Keeping Your Family Secure: It’s the Parents Job!

As parents we have a pretty singular goal in life when it comes to our children.  This goal is to make sure they grow up happy, healthy and secure. We do everything we can for our children to keep them out of harm’s way and ensure they are safe from anything life might throw at them.  While it might be tempting to be there for every minute of the day, this is often not possible.  The reality is that many of us have to work a day job, and entrust the care of our children to the school system, other family members, or trusted adults.

This leaves us in a situation where we have to do our best, and put in place the best security guarantees we can in order to keep our families safe.

Some of the practices we have put in place in our home include:

1.)  Security System in the Home – Most family members will spend more than half of their time at home in a given day.  Often it is necessary for older children to come home on their own unsupervised, or to stay home by themselves when parents must run out to do errands.  ADT security systems are the perfect solution not only for keeping your home safe while you are away, but also keeping it safe at night when you are sleeping, or when older children are home alone.  Installation is generally quite affordable, and the monthly fees for monitoring are inexpensive relative to the peace of mind they provide.

2.)  Have a Family Password – Most parents talk to their children about stranger danger, but the reality is most abduction are carried out by people who know the child and the family.  This is why they are often not reported until it is too late.  A family password allows your child to verify that your best friend, who says they are supposed to pick them up at school, has actually been asked by you to pick them up.  When you ask your friend for help give them the password, when the children get home agree on a new password.

3.)  Decide What Age Children Can Stay By Themselves – Ultimately teens and pre-teens will need some independence, and probably do not need a babysitter for the half hour they are alone between school and their parents coming home.  Set an age, and a length of time your teen is allowed to spend by themselves, and stick to it.  Make sure they know how to operate the security system, and what to do in the event of an emergency.

Don’t leave things to chance.  Think strategically about how you can protect your children and family. And of course, this includes older loved ones too; they are at just as much risk, which is why it’s often a good idea to consider home care services for older adults to protect them too. If you do so then you will have to spend less time worrying about specific things, as your overall plan and sets of rules will eliminate a lot of the uncertainties and dangers.

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