As your kids get older, they can begin to stay at home while you go out to shop. Summer is also a time when high school teenagers have a lot of free time, and you can't have someone watch over them while you are at work. There comes a point in every parent's life where they must trust their children to be alone at home. You need to do everything you can to have them prepared for any situation at home, so they can be safer if something unexpected happens.
Know Emergency Numbers
Teach your child all the important emergency numbers. They should know how to dial 9-1-1 and how to give the address of the home. Practice with your child once a month until you are sure they have everything down. It is also important for your child to know the phone number of your work and cell phone, in case they need anything. Your child should also know to never tell a stranger over phone that they are home alone, and to only answer the phone if they know the number.
Teach Fire Safety
A fire can occur in your home for many reasons, and they don't even need to involve your kids getting into trouble. Before you leave you kids home alone, make sure they know exactly what to do in a fire situation. Teach your kids that if there is a fire in the home, to escape immediately. Fires can spread rapidly and you child might not be able to escape if they attempt to put out a growing fire. It is safer for them to get out ASAP. Teach you kids to never open doors that are hot to the touch. They need to know to stay low if there is smoke in the room, and to stop, drop, and roll if they catch on fire themselves.
Strangers And Panic Buttons
Often times, people will come up to your home in the middle of the day. Usually these people are harmless, and are just trying to sell something door to door. Not everyone is a safe person though. Sometimes, burglars will knock on the door first to see if anyone is home. Your child should never answer the door while they are alone, nor should they ever peek through the blinds to see who it is when they are alone. Have your child ignore the door completely for their own safety.
If you have an alarm system from a company like Smith Monitoring, you may have access to panic buttons on your security system. After telling your child to not answer the door, if they hear someone trying to open the door or start trying to break into a window, have them rush to push the panic button. After pressing the panic button, have them take the phone to a designated safe room in the house. This could be a junk closet that has a lot of stuff, but your child could bury themselves into and not be seen. Tell them to call the police but to remain as quiet as possible so the burglars do not hear them.
About the Author: Andrea is a writer, blogger, and artist. Check out her blogs to read up on all things pets, family, and the home.
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