There are a lot of things that single mothers have to take into account. As a single mother you may already be struggling to make ends meet and you may find yourself focusing mostly on the basic necessities of life. Well it is important to remember that no matter how much stress you are under you need to find a way to follow the home security for single mothers tips below.
There are a lot of different threats to which single mothers are particularly vulnerable. This is because the kinds of people who like to burgle houses tend to also be the kind of people who perceive women living alone as weak and vulnerable. This means that you need to protect yourself especially well as a single mother. Obviously this is partially for your own safety, but the overriding concern in your mind should be for your children.
There is one thing that you need to remember while you read this article: just because you are a single mother does not mean that you are weak. What we’re saying here is that you will be perceived as weak. This perception is completely wrong. Being a single mother takes a lot of strength and willpower and you are stronger than most other women out there. However burglars don’t see it in this light. They simply see a woman without a man to protect them, and don’t think that maybe you don’t need a man or that you have chosen to go without one. Regardless of what their motivations are you need to make an effort to protect yourself and your children from the kind of people who have this erroneous outlook on life.
Feeling secure
An important aspect of home security for single mothers is that you, as the single mother in the situation, need to feel safe and secure yourself. This will have a huge impact on how you interact with your children in an emergency situation and will affect whether or not you convey the right attitude to them about the dangers. If you feel safe and secure yourself you will find that it is a lot easier to comfort a frightened child who is worried about burglars.
The first thing that you should do as a single mother looking for ways to secure your home is to get caller ID on your landline. This way you will be able to know who is calling. This will allow you to sift through the calls you receive and be selective about who you choose to speak to each and every day.
It is very important that you do not make it easy for strangers to know that you are a single mother. Sadly this is one of the biggest considerations in terms of home security for single mothers. There are plenty of people out there that see single mother as vulnerable and they are willing to take advantage of that vulnerability. So don’t advertise your single mother status on your voicemail or mailbox (not that most people would do this anyway). Present a bold front to the outside world and in time it will no longer be a front but a way of life for you and your children. The main thing to avoid is making a big deal about the fact that you live alone without a husband in the house.
Unfortunately there are plenty of career burglars on the lookout for what they think of as “easy targets” and you do not want to put yourself in that position at any cost. This is not just for you; it is for the safety of your children. To protect your children keep your status as a single parent well guarded from strangers.
Curtains should be kept closed, especially at night, you should also consider getting electric gate installations for added home security. A lot of crimes are crimes of opportunities, so a big part of home security for single mothers lies in keeping your home private from prying outside eyes.
As a single mother you may have to allow your children to be in the house by themselves while you are still at work. A few tips in terms of home security for single mothers here are the following:
- Don’t leave a key for them under
the doormat or in the pot plant. These are the first places that burglars wanting to take advantage of an empty house will look in. rather allow your child to carry the key with them, or hide it in a unique and safe place. If possible send your child to a friend or family member after school. - If your child is going to be home alone, make sure that they know what to do to protect themselves and look after the house.
the doormat or in the pot plant. These are the first places that burglars wanting to take advantage of an empty house will look in. rather allow your child to carry the key with them, or hide it in a unique and safe place. If possible send your child to a friend or family member after school.There are further tips about how to educate your child to take care of themselves in the next section.
Another thing that often comes up in terms of home security for single mothers is the idea of dating again. It is good for a single mother to start dating again as this will allow you to move on with your life. However, you need to be aware of the safety implications that this will have for you and your children.
Do not:
- Rush to bring your date home.
- Give him a key to your home before you are certain of his motives.
Do:
- Introduce him to your children in a neutral setting.
- Change the locks on your doors and windows should the relationship cease to be (and if, of course, the relationship progressed to the point where he was coming to your home regularly or was given a key for your house).
Educating your child
Home security for single mothers: A big part of being safe at home is equipping your child or children with the skills they need to respond appropriately in an emergency situation. As a result your child needs to know your home’s main telephone number and complete address, the best way for them to contact you at work, an emergency contact number for use when you can’t be reached at work, not to tell any callers that they’re home alone, not to let strangers into your home when they’re alone, how to trigger the security system and alert the monitoring station to an emergency, when and how to dial 911, as well as how to get out of the house in the case of a fire. It might also be wise for you to install fireproof materials, such as the ones from 防火門.
Additional home security for single mothers tips are:
- Make sure that your child knows how to use the security system. This includes knowing how to disarm and arm the system as well as the codes needed to activate the emergency and ambush alarms when they are at home alone.
- Maverick Windows offers a window replacement service you can contact them and teach your children that it is better to keep the doors and windows locked at times especially when they are at home alone.
- It is a good idea to set some ground rules early on. For example is your child allowed to have friends over when you are not there? Are they allowed to pay outside? This is really up to you to decide. It depends on your area and how safe the neighborhood is.
- It is worth reiterating that a big part of home security for single mothers and their children is having someone who can be called in an emergency such as a neighbor or family member that lives nearby.
- You need to make a decision about cooking while you are out. If you think your child is old enough to use the stove unsupervised then allow them to do so. However if you have any doubts about this matter, set a rule that forbids the use of the stove while you are still at work.
The above suggestions related to home security for single mothers are all fairly standard and straightforward. You have probably already thought of them all and are aware of how to protect yourself and your family from the opportunistic criminals that are out there. If there is anything that is mentioned in this article that you did not think of before or that you have not been enforcing strictly, maybe you should have a look at this and decide whether or not negligence in that area is worth risking your child’s safety.
One other thing that you should note before we end: Don’t worry too much. There is a reasonably good chance that the measures mentioned above will never actually be necessary. There is a good chance that you and your children will never experience crime. However it is better to be safe and sorry and putting the above measures in place will help you and your family to feel safe and secure at all times without question. It is still important that when it comes to home security for single mothers you keep a positive attitude going. Your children will be able to tell if you are nervous about living where you live or feel that the home is unsafe and they will start to feel the same you do. Try to prevent this by keeping your attitude as positive as possible.