As a single mother with a young daughter there are times that I feel particularly vulnerable. One of the worst was when I we first moved from our apartment into the house I bought.
The first couple nights I didn’t really notice, I was too tired, unpacking, cleaning, moving furniture, when I went to bed at night my eyes were closed before I hit the pillow. After the first couple of nights I started to notice how many different ways there are to get into my house, and I have to say I got a little nervous.
I wanted to feel safe but more importantly I wanted Hailey to feel safe. I walked around the perimeter of the house and tried to find all the areas that could be compromised.
We have two below ground basement windows. I was going to buy those grates that screw on but I was worried about fire, I didn’t want to block and exit so instead I planted rose bushes. I figure if the house is on fire a few thorns will not stop anyone for getting out of that window but they will deter someone from trying to get in.
Make sure you have adequate lighting around your home. My back yard is fairly small so one small light mounted on the back of the house lights up the yard enough to make it hard for anyone to hide.
I spoke with a friend of mine who is in the military and he said your best defense is more for show than anything. Number one- get a dog, any kind of dog as long as it barks when someone knocks on the door. People looking to break into homes do not want to draw attention to themselves, if your dog starts barking they will look for an easier, quieter target.
The second thing he suggested was to fly the American flag. He said there is a perception that patriotic Americans are more likely to have guns in their homes than not so that alone can deter someone from breaking in.
A big area where most people let their security slide is the garage. There is a false sense of security, if the garage door is down no one can get in. that could not be farther from the truth so it’s important to have a deadbolt on the door between your house and garage and to make sure that any windows in the garage are secure at all times as well.
Deadbolt locks are a necessity, most other locks can be picked or kicked in rather quickly. If your doors don’t have one it’s not that hard to install, you probably have a friend with a drill and you can purchase the attachment for the drill to make the hole in the door. The whole process is quick and will add to the security of your home.
Lastly, and this can be real or just for show, alarm systems. If you cannot afford the monthly fee to monitor your alarm system or you worry about how many times a month the kids might set it off, you can buy dummy systems. These “systems” come with the yard signs and window decals and some even have cameras you can mount by the doors. No one but you will know that they are not live.
Most importantly teach your kids to lock the door, every time and not to answer the door if you are not home. They should never share the code for your garage door opener or their house key with anyone. If your child always looses their keys you can get a lock that will open with a code or even their fingerprint.
Peace of mind is important and your home should always feel like a safe haven from the world.