Top 5 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe When They Are Home Alone

Still at work when the kids get home from school? Have to run out and do some errands on the weekend and the kids don’t want to go? These are scenarios most parents have to deal with on a daily basis in today’s world. And in a world where it takes two people working to make ends meet, many parents find themselves faced with letting their children stay home alone for a couple of hours after the school day ends. This, of course, raises issues about the safety of the kids we are letting stay alone. That is why it’s more important than ever to teach your children about home security and follow the below tips to help keep them safe when you can’t be there to do it yourself.

Investigate Home Monitoring/Security Options 

The days when you had to leave your child unprotected and not know what was going on in your home until you walked in the door at the end of the day are long gone. In the modern world of technology, there are home monitoring options galore to be had. From security systems to companies that monitor your home 24/7, options are out there to protect your child and your home when you aren’t there.

Home Security Cameras

Another marvel of this modern age is being able to check in on your kids while they are home alone with more than just a telephone call. Installing home security cameras means that you can see what your children are doing and that they are okay with your own eyes whenever you feel like it. Make sure that you choose a home security camera from a reputable company for your own peace of mind.

Never Answer the Door

One of the first things a child who is about to stay home alone should be taught is to never answer the door. Solicitors, repairmen, and even a ‘friend of the family,’ that your child has never met have been used in the past to gain entry to a home when a child was alone. The best way to combat this is a firm rule that the door is never to be answered when an adult isn’t home, no matter who is on the other side.

Check the Garage and Side Doors

Children are children and even as teenagers have the tendency not to think. They may think of locking the front and back doors but the side doors and the door leading to the garage may never cross their minds. Make sure that these doors are securely locked before you leave your home to avoid someone coming into the home unannounced.

Make Sure Your Kids Are Ready 

The number one thing to do in preparing to leave your kids alone, even if just for an hour is make sure they are up to the task. Just because your state laws say your child is ready at a certain age, doesn’t mean they are. Kids mature at different times and though the kid down the street stays home alone at thirteen, your child might not be ready until he is fourteen. Gauge your child’s maturity level and how responsible they are, before making that important decision, so that you aren’t sorry you did.

These are just a few of the ways that you can prepare your child for staying home alone. From making sure your child is up to the task to ensure you have a reputable home monitoring system, leaving your child alone is a big deal, treat it as one.