Domestic burglaries are one of many possible threats that can occur even in relatively peaceful neighborhoods. The possibility of a stranger invading your home can not only cause material damage but be a source of anxiety for your children. The best way to ensure your loved ones feel safe is to invest in home security.
Make Your Children a Partner in the Home Security Strategy
The technical aspects of home security are important. However, the tools can only provide the desired results if every member of the family is aware of the gadgets that guard the home and knows how to use them.
For an effective home security strategy, you must include your children in the security plan such as the recommendations made by David Todva. The idea is to prepare them for any emergency without scaring them. Being proactive is the best course of action, and some valve tips are:
- Create rules to follow: Outline the crucial rules, such as do not open the door to strangers or don’t move further from the yard alone. Train them how to lock doors and windows and teach them to dial 911 via speed dial. Your kid must be aware that police officers or firefighters are nothing to fear but should look at them as a source of help in an emergency. Positive reinforcement is necessary to motivate your child to stay vigilant.
- Build a secure room: Choose one of the rooms to be a designated safe room and install extra deadbolts. Place first aid kits in the room and have an escape route, such as a ladder. Rehearse with your children how to safely enter the secured room.
- Formulate an emergency plan: Defining a plan for any emergency by analyzing potential scenarios is a good strategy. Go over the plan with your children and periodically perform training activities to keep them proficient and improve response time. Boost their confidence by rewarding proper behavior.
- Enforce information discipline: Your children should not brag about expensive purchases to friends or online. Teach them not to share details about family purchases or plans.
Recommended Technical Precautionary Measures
In previous decades, a sturdy door and an alarm system were the only means to protect your home. However, in today’s digital era, a diverse range of devices improve security and eliminate vulnerabilities that were easily exploited by criminals in the past. Some measures are common sense but can work more effectively if paired with technology. Below, we examine several steps to better protect your home.
Always Lock Doors and Windows
Ensuring that every entry point of the home, such as doors and windows, is locked is the first line of defense. Even when you are home, keep the entryways closed and secured. Develop a habit of double-checking if the windows and doors are locked. You can use smart locks that signal when a door or window is open. Additionally, you will have remote access to your doors and receive notifications of potential tampering attempts with the locks. Teach your kids to develop a habit of regularly closing the doors and windows.
Invest in Motion Sensors
Motion sensors are now an affordable and effective method to gain full situational awareness outside and in your home. You can strategically position the motion sensors on likely avenues of approach and monitor your yard or garage. If an intruder nears your property, you will be alarmed by the danger and can take precautions. Most modern sensors can distinguish between pets and humans, reducing the potential for false alarms. The sensors can be integrated with the alarm system to notify law enforcement of a potential intruder.
Install Smart Lights
Illumination is the best way to discourage potential burglaries and improve the visibility of your property.
Criminals do not like attention, and a porch or garden light will eliminate opportunities for burglars to creep up to your house. Modern lighting systems can be controlled via your smartphone or work automatically through predetermined time frames.
Video Surveillance
Cameras not only document activities around and in the house but also allow you to monitor the home environment in real time from any location. Security cameras are a great option to ensure your children are safe, not just from criminals, but from threats such as fires or flooding. You can even see if your kid is trying to enter an out-of-limit area, such as the basement or garage, and give them an immediate reprimand by phone or the home security system, even when you’re at work or traveling.
