Baby monitors have become a must for today’s parents. The world has come a long way in the past few decades. Massive growth in technology, education, and the spread of information has changed how we view many different things. One of these things is concerned with raising children.
Fundamentally, the process of raising children remains the same. Parents invest enormous time, effort, and emotion to give their children the best they can. This is why being a good parent is considered one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Thankfully, modern technology makes this job just a little bit easier for tireless parents. And one-way technology does so is through baby monitors.
What Does a Baby Monitor Do?
As the name suggests, a baby monitor enables you to see or hear your baby even when they are in another room. Its great features allow you to observe your child day and night and keep track of what they do, how they sleep, and if they are secure in their cots.
For example, some baby monitors track your baby's breath and movement. And in case movement or breath is not detected within a set duration, the monitor blares an emergency alarm to notify you immediately. Because of these reasons, a baby monitor becomes a great proponent of parents' peace of mind.
Types of Baby Monitors
There are different types of baby monitors in the market. While all of them serve the same basic purpose of notifying you about your child when they are in another room, some baby monitors have additional features that make life easier. I have categorized these monitors as follows:
1. Audio Baby Monitors
These are the cheapest, most affordable variants of baby monitors. The device comes along with a microphone that transmits sounds that the baby makes to wherever the receiver is placed. While it is an effective device for alerting someone in another room that the baby is crying, it does not capture anything else.
The VTech DM221 Audio Baby Monitor with digital technology provides crystal clear transmission eliminating any background noise. Find out more about this baby monitor on Amazon.
2. Video Baby Monitors
In addition to listening to your baby, the video monitor allows you to watch exactly what is happening. These monitors have infrared sensors that enable you to see your baby even when the room is dark. This is helpful because it allows you to gauge your baby's situation at all times.
For instance, if you hear that your baby is moving a lot in its cot, you can use the video monitor to see if the baby is moving in its sleep or if its moving because it has somehow climbed to the edge of its cot (babies are surprisingly nimble!). If it's the latter, you can quickly run to your baby's room and protect them from harm.
Additionally, many of these video baby monitors are connected through Wi-Fi, enabling parents to view what their baby is doing on their phones. This is especially vital for working parents who want to keep in touch with their children while at work.
The LeapFrog LF920HD Color Night Vision Video Baby Monitor with pan & tilt video allows you to check your toddler on it's large 7-inch parent unit in 720p HD video quality. Read more about this highly rated baby monitor on Amazon.
3. Smart Baby Monitors
These are the newest versions of baby monitors. They are usually placed under your baby's mattress, and their sensors have the ability to detect your baby's movement and, in some cases, breathing and heart rate.
By using sensors, smart baby monitors give parents more data about their child's sleeping patterns. For example, by tracking breathing and heart rate, the smart monitor can guide parents about their baby's deep sleep cycles. Parents can use this information to create healthier sleeping routines for their children and themselves!
The Angelcare 3-in-1 AC527 Baby Monitor has sound, video and a 5’’colored touchscreen. With its movement sensor pad placed under your baby's mattress, it will sense the smallest of movements. Find out more about this popular baby monitor on Amazon.
Where To From Here....
The only way to determine which monitor is the best for you and your baby is through a process of trial and error. You will find that your personal preferences evolve but what remains consistent in all of this is the convenience that a monitor will bring to your life, along with a healthy sleep routine and peace of mind that will help you engage with your baby much more positively.
There has also been research that suggests that video and sound monitors can aid sleep training. This parenting style is not for all but for those who want to encourage independence and self-soothing, a baby monitor is a perfect tool. It enables parents to exist at a distance from their child, all the while retaining the degree of supervision needed throughout the night.
Video and sound monitors now come with great features that enable parents to make confident judgments regarding the kind of attention their children need.
Continuing to Use the Baby Monitor
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of a baby monitor is how you can use it even after your child outgrows direct supervision. As a parent, you can monitor independent playtime, observe and pattern out your child's sleep cycle, work without worrying during nap time, play hide and seek (or Marco Polo should you wish), read to your baby from the comfort of your room, care for the sick or elderly and even use it for home security purposes.
Summing Up
The only point of hesitation when it comes to baby monitors is the fact that no matter what, there is just no substitute for physical supervision. A baby will always need its parent and creating distance—however minute it may be—is a difficult process for both parties. Therefore, the role of baby monitors is not to substitute parental supervision but instead to be used as a tool for better management.
Living in a fast-paced world like today's, there is much outside the confines of a baby's crib that requires a parent's attention. By using devices such as a baby monitor, parents are able to partake in experiences that they otherwise would have missed out on while worrying about their children's safety.
