New baby in the house? Here’s some extra automation hands.

So, there’s a new baby in my house. I’m desperate for an automation hack that’ll see baby changed and the perfect swaddle executed with a 100% success rate, but while those magic tools are out of reach, there’s a bunch of ways I’m using automation to ease the transition period of welcoming this little one into the world.

Hands-free everything with Alexa

When I’m out of hands because they’re full to the brim with a tiny human, it’s time to call in some help. I use Alexa as an extra set of hands in many ways around the house…

• She controls all the lights in the house through the use of smart bulbs (perfect in the middle of the night) 💡
• Alexa-controlled kitchen timers to keep us fed and our spirits high (she sets a lamp to flash red when the timer goes off, keeping the additional noise down low)
• She’s great at keeping our alarm system active, switching it on and off as needed
• The master of bedtime routines for our older child, activating lowered lights and a goodnight song on schedule
• I order the mountain of goods needed for this new baby through voice activation, which also works to help me talk to delivery people through Alexa’s integration with the Ring doorbell 🛍️

Movement/sound tracking

Strategically placed Wyze cams allow us to monitor movement across our home for safety and functionality. Motion and contact sensors alert us when the baby’s crying, when a window’s left open, or when my older child is opening a door that he shouldn’t be. Bringing IFTTT into the mix allows you to trigger other automations so you can start up the coffee maker, all without having to get out of bed. (Although, let’s face it, if you’ve got a new one too, you’re probably already up.)

Keeping track of ideas and insights

It’s hard to keep track of fresh inspiration hits when there’s plenty going on around me at home. I rely on Siri (or Google Assistant, depending on preference) to create notes on my phone, and to integrate with Evernote to make sure no idea is ever lost, even during the witching hour. My friend Ari Meisel practises the habit of setting a daily reminder to check through his notes and ideas each day. This is best practiced during a lull in the late evening when the house has quieted down and there’s space to review what Siri has notated for you throughout the course of your day.

Photos

New babies = a plethora of photos, and even more family members wanting a constant feed of them. We’ve set up a stream (you can use Apple or Google’s photo functionality) and have invited our family members and friends to be a part of it. I no longer have to send photos to individual people — if they’re in the baby’s inner circle, they’re getting the latest new facial expression delivered to them in real-time.

Human automation with Magic

Mix in the magic of humans and automation with, well, Magic. Magic’s a personal assistant service that organises appointments, hunts down hard-to-find kids products, and can execute just about any errand or task you need to be carried out on your behalf. When our baby arrived early and I needed to reorganise my calendar without a whole lot of notice, Magic sprung into action, and made a world of difference.

All the food delivery

This isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, but hot food and fresh groceries arriving smack bang on your doorstep can sure feel like a miracle.

We make the most of delivery services like Deliveroo and online grocery ordering in this season when our routine is out of whack. Even my cat’s food is set to auto-delivery, turning up every eight weeks so I’m kept safe from hungry paws. I’ve also used Airtasker to outsource some small errands around the home, like cleaning and repairs that I just can’t get to. A few swipes, a quick conversation, and it’s taken care of.

What’s saved your sanity during the first few weeks of new parenthood?

Whenever you’re ready, there are some extra steps you can take to make your business an automated powerhouse:

1. Join the Automation Hackers community

It’s our Facebook community for business owners who want to automate — Click Here.

2. Get your free Automation Checkup

In a free call, I can show you what you can [and should] be automating in your business — Book Here.

3. Work with me and my team privately

Using my Automation Deep Dive method, we’ll create an Automation Blueprint unique to your company. Just send me a message with the words ‘Deep Dive’ and some details about your business, with what you’d like to focus on, and we can take it from there!