Although a fairly new invention to grace the technological scene, the baby monitor has become one of the most useful and indispensable must-have parenting tools. Baby monitors are radio transmitters and receiver systems that enable parents to listen to their child from different locations of the home without actually having to be in the room.
The device consists of two radio-like monitors, one is the transmitter, which contains a microphone, and the other is the receiver that amplifies sound to the listener. Typically, the transmitter will be placed near the sleeping baby, while the receiver is carried with the parent. Baby monitors offer parents a more restful sleep between feedings at night, since it allows them to hear the baby instead of having to get up frequently and physically go in to see if the baby has woken up yet. It also allows the parent to have more freedom while carrying out the routines of the day as their little one is napping.
What to Look for
When a baby monitor is on your list of needed items, it makes good sense to look for a monitor that is compact enough to carry around with ease. Make sure the baby monitor has a low-battery indicator, which will alert you to when the batteries are running low. Equally as important is being able to run the transmitter and receiver by plugging it in to the wall outlet, and not just running it on battery power. Look for a monitor that has a sound-activated light. This feature is useful when a parent is busy vacuuming or using an appliance that interferes with hearing the sounds on the monitor, but will still be alerted to a waking baby because the sound will activate the light on the monitor. Some baby monitor systems come with dual and multiple receivers
As baby-monitor technology continues to make improvements and advancements, parents can now look forward to even more useful features. Some newer monitor's offer a walkie-talkie type of feature that allows not only the parent to hear the baby's noises, but the parent is able to speak into the receiver and have a familiar voice reach the baby. There are also baby monitors that incorporate video capability and allow parents to see and hear the baby.
Also, it is good to know what bandwidth will suit your specific needs. Having a higher bandwidth (up to 900 megahertz) is better for sound clarity, which might be better if you live out in the country or suburbs. A lower bandwidth (around 40 megahertz) will work better for areas with more outside noise interferences.
Common Pitfalls
Though a baby monitor serves as an indispensable parenting tool, it is not a replacement for being available and accessible to your baby. And it definitely should not replace the every-so-often glance into you child's bedroom. A baby monitor's effectiveness can be compromised by interference from concrete walls, cellphones, cordless phones and baby monitors that are being used by other neighbors.
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