Those who have children know how something inside of you becomes the almighty protective bear when it comes to the safety of your Littles. Anything can happen in the blink of an eye, and sometimes just when you think you’ve covered all the bases, the unexpected unravels your world. November is National Child Safety & Protection month, so what better way to kick off the month than diving into some gadgets, devices, and apps that can help keep your kiddos safe!
I’m pretty sure the manual that everyone swears should exist once you have a child would start with Childproofing 101: keep children away from outlets, but there are various gadgets that can help to prevent those little fingers from going in dangerous places. These power strip covers by Safety 1st keep little crawlers safe if they wander under a desk that looks intriguing. When the living room becomes the play yard, you want to know that your electronics aren’t posing a risk when a ball rolls under the end table. We put plugs in wall outlets, but can often overlook those power strips that you think are hidden away.
From crawler to cruiser, kids never stop moving and you never stop wondering what they’re doing or where they’re going. When they reach that age of independence, there’s controversy as to whether it breaks the privacy barrier to tag your children with GPS devices, but this Smart Watch takes tracking to a new level. The watch has a voice intercom for quick and easy communication, a one-key SOS feature for distress calls to be sent directly to the guardian, and GPS location including WiFi indoor positioning. While you’re teaching independence, you can sit back more comfortably knowing they are safe and where they’re supposed to be.
Then (most likely after a ton of begging) your kids are finally able to stay home alone. While the thought of parental freedom sounds pretty awesome by then, it can quickly become bittersweet after “what if” thoughts race through your head and you consider bolting the doors shut with a million separate keys and codes. But “what if” you had a Video Doorbell so you could visually see who is at the front door from a smartphone, tablet, or PC. Protect your home and family while out of the house by answering the door remotely with HD video and two-way audio communication, so your children don’t even have to answer the door.
When your teen, on the other hand, insists on going out on the town with her friends (and also insists that it’s not “cool” to wear that cute little Smart Watch you got them as a toddler anymore…) then consider an app on her smartphone as a compromise …you know, just in case! Apps like Life360 allow you to track your children, but it also comes in handy if they lose their phone and you need to hunt it down. Win win for parents! You know your children are safe as well as their lost electronics.
The ultimate catch is when the wheels arrive, and you send your kids out the door – with the keys. Oh yes, every parent has to go through that pit in their gut that first time they give up the co-pilot seat and send them out into the world. Even if your young driver is responsible and reliable, vehicles aren’t, and that’s where devices like the Zubie can come into play where you can connect to your vehicle’s device via an app on your phone and find its location as well as retrieve diagnostic results on the vehicle itself! Make sure your kids are safe behind the wheel and prevent accidents before they might happen by knowing their vehicle is safe and sound.
