by BabyCenter Featured Expert posted in Mom Stories

By Stephanie Hinderks
When my son was 5, I overheard him plotting with the girl next door to sneak out and meet up for a play date?after my husband and I were asleep.
That was the day I decided to get a smart home security system. A mom can?t rely on overhearing every plot, I realized. Even with mother?s intuition (and good hearing), I knew I was going to need some help to protect my kids from their own most audacious schemes.
My Smarter Home Security system, powered by Alarm.com, gives me a ?sixth sense? in the form of real-time alerts generated by sensors which monitor activity around my home. Here are three ways I use it as a childproofing tool.
Knowing Where the Kids Are
My daughter has a lot of energy and loves playing in our backyard?so much so that sometimes she doesn?t ask before heading outside.  Even when I?m just in the next room and think she?s playing quietly, she can slip out without me noticing. I recently set up an alert that lets me know if the back door opens during the daytime. This way, instead of rushing around looking for her when I realize she?s not in the house, I can just glance out of the living room window and check that she?s okay. It?s also fun to see her playing out there in her own world and being a kid.

Monitoring Forbidden Areas
My ?daughter in the backyard? alert is triggered by a contact sensor on the back door. You typically find these devices on exterior doors and windows, but you c...