subject: Maintain a High Level of Home Security When Leaving Your Children Home Alone [print this page] Maintain a High Level of Home Security When Leaving Your Children Home Alone
You may need to leave your children home alone for work or other reasons from time to time. Or perhaps more regularly your children come home from school to an empty house for a couple of hours until you can get back from work. Either way, at some point you are faced with the need to trust your kids alone at home.
Leaving your child home alone for the first time can cause great worry and anxiety. It will get easier. Of course the first time will be full of doubt and self-questioning, asking yourself if your child is truly ready to take care of themselves and the home without your supervision. Perhaps you fear they will throw a party without your watchful eye if you leave them in charge over the weekend. Maybe you are just afraid of what others may do while your young child is home alone waiting for you to get home from work. The anxiety can come for a variety of reasons. The key is to control the anxiety and to take a couple of steps so that the anxiety is manageable and you can leave your child home alone without too much worry.
You should educate your child on the importance of home security while you are gone. Making your children grasp the gravity of the situation is the first step. You already know that part of being a child or adolescent is having an unrealistic optimism and carefree attitude. Being left alone as a teenager is presents risks that they will likely not grasp without your help. Sit them down and explain to them your worries and how the decision to leave them home alone was a difficult one. Let them appreciate the seriousness of the responsibility you are giving them. Make sure they are paying complete attention and understand your concerns. Perhaps have them repeat your concerns back to you so they can internalize the conversation. They will remember this conversation once you are gone and they are put in charge of the home.
Make sure that your child knows what home security steps to take. Understanding the seriousness of the responsibility is one thing. Knowing what steps to take in practice in order to increase the level of home security while home alone is another. Show them how to use the home security system and what to do in case of a false alarm. Teach them how to answer the phone or door. Instruct them on which neighbors to call if a problem arises and they cannot get ahold of you on your cell phone or at work. Tell them to call the police first if a more serious problem arises. Now is also the time to explain all the other general responsibilities they will have when home alone.
The final tip does not include your child, but nonetheless has your child's safety in mind. Inform your neighbors of your decision to let your child stay home alone and give your trusted neighbors the general days and times during which they will be unmonitored. You can stop there, or go a step further and give a neighbor your contact information and direct them to call you should they notice anything out of the ordinary. Certain neighbors love feeling included in this way, giving you a free extra set of eyes and ears that will heighten the level of home security while you are away.
Keep these few suggestions in mind when you decide to leave your children home alone in order to maintain a high level of security and safety for your children.
