You're stuck at the office when school kicks out, but with the Honeywell Smart Home Security kit you can make sure they're safe (and not causing chaos) without leaving your desk.
Honey I'm home!
Installing a motion sensing camera like the Honeywell Outdoor Motion viewer, or a smart doorbell virtually guarantees you'll be aware of all visitors, but it's worth restricting the range of the motion sensors so you're only alerted to those people who come up to the door, and not interrupted by every passer-by.
Simple sensors
You don't need to install cameras in every corner to be alerted to the kids coming home. Attach the Honeywell Access Sensor to the inside of the front door and it will alert you the second anyone comes home - or leaves.
Find my friends
iPhone users can keep close tabs on their friend and family with the GPS based Find My Friends app. This free service lets you set up location-based alerts that can notify you automatically when a child leaves school (they'll need an iPhone) or arrives home safely. And it doesn't have to be all one-way tracking; you can set it up to let the kids know when you've left work. Android users should try the Life360 app. Alternatively Honeywell Smart Home Security kit users can use the Geofencing feature on the app to alert others you're home.
Peace of mind
By offering advanced free face recognition instead of the more typical motion and noise detection Honeywell's new Smart Home Security Base Station can recognise familiar faces and notify you when they arrive home. So you get a message saying “James has arrived home” rather than an ominous “something moved” message from other systems. Naturally, if the 1080p camera does spot a stranger - new 'friends' beware - you'll get an instant alert and a video clip will be pinged to your smartphone.
Say hello!
Phone batteries go flat, get left in school bags - and ignored when you ring them - but you can still touch base with the kids using Amazon Alexa. Known as Alexa-to-Alexa calling and messaging, you can make calls to any compatible device and leave messages all for free using the Alexa app (iOS, Android). Think Walkie-talkie or an intercom system, but you don't need to be nearby for it to work.
Cheeky childcare
Phew, they made it safely back from school, but that doesn't mean the kids can just slump in front of the TV. Using IFTTT - If This Then That - Amazon Alexa timers and the Honeywell Smart Home Security Base Station's sensors, you can get Alexa to remind the kids to do their homework, let the dog out and feed themselves the moment they walk through the door!