Being a parent isn’t always easy. You’re constantly having to do things like make dinner, clean up, help your kids with homework and drive them to wherever they need to go. With so much going on, it would be great if things around your home were a little easier. With that in mind, here are 5 home conveniences you should consider adding that will hopefully make life as a parent more manageable.
A Smart Thermostat
A great modern convenience to give yourself is a smart thermostat. Smart thermostats can do things like automatically adjust the temperature based on the time of day or allow you control via your smartphone. So when you’re playing around with your kids in one room of the house, and it starts to get a little warm, you don’t have to travel all the way to your thermostat – you can simply take out your phone.
A small convenience like this is not only helpful, but it can save you money as well. You could shut off the heat before your family leaves for the day, then have it turn back on a few minutes before you return. Now your heat doesn’t have to run all day, but you still get to walk into a warm home.
Voice Assistant
Next, a voice assistant will help you to do a lot of the little things around the home. With a voice assistant, like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, you can play music, check the local traffic and weather, create a shopping list, conduct internet searches and even find recipes. Put one of these in your kitchen and you instantly have a tool that you’ll be using throughout the day.
To make your voice assistant even better, you’ll need some extra equipment. For example, many TVs are now compatible with different voice assistants, so you could control the TV with just your voice. Or you could connect your voice assistant to your smart thermostat, giving you another way to control it. Finally, there are ways to connect your assistant to your lights, so you can turn them on and off without having to get up.
Garage Door Opener
If you park your car in the garage, or if your garage leads into your home, and you don’t already have a garage door opener, now is the time to get one. According to Your Garage Door Guys, “The typical garage door involves an assembly of different parts, including the power unit, electric motor, track, and trolley. These work together to open and close your garage door with ease.”
With this system set up, you’ll not only make your home more secure, but you can open and close your garage with just a push of a button. This makes it easier when you’re pulling up in your car or when your hands are full with other things.
On-Demand Hot Water
After spending a long day getting work done, taking care of the house and playing with your kids, there’s nothing better than stepping into a hot shower. That’s why it’s frustrating when the hot water runs out after just a couple of minutes, or there isn’t any to begin with. To fix this problem, look into adding a tankless water heater to your home.
With a tankless water heater, hot water is created on demand, rather than being stored in a tank. This means you’ll never run out of hot water, no matter how much you use it. Tankless water heaters are relatively inexpensive, but you will likely need a professional to install it for you.
Security Cameras
Finally, security cameras around your property can now do more than just provide some peace of mind. With modern security cameras you can keep an eye on your home, even when you’re out and about. This is great if you work past the time your children arrive home from school and want to check to make sure they arrive home safely. You can also use them to keep an eye on your pets during the day, so that you have a little warning if there’s going to be a mess to clean up. If you’re interested in adding some security cameras to your home, here are some options to consider.
Make Life Easier for Yourself
Being a parent is hard enough as it is. If you can find a few ways to make things around the home a little easier for you, you should jump at the chance. With the items mentioned above added to your home, you’ll find it easier to get things done. Each individual one may not revolutionize how your life operates as a parent, but together they can certainly help to make things more manageable.