I'm not talking about overcomplicating your life with more screens and settings, I'm talking about smart, practical tools that actually save you time and stress.
If it’s a gadget that helps you keep an eye on the kids while you’re finishing up work, a device that reminds them (and you) of what needs to get done, or something that just helps the day run smoother, these devices are made for real-life parenting, not the picture-perfect kind you see on social media.
So if your hands are full, these seven tech gadgets might just be the extra help you didn’t know you needed. Ready? Let’s get into it.
Part of Google's smart home product family, the Google Nest Cam gives parents a reliable way to check in on their kids from anywhere at home. The wired or battery-powered indoor camera easily mounts to any wall and can be angled to give you the view you need.
Once installed, download the app and create an account to pair the app with your camera.
You can get a real-time live video feed of your home and up to three free hours of past live video if you need to catch up on what you missed.
If there's activity in your home, Google Nest Cam will send an alert to your phone. It can tell the difference between people and pets, so your indoor pets won't constantly set off any alarms.
In terms of video quality, the 1080p camera feed gives you a crystal-clear picture. You can also toggle between normal and night vision depending on the time of day.
Encryption keeps your smart cam secure from outsiders. It comes with everything you need to install the camera, including a wall mount, stand, and hinge to adjust the camera to your desired angle. You can get the Google Nest Cam from home improvement retailers or Amazon for CA$289.99.
Digital calendars solved the traditional headaches of fixed paper calendars. You can take your digital calendar everywhere, easily edit events, and add as many events as you like without running out of space.
The Skylight Calendar ups the ante by bringing your digital calendar from your phone or computer to your wall or desk and adding a few cool features.
A large, brightly lit screen shows you each day, week, or month at a glance. Key features include colour-coded chore charts, custom grocery lists and other to-do's, and weather alerts.
You can use the included mobile app to add events to the calendar, which anyone in your household can access via their app or the calendar interface.
The Plus plan adds a few extras to your calendar. When you're not checking your schedule, the calendar can double as a digital photo frame showing you your favourite images.
You can upload your photos via the app and change them whenever you want. The Magic Import feature will turn all those little paper notes, flyers, and email reminders into events on your calendar.
The subscription add-on is CA$109.99 for the year. You can also buy the Skylight Calendar outright with no plan starting at CA$449 for the 10-inch version.
Losing keys can be a thing of the past for parents and their kids. The Schlage Keypad Entry Door Lock is a smarter door lock that lets you set up an access code for keyless entry into your home.
This keypad entry door lock is unique because it will automatically relock itself after five seconds, giving your kids enough time to enter the home and shut the door.
You also won't have to worry about your kids locking themselves inside. From the inside, you can open the door at any time without dealing with locks or keys, but opening the door on the inside won't unlock it on the outside.
This means no more broken windows or expensive locksmiths to get back into your home. Even better, no programming is required since the lock comes with two preset codes ready for use. The Schlage Keypad Entry Door Lock retails at Lowe's for about CA$173.
I don’t know how many times I’ve had to sit by the phone waiting for my kid to call because they forgot their key again. With the Schlage Keypad Entry Door Lock, those days are over. Just punch in the code, and boom you’re in.
At CA$173, it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Another Google Home smart device, the Google Nest Hub gives you the advantages of a smart speaker with the convenience of a screen. Similar to a smart home speaker, the Google Nest Hub can serve as the nucleus of other smart technologies, like lighting, door locks, and window shades.
The biggest difference is the presence of a screen, which you can use to watch videos and get visual information.
During the school year, it's useful for setting alarms and reminders, offering homework help, playing music or podcasts, or video chatting with your kids or teens while at work.
The Nest Hub is also a Chromecast device, so you can send content to it at any time. It can also double as a home intercom speaker; use the command "Hello, Google Broadcast" and share your message across all connected devices in the home.
If you have a Google Nest doorbell, kids can also use the Nest Hub to see who's at the door before answering it, giving them an extra layer of safety when you're not at home. You can get the Google Nest Hub second gen for CA$137.35.
Between school supplies, gym bags, and extracurricular activities, kids have no shortage of things to keep up with at school.
Water bottles, backpacks, lunch boxes, extra shoes and clothes, musical instruments, house keys, car keys, laptops, electronics, sports equipment, hoodies and jackets, purses, and a myriad of other extras can easily get lost in the daily shuffle and can be costly to replace.
That's what makes Tile Mate such an essential back-to-school gadget. These small black squares are actually tracking devices. They connect to an app on your phone, allowing you to track the item they're attached to.
If your student is notoriously forgetful about a certain item, you'll get your money's worth simply by never losing that item again.
Or, if your child rides the bus or rides home with someone else, you can attach a Tile Mate to their backpack or shoes to keep track of them when you're not there. A three-pack of Tile Mate tiles costs about CA$69 on Amazon.
Every piece of art, every report card, and every A+ assignment is worth keeping. Digital storage is the solution if you want to eliminate clutter without discarding your child's precious work.
Western Digital's EasyStore Hard Drive gives you a terabyte or more of storage space likely enough to store all of your child's coursework and achievements from Kindergarten through graduation.
It connects to your computer via USB, where you can drag and drop images, videos, and other content for safekeeping.
Mega storage comes in a compact device you can place on your desk without it getting in the way. It's the place where you can add school pictures, scans of artwork, photos and videos from sports games and activities, award certificates, or anything else you and your child might want to relive one day.
It also includes backup software in case of hard drive failure so you won't lose all of your content. You can get the two-terabyte version of the EasyStore Hard Drive from Best Buy for CA$109.89.
No matter what you buy your child for school, chances are there's another student with the same one. Some items are easier to write names on than others, especially if you want to be inconspicuous about it. For everything else, there's the Phomemo Bluetooth Label Maker.
This portable, handheld label maker uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone, where you can use the app to design labels and print them on demand.
By putting names on lunch boxes and pencil boxes or creating unique labels for each notebook on each subject, you can customize your child's school supplies in seconds.
The app templates include over 1,000 symbols and multiple frames and fonts, so every label can be customized to your liking.
The Phomemo Bluetooth Label Maker retails on Amazon for about CA$50.83, depending on the colour, and comes with three pre-cut rolls of sticky labels. These also make great teacher's gifts.
Looking to simplify back-to-school chaos? Check out these tech gadgets for busy parents:
As a stay-at-home dad who’s constantly balancing parenting, work, and figuring out what’s for dinner is hard. One minute it’s summer, the next you’re in charge of schedules, school runs, packed lunches, forgotten permission slips, and emotional support all at once.
That’s why I love these gadgets so much. They’re not just fancy tools; they’re little helpers that take some of the weight off your shoulders.
Take the Google Nest Cam, for example. It’s like having a second pair of eyes when you’re not home. Or the Skylight Calendar finally, a way to get everyone on the same page.
Tech isn’t a magic fix-all. These gadgets are amazing, but they’re not substitutes for good old-fashioned communication and connection.
Make sure you’re still checking in with your kids not just through a camera or a smartwatch, but with real conversations. Ask them how their day was. Be present, even when life feels like a tornado.
And hey, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s okay. Parenting is hard, and there’s no rulebook. That’s why I started austinplease.com to share tips, stories, and a little bit of humour to help all of us navigate this wild ride called family life.
Disclosure: I may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below at no cost to you if you decide to purchase a paid plan. You can read our affiliate disclosure in our privacy policy. This site is not intending to provide financial advice. This is for entertainment only.
