Family Security – Getting Children to Understand Home Security

You want a home security system to protect your family. In order for you to help your family, you need your family to help themselves – and you. Your security system has to be used correctly and consistently and that involves all users.

The problems are getting children to understand what the security system is, what it does, how to use it and what their part is in its operation.

When you get your home security system, you’ll need to help your children understand what it is and why your family needs it. Explain that not only does the security system protect the house against burglars, but it is there to protect them at night and when their parents aren’t home.

Kids then have to learn how to interact with the security system. Obviously, young children shouldn’t touch it at all. However, once your kids are at the age that they might come home from school on their own, or be left without parental supervision for any period of time, they should know how to arm and disarm the security system.

Kids also need to understand the importance of keeping the security code a secret.

If you want to use the security system to protect your home when your kids stay with a babysitter, then you also want your kids educated on the workings of the security system in case you have a babysitter who has a problem.

Whatever your kids’ ages. the most important thing is that they understand the areas the security system protects at night. Using your security system at night is one of its best uses. However,  a six year-old who runs downstairs to watch television at 4:00am without warning can cause everyone to awaken in a rather unpleasant way.

Make sure to educate your kids on what the security system does, and the importance of letting you know if they need to cross into the secured area.

It’s also important that once your kids get to an age where they can remember and be trusted with a security password, you give them the emergency code to be used in case of false alarm. When your security system company calls because of a false alarm, it helps if your child – who possibly set it off by not keying in the primary code correctly pr quickly enough when getting home from school – can give the code and stop the problem from escalating. Otherwise, you will likely face problems with the police.

Get your family to participate in their own security to the largest extent possible and appropriate. Many leading security system companies can offer guidance on these issues at the same time they sell you a system. Companies like ADT and GE Security have the experience it takes to help you develop strategies to get your family comfortable with their new security system.