Home Alone: Single Parent’s Guide to Home Safety
Keeping our children safe is a concern parents face all day, every day. But is it a concern that the 9.9 million single moms in the United States have to take extra precautions against? With the current statistics in regards to crimes against women, it certainly couldn’t hurt. Here are some extra precautions to take in and around your home to keep you and your children safe.
Brush Up on Tech Savvy Security
Keep current on home security technology. Lorex home security systems use security cameras that can be set up both indoors and outdoors. These systems can easily be accessed remotely from your smartphone or tablet. It’s also a great tool to make sure those older kids are behaving themselves while mom is away!
It Takes a Village
Get friendly with your neighbors. Not only can they help keep an eye on your home and well being, but can give you a bit of reprieve into adult conversation. Give your neighbors your cell number and get theirs too and set up a mini-neighborhood watch to keep your entire block a safer, happier place for the families who live there.
Out of Sight, Out of Reach
How safe are your children from hazardous and poisonous materials in your home? As a single mom, the luxury of being home every moment for your child is likely a rarity for most. Keep medications and household chemicals out of reach, and behind lock and key to protect against accidental poisoning. Additionally, keep the Poison Control hot line number posted near the telephone next to other emergency numbers so children and those responsible for your children can immediately find it. For more tips to prevent poisoning, read the Safe Kids Worldwide poison prevention tips.
Build Better Habits
Get in the habit of performing everyday safety practices.
- Keep your cell phone and keys next to your bedside. Should you fear someone is trying to break into your home, you can set off the alarm on your vehicle to deter entering. And, of course, the cell phone can be used to call police.
- Back your car into your garage. Should you need to get out of the house quickly, it is much easier to do so with the car facing outward.
- Discreetly discard of large purchase packaging. There is no need to advertise your new flat screen TV to passerby (and potential burglars). Instead, make sure all boxes and packaging are broken down to fit within the trash or recycle bin.
- Keep hedges, bushes and trees trimmed down to prevent obscuring your street view from safely inside your home.
Know Who to Contact
While 911 is the go-to number for many emergencies, it’s not the only one that can make the difference between life and death. Check out this list of 15 emergency numbers that Preparedness Mama says should be in every cell phone. But, with children in the house, it’s important to also have these numbers posted in a readily accessible location too.
