Effective home security requires cooperation from all members of a household, including children. Children should be taught good habits early on when it comes to keeping the home and their loved ones safe. If they can’t rely on you to set a good example, then
whom else could they look up to? Plus, it’s much easier to teach them something and let them learn by example rather than relying on school teacher and text books. Here are some of the lessons that should be taught on a consistent basis.

1. Lock all doors and windows regularly. Yes, it sounds obvious, but unless adults make it a point to remind children regularly whenever entering or leaving the home, it’s something that can be easily overlooked. Before leaving and upon entering, ask children to check that all entryways and windows are locked.

2. Remember alarm activation and deactivation codes. If you have a monitored alarm system installed, have your children remember the codes. In order to instill a consistent habit, ask them to activate and deactivate it on a consistent basis during the same times of the day or week. For example, if the family regularly visits grandparents on a weekend, make it their responsibility to activate the alarm each time.

3. Never let anyone know adults aren’t home. When answering the door or telephone at home, and if adults are not home, teach them to tell people that they’re “not available at the moment.”

4. Don’t open the door to strangers. Anytime someone knocks, teach children to never open the door unless their completely sure they know who is at the door. If they don’t recognize who it is, they should find an adult to answer the door.

5. Don’t give away personal information. Strangers in person or online should never be given any personal information—not even their full names let alone addresses or phone numbers.

Overall, it’s best to teach children to be shrewd about whom they talk to and what they tell them. They should avoid talking to strangers if at all possible. If you keep these simple rules in mind, you’ll not only be teaching your children how to practice good home security habits, but to grow up to be mature adults as well.

disclosure: This post was brought to you by Home Security Systems.