The journey to a smarter home usually starts with one device — maybe a video doorbell to see who’s knocking, or a smart speaker to play music on command. Then come the extras, like thermostats, lights, cameras, and appliances, all promising convenience and control. Before long, the home itself feels more attuned to you.

But the thread that holds it all together isn’t the gadgets themselves. It’s the WiFi network running in the background, keeping each piece connected and working as one.

For kids, the internet is a place of discovery. It’s where they stream shows, play games, finish homework and talk to friends. But it’s also where distractions and risks can slip through unnoticed. Parents today face the constant task of balancing openness with oversight — giving their children the freedom to explore while keeping a watchful eye on how they use that freedom.

The challenge is that most home networks weren’t built with families in mind. Traditional WiFi systems provide little more than a signal and a password, leaving parents with few ways to set boundaries or monitor activity. As the number of connected devices in the average home has grown, so has the need for tools that help families manage their digital lives.

Would you leave your home for vacation with the doors unlocked and a window open? Probably not. But did you know you may be leaving your home network wide open to internet hackers without knowing it?

Today, there are an estimated 30 billion smart-home devices in use. Each of them is connected to a home network, and 70 percent of the most popular IoT devices are not secure.

Parenting in the digital age requires internet savvy and a commitment to keeping up with the rapidly changing online landscape. When your child logs onto a tablet, laptop or mobile phone, the world is at their fingertips. And sometimes that can lead to a world of trouble.

Being a parent isn’t for the weak willed. Between riding the emotional rollercoaster of the tween and teen years and getting youngsters to baseball and softball practice, you hope that your home is a safe space for them to just be kids.

But that’s where the real challenge begins. The schoolyard drama, bullying and worse can follow them home on the internet. “In their bedroom” and “totally safe” aren’t the same thing anymore.