Make Sure Your Kids Are Safe When Home Alone
If you are the parent of children who are old enough to stay home alone, then you probably spend a lot of time worrying about their safety while you are at work. However, there are some home safety tips you can use to be sure your kids are safe when you aren’t with them. These tips are easy and will bring you peace of mind.
Use the Home Alarm
If you don’t already have an alarm system installed in your home, then it is worth the effort and money to add one. However, the key to making sure this system keeps your children safe is to pay for security system monitoring from a company that offers such a service such as Alarm Relay. If the house alarm goes off because a burglar is trying to get in or a fire starts, the alarm company will notify the police or fire department immediately. This means you don’t have to worry about your children panicking and forgetting what to do in case of an emergency. This is a back-up plan, so you know the authorities are only a phone call away if they are needed.
Teach House Safety Rules
Another tip is to spend one weekend each year teaching your children the house rules about safety. During this two day event, you need to teach your children how to use the microwave properly, how to use the fire extinguisher, how to call the phone numbers for the fire department, police station and local poison control center and how to answer the phone and door when you aren’t home. One other great idea is to create exit plans to show your children how to safely get out of the house if a fire occurs.
A Safety Sheet
One good tip is to create and laminate a safety sheet to keep out on the kitchen counter or in another easy to access location. The safety sheet should include a list of things you do not want your kids doing when you aren’t home such as not using the stove. The sheet can also contain the contact numbers for a trusted neighbor or other adult in case of an emergency. List any protocols you want your children to follow such as alerting you if they plan on leaving the house.
When you put the right safety measures in place, your children will be safe and act responsibly. You can trust that they will obey the rules when the rules are clear.