Things can get hectic in back-to-school season. Schedules change, everyone gets busier, and it becomes easier to forget small but important details as you adjust.

When it comes to keeping your home and family secure, though, Alarm.com has your back. Because our home security technology is smarter, it can recognize when someone forgets something important, and send you an alert. Often, you’ll be able to fix the problem with a single tap on your smartphone.

Here are four types of Alarm.com alerts which are well worth setting up before you and your family navigate the back-to-school transition.

1: Security Reminders

When the clock is ticking and you’re all running late, it’s easy to forget to secure your home.

With Alarm.com, you can fix the situation without turning around. You’ll receive an alert telling you what you forgot to do. On the alert is a button that remotely controls your smart lock, garage door, or security system. Tap it once, and your home is secure.

2: User Code Alerts

When school is done but you’re still at work, knowing that your kids got home safely is essential to your peace of mind.

Alarm.com alert can let you know automatically, without anyone having to call or text. Give your kids their own user code for your security system or smart lock, and create a user alert. When they let themselves in, Alarm.com recognizes their code and sends you a confirmation that they’re home.

3: Smart Video Clips

If your kids are starting a new school this year, making new friends is part of the fun. As a parent, though, you probably don’t want them all in your house unsupervised just yet.

A video smart clip from a camera at your front door, delivered to your phone, shows you exactly who comes home with your kids after school. The ‘smart’ element is that these clips are activated only by a specific trigger – in this case, it could be your kids’ user code – so you don’t get inundated with irrelevant clips.

4: Door Left Open Alert

Even when they’re all home (with approved guests only), Alarm.com can still help keep an eye on things until you’re home. One useful safeguard is the ‘door left open’ alert, triggered by your front door’s contact sensor being left open too long – an indicator that the kids didn’t close it properly.

As well as triggering an alert, this information can also trigger your Alarm.com thermostat to set back, minimizing energy waste until the door is closed again. As the weather gets colder, you’ll be protecting your energy bill as well as your home’s security.

Real-time alerts are just one of the smarter home security benefits you get with an Alarm.com powered security system.