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.

Kaitlyn and I have had some interesting conversations lately.  I’m going to have to start carrying around a little notebook in my purse so I can write down her questions and observations. All of these took place in the last few days, which is why I can still remember them

While waiting in line at Subway:

K – “Mama, when I grow up, I wanna work here!”

Me – “Well, I’m sure you could do that, sweetie”.

K – “You know what my job would be? Mopping!”

Me (to the sandwich maker) – “Could we take an application now? She’s only got 12 years!”

While waiting at a stoplight:

K – “Mama, LOOK. Someone threw a cup onto the ground over there.”

Me – “That wasn’t very nice of them, was it?”

K – “It’s wrong to litter, Mama. It’s bad for nature!”

I get boxes delivered almost every day. While at Target, K. noticed a bunch of team members opening boxes:

K – “Mama, LOOK! Look how many boxes THEY got delivered today!”

And then there’s the constant questions about the provenance of our belongings:

K – “Mama, where did you buy that lamp?”

Me – “I don’t remember, honey. Target, maybe? Home Depot?”

K – “You should find out so you can tell me.”

K – “Mama, where did you get that thing on the stove?” (the spoon rest)

Me – “I’m not sure, sweetie. The dollar store maybe?”

K – “The DOLLAR STORE? They sell those thingies at the DOLLAR STORE? That’s so funny! hahahaha!!!!”

Me – “Ummmm, okay…”

K – “Mama, where’d you get this hairbrush?”

Me – “I don’t know, pumpkin. Target, maybe?”

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, repeat ad nauseum, about EVERY SINGLE THING WE OWN.  I really should have wised up by now and just started saving every single receipt for every single purchase. Ever.

Sometimes all the questions drive me crazy and yet, I love it. I love that Kaitlyn and I chat with each other.  I love that she feels as much like my friend as she does my child. I love that I know what will make her laugh, that we trade lines from Spongebob episodes and both like pineapple on our pizza.

And I’m glad I have this blog so that I can write down our conversations. I always meant to write down the funny things the boys said but never did, yet another reason why I was meant to be a blogger. And so I have a place to post photos like this:

Coming up tomorrow for Wordless Wednesday – three kids, three first days of school!

Last Monday, Chris worked from home. In the afternoon, he took Kaitlyn to a nearby park to play. This park has two play structures, a newer one near the front and an older one near the back, and a bathroom building.  When Kaitlyn needed to go potty, they were at the front playground, so he put her in the car and drove her to the back of the park to go to the bathroom.

Chris has a policy of never taking Kaitlyn into a men’s bathroom, because they are always filthy. He doesn’t even like the boys going into them. So, Chris took Kaitlyn into the women’s bathroom just long enough to help her up onto the potty, then he stood outside the building waiting for her to finish. When she called to him that she was done, he went back in to help her wash her hands, then they got back in the car and drove back to the front of the park.

Kaitlyn ran off to play and Chris started chatting with another Dad that was there with his daughter, and as they were sitting there, a police car pulled up.  The officer got out and walked right up to Chris. “Sir”, he said, “is that little girl over there your daughter?”, pointing to Kaitlyn. “Yes”, Chris said.

Someone had CALLED THE POLICE to report a suspicious man coming out of the women’s bathroom with a little girl and putting her into a car. A happy, skipping, smiling little girl who was then driven BACK TO THE PLAYGROUND to continue playing after using the potty.  The person who called the police apparently forgot to KEEP WATCHING the SUSPICIOUS MAN to see what he did with the little girl after putting her in the car.

Not only that, but all the cop did is ASK Chris if he was Kaitlyn’s father. Wouldn’t a kidnapper or molester or whatever just say oh yeah sure, I’m her Dad?  The cop didn’t ask Kaitlyn to point to her Dad or anything. How did he know Chris was who he said he was?   I guess I’m glad the police took the call seriously in case something suspicious was going on,  but it still bugs me.

I’m not faulting the police, what makes me angry about all of this is that I live in a society where a man with a little girl can be so easily pegged as suspicious. Dads take their daughters out places, and those daughters have to go potty, what is the Dad supposed to do?

I took my boys to lots of parks when they were little, and took them in and out of bathrooms, and no one ever called the police on me. And yet a woman could just as easily be a kidnapper or molester.   I’m angry FOR my husband, that he would have to explain himself while enjoying an afternoon at a park with his daughter.  I’m angry that someone glanced at Chris standing outside that bathroom, or coming out of it with Kaitlyn, and thought OMG I NEED TO CALL THE POLICE.

Has anything like this ever happened to your husband or significant other?  Would you have called the police if you’d seen a man come out of a woman’s bathroom with a young girl, if the situation was the  same as I  described?  I’d really like to know what you think about this.