The prevalence of smart home Internet of Things (IoT) devices has led to an increased adoption worldwide. The widespread acceptance and adoption of these smart home devices by both organizations and individuals can be attributed to the numerous advantages facilitated by the advancing Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. These technologies incorporate sensors, cameras, and actuators in devices, enabling them to gather information from the surroundings and perform designated tasks, thereby simplifying users’ daily lives and work. However, the emergence of various types of smart home devices has significantly amplified the cyber threat landscape and subsequently this has resulted in a heightened demand for enhanced cybersecurity measures. The escalation and evolution of digital threats targeting smart home networks have led to several innovations. However, despite extensive research and investigations, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks remain a pervasive and common attack vector targeting smart home IoT networks. This study delves into various existing DDoS attack types targeting smart home IoT networks and the common cybersecurity approaches tailored for mitigating these unique challenges. Additionally, we classified the mitigation techniques into three major categories, namely: Action or Event-based, Location-based & Hybrid-based systems. Finally, the challenges associated with each of these techniques we highlighted and future research directions in this emerging field presented.