Arrange Family Meetings
Memorize Security Pass Codes
Visit a local library to see if it has DVDs about safety precautions to use around a home. While burglaries and home invasions are one aspect of staying safe, there are also other measures to consider. For instance, children need to keep track of household keys while away from home.
It is easy for a criminal to use keys found in a backpack or purse to enter a home. Finding the home’s address is simple because identification including a driver’s license is inside a wallet. In addition, thieves know how to make copies of keys to use to steal from homes, so children must never leave keys unattended.
Many homeowners now also have security systems installed in a home. Entering or leaving a house can require specialized pass codes. Kids must memorize those codes without revealing the information to others. At a family meeting, discuss keeping security codes and keys away from criminals.
Protect Information While Talking On the Phone
We recommend walking around the outside of the house to show kids the various ways thieves can break into a house. Show children where landline or cell phones are located inside the home to call for emergency assistance. If a burglar enters a home, then a child needs to know how to exit the home quickly to go to a safe location nearby.
Alternatively, teaching a child how to hide inside a home away from danger is also necessary. At the home security meeting, discuss what children should do when a stranger calls on the phone. Individuals planning to break into a home often call first to learn if anyone is home. Children and teenagers must avoid telling strangers that parents are not home.
