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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

There are quite a few examples in the news of people’s homes being broken into. While it is horrible to think of someone breaking into your house and stealing your valuables, it’s an even more horrific thought that someone could break into your house when you or your loved ones are home. Often such scenarios end with someone being seriously hurt, presenting a major point of concern.

Home Alone
>Because of the constant flow of news stories alerting people to burglaries across the nation, many parents think twice before leaving their children home alone. While it’s common sense that you should not leave small children alone in a house, parents often feel squeamish about leaving older children home alone. But sometimes it is an unavoidable situation, for example when children return home from school while parents are still at work.

When older children are left home alone, the reality is that they essentially take charge of your home security. Because of this fact, before parents leave older children home alone they need to ensure that the proper security measures have been set up and that children understand those measures, their importance and how to properly use them.

Systems That Empower Security
Perhaps the most important security measure for home is a security system. Security systems can discourage criminals from targeting a house simply because they make a burglary that much more complex. While older alarm systems are useful, newer systems come with quite a few features that parents find to be useful when their children are home alone. Wireless systems provide the flexibility of placing the various components of a security system wherever they are needed in the home, such as security cameras and sensors. And parents can log in to the system remotely via a secured connection, allowing them to view what’s going on in the house through the security cameras and to ensure their children are using the security system correctly. If the children forget to arm the security system once they return home, parents can arm the system for them.

Teach Kids How To React
Older children also need to be coached on how to handle situations like a stranger showing up on the doorstep. Not only do children need to know what to do in the situation, such as avoiding at all costs opening the door to someone they do not know, but they also need to know why. This means parents must explain to their children how criminals use different methods to gain access to a home and what they will do next. It’s not a pleasant subject, but older children are more likely to comply if they understand what’s at stake and why.

Since older children are able to read and follow instructions, it’s not a bad idea to create a security checklist for children to go over each time they return home. The checklist can include such tasks as checking that all of the doors and windows are locked and removing any pamphlets, packages and mail from the front of the house. With the proper training and adequate security measures in place, parents can confidently leave their older children in charge of their home’s security.

Richard Wolff is a part time alarm installer. An avid blogger, he likes to share his know-how on various blog sites. For more information on modern home security systems, consult sites such as Best Home Security.