Having your children at home during the winter break can be a magical experience when their days off coincide with your own. Unfortunately, school vacation may last a week or more, while you may get only two or three days off from work. On those days when the kids are home and you’re at work, you might worry if they’re safe and practicing good behavior.
This isn’t just a holiday problem. Kids may be unsupervised in the home for long periods during the summer, or on a daily basis in the afternoon, before you return from work.
The good news is that advances in home security can help you keep your children safe while you’re away. With an in-home monitoring system, you can check on them throughout the day and can take swift action if problems arise.
Keep Track With Real-Time Video
In-home monitoring systems are the next best thing to being at home, providing real-time video of your children’s whereabouts and activities. From your desktop, tablet or smartphone, you can make sure your teens or pre-teens have gotten home on time and stayed there, and not allowed unwanted guests in. You can also verify that no fire hazards or other issues exist.
Promote Good Behavior
When home monitoring systems are in place, kids know their parents can see exactly what they are doing. This is a great way to keep kids on track with chores, homework or other responsibilities they’ve been assigned. It also ensures that they won’t be planning any parties while you’re away.
Avoid Child Care Costs
Many families pay for winter camp or other structured, fee-based activities as a way to keep their children supervised during school vacations. With a monitoring system, your child can stay in the comfort of his or her own home and remain supervised by you, remotely. You’ll get a lasting solution to your year-round child-care needs.
Remote monitoring is also ideal for parents of younger children who can’t be left alone. If you have in-home child care, you can monitor the whereabouts and activities of your child care provider, ensuring that they are providing the kind of care your child deserves.
Protect the Home Environment
Home monitoring systems are not just for keeping kids on track. They also give parents the opportunity to check on the safety of the home in real time. With them, you can see if the stove has been left on or a sink faucet is running, and you can see who’s at the door and decide whether they can come in.
This ability to see exactly what’s going on in the home will allow you to contact your child or the necessary authorities before small problems spiral out of control. During the holidays and on an everyday basis, a home monitoring system can give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your children are safe.