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Let’s be honest — most “smart home” gadgets are solutions looking for a problem. But a few of them genuinely save you time and sanity once you’ve got kids running around. Here are five that actually earn their keep.
1. Smart Plugs
Put the kids’ nightlight, the porch light, or the coffee maker on a Smart Plug and schedule it once. I actually have all of my Christmas decor setup on smart plugs and everything is on and off at the same time! No more “did anyone turn off the —” arguments at 11pm.
2. Robot Vacuum
With kids in the house, floors get destroyed daily. A Robot Vacuum running on a schedule means you’re not the only line of defense against Cheerio crumbs.
3. Video Doorbell
See who’s at the door without sprinting downstairs mid-nap-time. A video doorbell also doubles as peace of mind when the kids are old enough to be home alone. You will need to verify how much power your current doorbell uses. If you want a full powered, hard wired doorbell, your old push button power source may need an upgrade. There’s always a rechargeable doorbell as well, they usually charge every few months with a USB-C charger for a few hours.
4. Smart Speaker
Set timers, play white noise for • naps, or shout “add diapers to the list” from across the room. A , smart speaker earns its spot on the counter fast. With early Prime Day deals already launched, pick up one of the new Alexa speakers. Great sound quality and can help with endless everyday tasks.
5. Smart Light Bulbs
Dim the lights for bedtime without leaving the couch, or set them to flick on automatically before the 6am wake-up call. Smart bulbs are a cheap, easy upgrade.
None of these are life-changing on their own, but stacked together they shave off dozens of small annoyances every week — and as a dad, that adds up fast. Be careful buying from several different manufacturers. They all have their own app and that’s just a half dozen more usernames and passwords to remember.
Get after it Dad. You deserve to automate your life a little bit and it isn’t that hard.
Practical Dad tech.com 
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