A few weeks ago I posed a question on Facebook to my friends, “At what age can I keep my daughter home alone?” Most of the responses were between 10 and 12, but almost everyone said it depends on maturity. I remember when I was a kid I was home alone all the time when I was 9. My dad would leave for work before I was up for school so I had to get myself up, dressed, eat breakfast and lock up the house before walking 4 blocks to school. I would then come home before he got home from work too. Sounds crazy for a kid in only 4th grade, right? I’m not sure I would trust my 11-year-old with all of that responsibility, but I would like to start keeping her home alone here and there. Maybe for a quick trip to the grocery store or really just for the experience.
Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
It scares me, though. I’m sort of an overprotective mama bear but finally I feel comfortable leaving her at home by herself because we have a Canary Indoor Wireless High-Definition All-In-One Home Security device and Netgear® Nighthawk™ DST Router and DST Adapter with Geek Squad.







This is a brand new router that was exclusively developed between Netgear, an industry leader in the networking world, and Best Buy, to help provide consumers with an easy, all-in-one solution to support their home’s connected devices. As the number of Wi-Fi dependent products increase in a home – the average US household has 7 “connected devices” – from smartphones (often several in a home), to tablets, to laptops, to computers, and Wi-Fi printers, this puts a strain on the home’s network, especially the router. With the interest in online gaming and 4k TVs, connected devices such as smart thermostats, plus the need to stream shows from Netflix or Hulu, it places even more demands on the network. Many households may experience slow Wi-Fi, dropped calls, or experience “dead zones” – which could be improved upon with an “AC” router, Wi-Fi extenders, and expert help.
· The AC1900 comes with one DST, or “Dead Spot Terminator,” adapter – to eliminate your Wi-Fi dead zones; place it in an area where you get little/no reception, to improve Wi-Fi access. Additional adapters can be purchased for other dead zones.
· This high-performance router was built to support 10+ connected devices – you can also prioritize devices for streaming videos or music, and included advanced features for lag-free gaming
Best Buy makes it easy with this new high-performance WiFi router, which includes a WiFi extender and Geek Squad setup and Support via phone & web, for one full year. The Geek Squad service via phone & web allows customers to call or get help 24/7 whenever they want, vs. the need to schedule an appointment. We’ve definitely noticed a huge difference in our computers, phones, and when my husband plays the Xbox. It’s been nice to go from what we thought was a great WiFi connection to an amazing WiFi connection.
I totally need this!! My kids are too young to stay at home by themselves but on thanksgiving a few years ago we were broken into and have no idea who it was to this day. Would’ve been nice to have a camera then!
These is really cool, I love that it has an option for pet movement so no false alarms for pets.
This is perfect for mama bears out there who are not really comfortable of leaving their kids at home. At least now, they can see what the kids are doing and if she’s safe. What I like about this is that it has a button to contact the authorities from the app. How cool is that! BTW, I like where you put you’re Canary. 🙂
I feel a lot safer with my canary home security system as well. I live alone and am disabled due to failed back surgery. I have a lot of peace now when I am away or even when I’m home alone.
Wow! This is new to me, I love this idea, I’m always not around at home it would be perfect for me to keep my eyes on my son.
I’m also worried about kids being left alone at home. Even if they have a nanny to take care of them, it’s still not the same as parents or relatives who can keep them safer. This security system works great and I love that it can detect pet movements.
My girls are still too young to stay home alone, but I would love a product like this when we get to that point. I love the app feature and I would see myself using it a lot.
This sounds like a great product. I am going to tell my sister because they just moved and are trying to decide on a security system.
This sounds like a great security system!! We travel a lot and always worry about our house when we are out in other parts of the world or country!! I need to look into this.
WOW! I am loving this! I have to tell my husband because this is exactly what I want for my home and the price is great!
I think this looks fantastic! I also love how it doesn’t look like an obvious security system. I think when people target homes and when/if they break in they look for obvious security cameras and this doesn’t stick out! Also makes it great for keeping an eye on things when you are away and know someone else is home!
I have heard good things about Canary. My daughter has been thinking of getting a little home security system like this.
This sounds like a great system. I like the idea of being able to check on the house when we are not home.
I think what I like best about the Canary system is that it doesn’t even look like it’s a security system. To me, it looks like some part of a surround sound speaker system. Best Buy has come out with some really great products for the home lately!
definitely! I wish I could have integrated it into our surroundings better but the DVD shelf is the only thing on that wall that would get the entire room, haha. It sorta blends in though.
What a great idea this is. We are on vacation quite often and I like to keep an eye on everything… even when I am not home.
It would be great. and it also records everything in a cloud so if you happen to miss something, you can come back and watch it later which is great for evidence if something bad were to happen
I love these systems. I love being able to check on my house when no one is there, or when they are here!
We have a house alarm, but I think something like this would make me feel even better. And btw, my oldest is 11 and he’s not ready to be left home alone yet. I am thinking 13.