Summer Safety for Kids Home Alone

Summer is fast approaching, which means millions of kids will be out of school and staying at home during the day if they’re old enough to be left by themselves. As a parent, you’re the best judge of whether or not your children are ready for this responsibility, but even so, it’s always a good practice to implement some safety protocols. Below are some helpful summer safety tips you can use to ensure that your child stays safe while you’re away.

1. Make sure that your child has easy access to your cell number and office number. It’s best if they can have those numbers memorized, and they should be clearly instructed to dial 911 in case of any emergency. It is also a good idea for them to have your home address memorized in case they have to disclose their location to any emergency personnel.
2. Set clear boundaries in terms of whether or not it’s okay for your child to go outside. Make sure to clearly communicate where your child can and cannot go if they are allowed to go outside.
3. If any emergency situation arises and your child can’t reach you, they’ll need to have a designated person they can go to or call if they’re scared. Arrange for a trusted neighbor to be available just in case you’re inaccessible during an urgent situation.
4. Instruct your child to make sure that your door stays locked at all times. Explain to them the importance of keeping the door locked, and make sure that they know not to open the door or even talk through the door to anyone who knocks or rings the doorbell. If your home is equipped with a keyless lock such as the Schlage Keypad FE575, it will automatically lock behind you in the morning when you leave for work, so you won’t have to worry about manually locking it yourself. With a traditional lock, if it happens to be a super-busy morning, there’s always the possibility that you could forget to lock the door behind you, which could pose a serious safety risk to your child. This oversight is totally taken care of with the FE575; with its automatic locking feature, the door will lock within five seconds of being closed. Problem solved!
5. Make sure that your child knows not to tell anyone that they’re going to be home alone beforehand. They should also be instructed not to reveal that information to anyone over the phone.
6. If you’ve asked a relative or a friend to check in on your child during the day, be sure that your child is completely comfortable with being around that person alone. If there seems to be any hesitation, no matter what the reason, don’t do it.
7. Equipping your home with video surveillance cameras is always a good idea, but even more so if you have children at home by themselves during the day. With the BeHome247 Remote Security Monitoring Package, you can keep tabs on what your children are doing during the day by way of a convenient online interface. All you have to do is log into the BeHome247 online portal using your smartphone, tablet or laptop, and you can instantly gain access to a live video feed that will show you exactly what’s going on at the homefront. Having access to smart home technology such as remote video access can give you untold peace of mind.

Staying home alone can definitely be a positive experience for your child, and giving them a good set of instructions and boundaries to abide by will empower them with a greater sense of responsibility. Try these seven tips out and have a great, safe summer!

SCHLAGE FE575 Camelot Auto-locking Keypad Lock

BeHome247 Wireless Security Camera Package