Children’s well-being is on the top of every parent’s mind. With so much going on in the world, and what we hear on the news, it’s hard not to get paranoid every now and then. Therefore, home security especially for our kids is of upmost importance. To help better prepare children in the event of an emergency and give parents the peace of mind they need, here are three tips to share with your children.
- Show them how to work the home’s alarm system.
To help monitor a home, parents may want to look into a 24/7 alarm monitoring system. This will allow the monitoring center to be alerted at any time the system is abled and sirens are ringing. Since in today’s world of technology and more children are growing up with it, it won’t be so hard for them to learn and understand. Start by teaching them the basics such as how to arm and disarm the alarm. It’s also a good idea to familiarize them with the alarm’s sound to avoid panic later. If the alarm is to go off while they are home, they will know what the noise is instead of trying to figure it out which gives them more time to react to the situation.
- Let them know the importance of locking the doors and windows.
For some, locking the door behind us is common nature. For others, it’s actually not as usual and for many of us could be forgotten when in a hurry. That is also the same for kids who may leave the home after their parent is gone to get on the bus or be picked up by someone else. Teach your kids what threats could arise if a door or window is unlocked. Especially in the summer when windows are opened more often, always remind them to lock it back when they close it.
- What to do in case of an emergency.
Lastly, and the most important is to teach them what to do in case of an emergency. Run through a few scenarios and ask them to play the role as if it were happening in that moment. Just like they do with a fire drill, it’s good to always practice. Decide where to meet at if you all are trying to get out whether that be a neighbor’s house or a preselected location. If the burglar gets in without setting off the alarm, remind the children to call 9-1-1 as soon as they reach their safe zone. And once again, always, always practice to relieve the stress if that time were to ever happen.
