VOICE OF GOD at home...Intercom options to speak to kids?

[Marchmallow20]

I want to set up an intercom system to speak to my kids when they are at the top of the house. I can't scream any more. I know Alexa and smart speakers are PERFECT for this but we have resisted getting one to date as hate the idea of something listening to us all the time and all the additional features I don't want (kid playing the poo song all the time I will be driven insane) and so keen to get something that is wireless but kind of old school - video isn't really needed, but I guess it could be handy. More than that I want to be able to speak like the voice of god (LOL) to them and call them for food, or tell them to hurry up! I'd position it in their hallway...I ideally want a great quality set up, but not another app that I have to locate my phone and have it charged to use. I want a set location downstairs where the 'thing' is and they can pick up a landline like phone or press buzzer to speak to me down in kitchen...a classic intercom really like in an office block...

Has anyone had any experiences to share on creating this kind of system?

I have builders around right now so I could get a system hard wired in...please share any ideas!

I have no idea what to suggest. But I want one too!

A dinner gong would be a simpler option.

Set of walkie talkies with docking stations in key locations?
We have 4 stories and several Echo Dots. I like to announce via my phone when I'm 10 mins from home...

You were supposed to be able to do this with sonos but mine certainly doesn't.

Would love such a thing if it existed

My BT baby monitor would let you do this. You could also play them nursery rhymes of you wanted to really annoy them.

You could keep the 'baby' end on all the time, and just switch the parent end on when you wanted to speak.

I have an antique and unique solution in my house. Hanging from the ceiling in the house is a very real huge bell it was actually off a German warship from the war and I don’t that - otherwise I have echo spots in each room and call those

So wireless but also wired in? 🤔

I think something where they have to pick up a handset to hear you would mean they ignore it, so definitely something where you can be broadcast up there. Loving the Voice Of God image!

We had friends with this set up between the kitchen and the attic/playroom. It was wired through the house but exactly like an old fashioned office intercom. Press a button to speak and your voice is broadcast at the other end.

I just ring a bell. You could even get a gong if your house is big. Short ring = dinner in about five minutes so finish what you're doing. Long bell = dinner now being put on table. Works brilliantly. I can even summon DH from the shed at the bottom of the garden.

My DH and I use walkie talkies for this. We work from home in different parts of the house, and there's no way we'd hear each other just by shouting. Bought a pair of walkie talkies which work really well. I press my button to ask if he wants a coffee, he presses his back to answer. Can adjust volume so it's REALLY loud (maybe not quite God loud, but not far off) if need be.

I need this too. Like walkie talkies stuck to walls

Came here to say this. We had one of these when I was growing up(!) We had a tall house and rather than yell up the stairs that dinner was ready we had a little gong from an antique shop, which makes us sound stupidly posh which we weren't, it was just practical. And quite funny.

In terms of your original question, can you not just phone them?

We have a quad set of BT6610 house phones. They have a facility to call different handsets within the set of 4 with unique ring tones. Also this facility works outside the main house phone line so it will not run up your call costs.
Obviously they can all be used with the conventional house line as well with all the usual features like call display & number blocking etc.
As long as one of your phones lives on its base wherever your kids gather you could simply call them.
Possible benefits are no Amazon, no mobiles & no subscriptions beyond purchase so long as you have a conventional phone point.

i think my set of phones cost about £60 a few years ago.

We do this with Apple HomePod mini speakers - obviously it only works with iPhones, but it's great at dinner time!

Alexa. Just say 'Alexa announce' and then say your message. It will announce it on any Alexas in the house. We have one upstairs so dd can listen to audiobooks.

@DiDonk it works with sonos if it's alexa enabled. Possibly google home too but ours is alexa. You just ask alexa to announce, and it'll broadcast it to all alexa devices, including sonos.

Maybe get a couple of battery operated doorbells and put the ringing ends in their room.

Have you considered a younger child? I usually send my 6yo to ‘tell big brother this, give big sister that.’

Failing that I’d agree with dinner gong. Or depending on age just tell them dinner’s at 5, be down by then.

I second the bell - we have an old school handbell and I just used to keep ringing it until I heard them moving.

You need this!

A long piece of string with a plastic cup at each end....

We also use a standard bell.

Was given one of those "ring this for prosseco" bells (ughhhh) and it lives in the kitchen. I ding it and they come.

Regardless of the cause, if it's rung, everyone assembles. It's quite funny actually.

Everyone ignores the Alexa.

This is so brilliant! Love all these responses and the younger child angle....! Hilarious...thank you all so much. I could get something wired in, but would prefer not to as it's an extra cost and not so flexible. Technology is moving so fast, new options will arrive I am sure and we'll probably all have skin embedded devices before to long to I'll just think PUT ON YOUR PYJAMAS and they will hear my voice in their heads...;-)

Will investigate these ideas and report back.

We have those phones that can call internally.
We have Alexas.
I also have a long pole with a bit of padding on the end which I bang on the ceiling.

The long pole cannot be turned off or down and doesn't need picking up. I don't care if I've turned into my father either

My sister has a wireless doorbell in each of her children’s rooms and the button is hidden in a kitchen cupboard. She uses them to summon her children for dinner.