Do I Need A Baby Monitor?
Not everyone needs a baby monitor, but most people find that they benefit from at least some of the more popular features. If you live in a relatively small house or flat and can always hear your baby if she or she begins to cry then you may not need a baby monitor.
However, if there are occasions when you may not hear them immediately, such as if you’re in the garden, the garage or the shed, then having a monitor can be extremely important. If you have pets then you may need to keep your child’s door shut, which can make it harder to hear any noises, and so a baby monitor is usually needed in such cases.
Many baby monitors provide a visual representation of the noise level, which can be handy if you’re in a noisy environment such as in the kitchen with the microwave, washing machine or dishwasher going, or simply watching television.
At What Age Does My Child No Longer Need A Baby Monitor?
This is a personal choice, and will depend on by Reviewlr the child and your circumstances. On average most parents tend to use a monitor until around 18 months to 2 years, although other parents find that they use them for longer simply so that the child can more easily call for them if needed.
If your child has a bad dream, needs a glass of water or the toilet, and you’re concerned about them ambling about in the half dark near the stairs, then having a monitor can be reassuring for both parent and child. However, other parents find that they no longer need a monitor after the first year.
Are Baby Monitors Completely Secure?
With more basic audio monitors which use radio frequencies it is possible for any broadcast from your baby’s nursery to be picked up on other nearby baby monitors, and even on radios. This might include private conversations you have near your child’s nursery.
For improved levels of security look for monitors which use DECT technology, which is the same digital encryption used by cordless telephones.
Do I Need All Of The Extra Features Available With Some Of Today’s Monitors?
Not always, no, but it does depend on your circumstances. For example, if your child’s nursery is relatively small, and you have central heating controlled by a thermostat downstairs, then you may find that the temperature in the nursery fluctuates greatly, especially during the evening. Having a remote temperature monitor can be very helpful in such cases.
If your baby begins to whimper a little then a few reassuring words and noises from a parent is often all that’s needed to calm them, reassure them, and coax them back to sleep, saving a full blown wail and another hour settling them back down. If you aren’t always able to dash into the nursery to do this then having a monitor with a talk back feature can save you hours, allowing you to speak to your baby remotely immediately, even if you’re in the bath, or busy baking.
If your baby doesn’t settle well with a light on then having a night vision baby monitor will be essential, because not only will an ordinary video monitor not work in almost complete darkness, but in order to see them at all you’ll need to keep checking on them by popping into their nursery, often holding the door open a bit to let some light in. This is more likely to disturb them, and so a night vision monitor will provide reassurance, and reduce the chance of them being disturbed.
Are Baby Monitors Expensive On Batteries?
Obviously the more features your monitor has the more it will use batteries up. So a monitor which offers video, audio, temperature sensors, talk back, remote control lullaby and night light features will use more power than a basic audio monitor.
However, the unit in your child’s nursery will in most cases be plugged into the mains, and so the unit which uses batteries faster is the remote one. In some cases these have the ability to be plugged into the mains too, and so for some of the time you can simply leave it plugged in nearby, only disconnecting it when you need to go to pop into a different room for a bit.
If you use rechargeable batteries then your remote unit will usually remain charged if you combine keeping it plugged in at times with carrying it about with you. Generally speaking I recommend good quality, branded batteries as these tend to last longer and provide a more reliable performance, especially if using rechargeable batteries.
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