to keep your child engaged.
Or what about the Mattel View-Master DLX VR? Use Google Cardboard technology to transport your little one on 360-degree wildlife safaris, trips aboard the space shuttle, or tours of a Smithsonian museum.
View-Master VR Starter Pack View-Master VR Starter Pack Buy Now On Amazon $7.90
Lastly, check out CogniToys GreenDino. It is powered by IBM's Watson supercomputer and can help your child learn to spell and count. It will automatically increase the difficulty of your lessons as your child improves.
Children need lots of love and attention if they are to mature into well-rounded adults. Unfortunately, after a long day at work, some of us don't have the time or patience to deal with the erratic whims of a young person in need.
In the old days, you may have turned to a babysitter or grandparent so you could get a break. Today, some robots can do it all for you.
Pepper is an example. He can read human emotions and adapt his behavior accordingly. If your child is tired, Pepper will read him soothing stories, if your child wants to play, Pepper can mirror her emotion. Pepper is currently on sale in Japan, with a worldwide release planned for mid-2017.
Another option is Aido, although you may have to wait a couple of years until it's publicly available, as it's still being funded on Indiegogo. When you're ready, Aido can teach your children to count and spell through its thousands of interactive games and visual effects.
My last recommendation is Kuri. It's available for pre-order and will be ready in time for Christmas 2017. The developers want the robot to feel like part of the family, and Kuri got impressive reviews at CES 2017. The robot's eyes follow you around the room, it will react to noises, and even syncs with IFTTT. Interested? Kuri will set you back $699.
No matter how useful smart technology seems, you always need to keep your child's online safety at the forefront.
There have been numerous stories of internet-connected toys secretly recording your child's voice and logging their activities, and you're already aware of the dangers of allowing your child unlimited access to the web in general.
Before you buy any technology for your kids, make sure you do your research on the product. Is there any worrying news online? Are building materials safe for a child? And does it offer enough parental controls??
When in doubt, buy a new smart modem 5 things that make smart Wi-Fi routers worth buying 5 things that make smart Wi-Fi routers worth buying today, you can buy a new class of "smart routers" specifically designed to deal with the demands of running a smart home. Here are five things that make smart Wi-Fi routers worth buying. Read more . They are packed with features. 6 Reasons to Upgrade Your Wireless Router 6 Reasons to Upgrade Your Wireless Router Is your wireless router old and out of date? You may be missing out on several new features that can improve the quality of your connection and make your life easier. More information that makes it much easier to monitor your children's activities and manage their web access.
Are you raising your child in a 21st century smart home? I would love to hear your story. What devices have you installed? How do you manage their security?
I'd also like to hear from you if you're giving kids' smart home technology a wide berth. What makes you nervous about devices? As always, you can leave your stories, thoughts, and opinions in the comments below.
