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Everywhere you turn there are horror stories about children being hurt at home. I am not talking about accidents here, rather your child’s safety at home when it comes to intruders.

As parents it’s our job to ensure their safety from all potential threats, a job which none of us take lightly.

Even when they are online, kids need protection in the home because whether we like it or not the world is a very connected place and if your kids are chatting on the Internet they may attract unwanted attention without realising it.

Here are some things to think about:

Online security

Sometimes we underestimate how often our kids are online and we don’t know who they are talking to. Parental controls are available to help you guide your children towards age appropriate content.

It helps to encourage open conversations with your children about their interests and their favourite sites to get an idea of what they are looking at. Warn them about meeting with people they talk to online and the danger that they can be putting themselves into.

You also need to ensure that you have strong security measures in place for your home network – this includes all devices that you may have connected to the Internet i.e. door locks, security cameras. It is becoming more common for hackers to access these devices to plan home robberies.

Children’s safety in the house

Think about your kids when you decide on the security elements of your home because, whether you like it or not, you are not always there. Some things that you can take into account are:

  • Window and door locks that kids can open if they need to exit in an emergency
  • Security cameras with remote access so you can check on your children when they are home alone
  • Consider a doorbell with a camera that allows them to see who is at the door before it is opened
  • Have motion sensitive outdoor lights so if they arrive home late they are not left in the dark when they are unlocking the front door
  • Keep the front garden clear, especially around windows, so there are no easy hiding places for would be intruders.

Have safety conversations

Talking to your kids about safety helps to prepare them. Explain to them about the safety features in the house and how they are to be used. If they understand the possible dangers, then they can be prepared in case of an emergency.

Do you have any tips to help keep your kids safe at home? SHARE with us in the comments below.

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  • thanks for the tips

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  • sometimes i feel so helpless… we do our best and at times it feels like everything slipping out of hand

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  • We have “peep holes” in our solid wooden front doors. The are professionally installed small circles of glass that act as magnifiers that you can see through even through our security screen door mesh. These have been around for a long time. We were actually given ours as a bonus one year when we renewed our House Insurance Policy. When they first came out one year we were given a smoke alarm. At that stage they weren’t hard wired.
    Sensor lights are a great idea. They also alert people inside the house in the front rooms that there is somebody/something about. However you don’t want the nsensor light of your neighbours across a wide road shining in your bedroom window during the night because it’s tilted up too high and it’s triggered by every vehicle that goes past. I know somebody who plucked up courage to discuss the issue with a neighbour to see if the light could be tilted down a bit as although they had thick heavy vurtains the light was shining past the edge of them and lighting their bedroom up like a christmas tree with plain lights – I kid you not. I was housesitting once. It was terrible.

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  • Great ideas Glenn, thanks so much.

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  • We do have the safety conversation often. We have a security door (always locked) on the front, back and alfresco doors, as well as external security cameras where my son can access the vision on the TV. We always tell him not to answer the door when we’re not home. Not necessary, unless someone is expected.

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  • A camera doorbell sounds good to me….However we have a frontdoor with glass panels and motion sensor lights so you can just see who is or isn’t there. We rent our house so we can’t just change that.

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  • As far as online safety I think parents need to be aware of they are posting on their facebook accounts. There are some weird people out there and it pays to be very careful.

    Also….as far as home security is concerned. I often get calls from ‘home security businesses’ and one of their questions is “Do you have home security such as alarm systems, etc?”….my standard response is “Part of my home security is to not discuss my home security with strangers over the phone or in person…im not interested…thank you”….and then I hang up


    • Loved reading this also Meedee …smart response to the phone call. :-)

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  • We have a camera door bell – it activates so we can see who is at the door and we can watch them leaving or what they are doing. Great for our privacy – but the kids play with it.

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  • I really like the idea of a doorbell with a camera in it. I think that’s a safe idea.

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  • We have a “peep hole” in our front door. When you look through it you see a magnified view of who or what is at your door. You can not see through it at all from the outside surface of it. It is like a tiny magnifying glass in a tiny metal ring fitted into your door. One problem – a person may be able to hear you walking towards the door. The screen you check that is linked to the camera needs to be far enough away that you aren’t heard. A very bright “blinding” sensor light will deter some.

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  • This is a good article.. How sad that we live in a world like this!

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  • If only our kids were safe in our homes. There are great tips here.

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  • Thank you for this article. It reminds us to be vigilant at all times.

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  • Fantastic article with great tips. Thank you

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  • Great tips. It’s scary how quickly kids can be in danger even in their own home so we make sure all our kids know how to call for emergency help.

    Reply

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