Home Technology Can Make Life Easier for a Stay-at-Home Parent

The concept of the "smart home" is an achievable goal for the average family.

Over a WiFi network, sensors on your doors and windows can work together to make your home safer. You can be alerted each time something is opened, and set alarms for when you are sleeping or away. Usually this home automation system can be accessed via an application on your phone, so you can monitor your house even when you aren't there.

If you'd like even more control, you can add visual security, as well. Wireless security cameras can be set up at strategic points around your home or at your front door, and can be monitored across your smart devices. Some doorbell security cameras even allow you to speak over the intercom.

If you no longer wish to worry about keys, you can install a smart-lock that recognizes your phone using Bluetooth instead. You and your family will feel safe and secure at all times of day.

It can be time consuming running from room to room to adjust the temperature or lights in different parts of the house. If you have a large house with many rooms, checking to make sure all the lights are off can be a chore, too. Now these things can be checked and controlled from the palm of your hand, or one central hub in your home.

This home automation system can be a real energy saver. Directly monitoring the energy output can help to reduce your bills- you can even set it to automatically adjust to certain conditions. To go all out, you could also install automated window shades that can be controlled by this same system.

These days there is also such a thing as smart blackout glass, which can switch from clear to opaque at the flick of a switch.

Smart home technology can also be applied to the fun stuff, like your entertainment systems. Speakers, televisions, projectors and all of your accounts can be easily accessed via your voice alone. You can tell the system what you want to listen to and how loud without putting down whatever you are doing.

Depending on your home, this can be customized to only play in one specific room or your whole house at once. That way if someone is quietly studying in the den, you can still rock out while cooking dinner. You won't have to search through a lengthy TV guide anymore, either, simply ask your television if something is available.

One of the most surprising and handy applications of home automation has got to be in the appliance arena. Now, your refrigerator can tell you when you are low on eggs, and even order them to your house for you. You can set up automated pet feeding machines so that you never forget the dog's dinner again.

You no longer have to touch your faucet, but can instead tell it how much water you would like and at what temperature from the other side of the kitchen.

The market is filled with kitchen appliances that can connect to your WiFi network- you can send cooking instructions to your oven, receive updates from your washing machine, tell your coffee maker to turn on or send commands to your dishwasher on your phone or tablet device.

Daily tasks and chores are becoming more hands-off than ever. Your machines can now truly do the work for you, even when you aren't home with them. Let yourself focus on what's really important in life while home automation takes care of the rest.