Dear Steemians!

As you may or may not be aware I'm expecting my first child in December. Owing to this, I've been enjoying figuring out ways I might automate simple parenting tasks. Of course I would probably never be able to execute any of these tasks because of various reasons (at the heart of all of them is a deep concern that parenting shouldn't be automated). With the switch towards app-based everything and decentralisation, this is a post to make your imaginations come alive with ideas and thoughts regarding the topic. Please feel free to share you own for giggles in the comments!

Automated Rocker

Imagine a simple device that could rock the baby sleeping peacefully in its cot. Imagine that this device was Wi-Fi enabled and had an app where you could personalise your rocking to the specific tastes of your child. Imagine also that this simple mechanism had a Raspberry Pi and Arduino to control it, making construction and programming a breeze! Also I was thinking a boxing glove would make a great surface to soften the impact of whatever mechanism is actually doing the rocking. Does this sound like the device for you? Build one and let me know how much time you saved by not having to rock your child to sleep every night.

Smart Mobile

Everything nowadays is smart. Why not make a smart mobile (the thing that hangs above the cot and distracts the child) that is interactive and shows your child more of the world! I was thinking of a screen located nearby the cot with a programmable display for showing colours, animals, cartoons, and other simple images (like maybe the alphabet?) to inspire learning at an even younger age. Smaller screens mean cheaper cost and it only needs to be able to run a powerpoint for your child to enjoy. The movement of the mobile has now become digital and smart, completely in the parent's control - who's with me? :)

Thanks for reading! If you have any novel ideas related to this topic, please share them! :)