Here are four ways Nest products can help you stay connected to your kids at home, whether you’re in another part of the house or out and about.

Leandra Wills, a mother of two in Colorado, often lets her kids, ages 10 and 13, walk home from school by themselves. She knows it takes them only about 10 minutes, and these days, she knows when they’ve made it, thanks to their Nest Doorbell, which sends a notification through the Google Home app on her phone. Its camera spots anyone who comes to the front door and sends an alert in real time.¹ “It’s nice to see that they got home safely and nice to stay connected,” Wills says. And if it’s just a delivery person with a package, she’ll know that too.

The Google Home app on the phone also allows you to manage smart home locks. This  means that you can lock and unlock your home physically and remotely, giving you peace of mind when it comes to looking after your children and your home.

“My kids know the dog needs to go out for a walk every afternoon around 4 p.m., but a gentle reminder never hurts,” says Katy Chapman, whose kids are 11 and 14, and who has Nest speakers around the house so that she can broadcast messages as needed. “I use the smart home system to broadcast a message on the speakers in their bedrooms to make sure one of them has taken Lulu out on schedule.” Broadcast in Action lets you include announcements within a routine, so that at 4 p.m. every day, the Chapman speakers might announce: “It’s time to walk the dog.”

You can also set up Family Bell to do the reminding for you. It automatically makes announcements on your Nest speakers or family members’ phones. Try things like, “Hey kids, it’s time to walk the dog,” or “Dinner’s in 15 minutes,” to keep everyone on track.

Kids and screens can be a tricky combination. And when you’re not there, you may want to make sure your kids aren’t spending endless hours on games and videos. The Nest Wi-Fi systems not only provide reliable connectivity, but they also allow you to set up some digital guardrails.

For example, you can manage your Wi-Fi remotely from the Google Home app, ahead of time or in the moment. Create internet breaks by pausing access to select devices either on demand or according to a schedule, so your kids can’t be on their screens when you’re expecting them to be doing homework or practising an instrument. Nest Wi-Fi settings also allow you to block millions of adult websites. 

Parents can also use the Family Link app on their phones to monitor and limit online activity, block certain apps, and approve or decline purchases.

“I use it to set limits on certain apps, like TikTok, and if the girls want more time, or new apps, I can approve or deny that request from my phone using the smart home ecosystem,” says Jane Ryan, a New Jersey mum to two teenage daughters. Ryan says even when she’s not in the room with her girls, she feels she can use the Nest ecosystem to help them make good choices.