Your vacation season is the burglars busy season.  While you are ramping down; he’s ramping up.  Why? Because an empty house is a much better target.  We all have the fear of burglars breaking in while we are at home or sleeping.  The reality is the burglar wants to be in your home while you’re not there.  No interference.  No dogs.  He can take his time and look for the items he can easily sell off without the fear of being interupted.  So what can you do…..plenty.

Here’s a checklist of items to help protect your property from theft or vandalism:

1. Ask a neighbor to watch the house while you are away
2. Never leave a house key hidden outside your house
3. Stop newspaper and mail delivery
4. Make sure you lock your doors and windows
5. If away for more than a week make arrangements for the grass to be mowed.
6. Plug timers into your lights and televison.  Mtion and noise keep burglars away
7. Call your local police and let them know that you will be away

Burglars usually don’t just pick a house and break into it.  They target what they feel will be their best chance for success.  Don’t make their jobs easier.

Have you trained your children to take care of themselves?  It’s an important question to answer. 

First question that you honestly have to answer is – Are my children or child ready for this.  How do they handle responsibility?  Are they mature enough to handle difficult situations?  Do they follow directions? If you are comfortable that they can handle the responsibility that’s a big first step.

Then teach them basic safety rules such as:

Keeping windows and doors locked

How to use kitchen appliances

How to use the telephone

What to do if someone rings the doorbell or calls on the phone.  Never let your child admit to anyone that they are alone.

Talk the situation over with them.  Ask them about any concerns or worries they may have so you can address them.  Develop house rules about:

Having friends over

Doing homework

Playing video games

Watching TV

Focus on the positives of the situation.  Staying home alone can build a child’s confidence in handling responsibilities. It can help them to gain maturity.  As a parent, you need to do follow up on the rules to make sure they are being followed.

Teach your Latch Key kids the following:

Check in with a neighbor or call you when they arrive home

Never accept rides from someone they don’t know.  Have a special code for anyone that is allowed to pick them up

How to use the doors and window locks or the alarm system if you have one.  If you don’t have one you should think about getting one like Laser Shield.

Carry a house key in a safe place.  Give tham a necklace with the key on it. Don’t leave a key outside (under a rock)

How to escape in case of a fire

How to call and what to do if you need to call 9-1-1

Don’t go into the house if the door is ajar or a window is broken

All of these rules seem like common sense to you and me but not to a child.  Practice them.  Go over them again and again until your child understands and can perform the tasks necessary for their well being.

1] Never leave your child alone; not at home, in a vehicle, on the playground, or for that matter anywhere.

2] At an early age teach your child their full name and full address. Name tags on their clothing.  I even found one supplier that puts children’s names on their buttons. Teach them how to use the phone and to dial your number.

3] Tell them what a stranger is.  Provide your kids with a secret code.  If someone has to pick them up from school, dance, or baseball practice.  Tell them not to get close to a car until the person tells them the code.

4] Teach your child that their body is private.  No one has the right to touch them.  If someone does they are to tell you.

5] Talk to your child about dangerous situations.  Role play.  Tell them how they should react to situations.  Explain what they should do.  Be specific.  Practice multiple time.  After all they didn’t hit a home run, score a touchdown, play an instrument perfectly the first time they picked it up.  The same is true here…practice really does make perfect.

Being a good parent is a full time job.  Keeping your child safe is part of that job.  Treat it like any job you undertake.  Think about it…practice it…preach it.  This is perhaps the most important expression of your love for them.

1] We’re all seeing the ads on TV for Click It or Ticket.  It sounds trite but it is the best safety tip we can provide.  I had a co-worker, her husband, and daughter were killed in an auto accident.  None of them were wearing their seat belts.  They were all thrown from the car and killed.  Please, please, please wear your seat belts.  Not just on trips but every time you get in your car.

2] If your are staying in a hotel/motel make sure it has the following: Well lit parking lot, security keys and deadbolt lock, and a peephole in the door.  Try to get a room that is not on the ground level.

3] Don’t carry all of your cash or credit cards in one place.

4] If you are flying…thieves hang out at airports looking for luggage, purses, laptop computers, and carry-on bags.  Don’t let these things out of your site.  Always have someone on watchguard.

5] Make sure your cell phone is charged and at the ready. 

Having a safe trip starts with proper planning.  The better you are prepared for any occurence the less likely that something will go wrong.  And if it does you will be ready.

Please take this day to remember the troops that have fallen to provide you with the freedoms we all enjoy.  And an extra prayer for all of the current troops serving our nation that they may return home safely to their loved ones.

Like any 2 year old he is also high energy.  Our first tip of the day is to keep plenty of those high energy drinks on hand.  But just like you, as parents we try to stay one step ahead.  But many people spend more time planning the family vacation than they do a security and safety paln for their family.  It will take some time but the ease of mind will be well worth the effort.  Here are some key tips that will help:

Electrical Outlet Covers – a simple  way to avoid disaster

Child Safety Gates – keeping your child from falling down stairs

Door Alarms – I thought our daughter was going to be the next Houdini.  We used door alarms and deadbolt locks to keep her IN the house.

You’re Christmas shopping at the mall and walking to your car late at night…

You’re meeting friends for a late night dinner and walking out of the parking garage…

These are all common occurences in our lives.  Yet they can lead to very dangerous situations.  We hear about them and see them on TV.  Woman attacked, beaten, and raped.  It’s all too common but you can greatly reduce the chances that it will ever happen to you.  Here’s some ideas to keep you safe.

1} Always be aware of your surroundings.  Look around and listen.  BE AWARE

2} Carry your keys with the points sticking between your fingers.  If you are attacked you can use them to defend yourself.

3} You could also hit the alarm button on your key fob.  Attackers don’t like attention.

4} Look for other people – a small group or couple.  Walk out of your office building or from the parking garage with the group.  There is safety in numbers

5} Have a weapon at your disposal.  Pepper spray or a taser.

Well I need to tell you all of that doesn’t matter.  It can happen to you.  That family on the news was no different from you.  But here’s the good news…You can prevent disaster from happening.  It takes planning and preparation.  It takes patience and practice with your kids.  If you’re like me we spend hours watching our kids practice football, baseball, hockey, and soccer.  Why?  Because practice make them better.  Through knowledge and physical repetion your family can and will learn how to deal with a dangerous situation in your home.

For our first lesson we are going to talk about a fire in your house.  There are obvious things you can do to help mitigate the physical damage to your family and home.  Let’s highlight a few:

• Get smoke detectors and check the batteries a when you change the clocks for daylight savings time
• Have a fire extinguisher on each floor of your home
• Have an exit plan for each level of your home.  Like any plan it’s more effective if you write it down.  I once heard a quote that rings true…A goal not written down is just a wish.  Write it down and review it in detail with your family.  Practice it step by step.  I found a great product if you have a 2 story home.  Its a safety kiddie ladder.  Its inexpensive and a life saver.  Please order one today don’t be caught saying “I wish I had of listened”.

It’s a dangerous world out there.  While we would all like to think the best of everyone that just isn’t reality.  Regardless of where you are there are threats to your safety.  Well we want to take the worry out of your daily life.  Over the course of time we will be providing you free tips on how to protect your family in the following circumstances:

• Home Safety
• Auto Safety
• Personal Safety
• Child Safety
• Saftey from Terrorist Attacks

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.  That’s our goal here.  We want to help educate you on the things you can do to proactivily prevent you and your family from being victims.  We will also introduce you to products that can cost effectively help you to achieve piece of mind.