Ask any parent traveling with kids and they’ll tell you it takes practice and maybe a few miniature gins during the flight. There’s only then a lot to juggle. That’s how I ended up in another country without a baby monitor.
Scream.
No parent wants to go to bed with their children. Especially not on vacation. I also didn’t feel like ordering room service from the only place we could eat with the light on: the hotel bathroom. Sushi near the toilet? No thanks.
Fortunately, Instagram saved me from bedtime at 7 p.m. with an awesome iPhone hack. Andbecause we all deserve to know what we can do to make our lives easier, I’m here to share THE hack, and more, with you.
Cut to – the best iPhone tips for parents.
May you never be without a makeshift baby monitor or sleep-inducing white noise machine again.
Turn your iPhone into a baby monitor
Yes, it’s true. And there are several ways to do it, according to @Whereisbriggs.
1) If you’re traveling with your iPhone and an Apple Watch, you’ve got what you need for a basic “sound only” baby monitor. With just a few clicks, you can have your iPhone continuously listen for certain sounds, like a baby crying, and notify you when that sound is recognized. Clever, huh? Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition. Choose “crying baby”. Now place your phone next to your baby’s travel cot. When they scream, you get a notification on your Apple Watch.
More into video monitors? Try hack #2.
2) Place your phone in a location that allows a good view of your baby. Then open the camera on your Apple Watch and you can see a live stream from your phone to your watch.
No Apple Watch? No problem. You and your partner can replicate this setup with two phones. Just install a phone in the baby’s room and video call your partner’s phone.
3) Apple Airpods can be useful when you forget your monitor. Go to your iPhone settings and click Control Center > Add Audience. Next, open Control Center and enable Live Listen. This turns your phone into a microphone to create a live sound stream between your phone and your Airpods.
Use white noise for longer and better naps
In the 1990s, researchers discovered the secret recipe for newborn sleep: white noise. One study found that 80% of newborns fell asleep faster when listening to white noise. Already looking for white noise on Google? I thought so. Well, cancel the white noise machine order because your iPhone can give you instant access to those sleepy sounds.
Go to Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual (under Hearing) > Background Sounds (essentially, Apple’s term for white noise).
Press the on/off button at the top to start background sounds. You can choose from a selection of sounds.
And it’s better. Return to your Accessibility menu. Scroll down and tap Accessibility Shortcut (under General). Tap Background Sound to select it from the list. Now when you triple click the side button you get an instant nap sound. You’re welcome.
Treat yourself to a night out of the bedtime routine
CBeebies Bedtime Stories Sold Out? Are you tired of books? Become your own host of a bedtime show using only your phone. Just record yourself reading a book and play the video to your toddler when you need sleep time but are so tired you can’t even. Or, plug your phone in the car on long drives. Clever.
Best Sleep Masks
Increase your chances of everyone looking at the camera
Go to your camera settings and enable Live Photos. A Live Photo captures what happens just before and after your photo is taken, including audio.
“It’s the only way to get a picture of squirming kids,” says @amber_voiler. I hear you, Amber.
Record streams with one hand
Simply drag and drop widgets from the Today view onto your home screen or add widgets from the home screen edit menu. This gives you access to your most-used baby apps so you can feed with one hand and record what’s happening with the other. Clever.
Add milestones to photos and videos
” When [insert name] have your first tooth? “. Good question but one that is difficult to answer precisely when you live in a constant state of sleep deprivation. Luckily, new photo/video captions can save us all from mommy guilt.
Add a caption to any photo or video you take by swiping the image up. The text will automatically save to your iCloud Photos. Later, when you need to recall your parental milestones, type the caption or keyword into your iPhone’s search window to find the photo evidence. Genius.
Protect your screen from children
Someone gift @melissajean1223’s husband a medal (pint?) for just saving us from 500 car floor pics and app store purchases we really didn’t want. Below, he walks us through how to deploy Guided Access Mode.
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This prohibits busy fingers from clicking on the YouTube video given to them and any other application. In fact, turn off all the screen options and they won’t change screens at all.
AndRelax.
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