Home Security Tips for Single Moms

As a single mom, you have a lot on your shoulders. Your children’s safety is at the top of the list, but you may not know the best ways to protect your family when you’re at home.

Below, we’ve put together the top eight ways to make your home a safe place. Use these tips to protect your kids and feel safe when you’re at home.

8 ways for single moms to stay safe at home

1. Install a home security system

It’s impossible to watch over your home 24/7. Thankfully, you can install a home security system that does the work for you.

Adding a security system to your home allows you to detect break-ins as soon as they happen. Whether someone is trying to rob you at night or a stranger attempts to reach your kids during the day, your system ensures that you know about the event. A professional monitoring plan further guarantees that the police are just minutes away.

Your security system offers numerous safety benefits, including:

  • Indoor and outdoor security cameras that alert you to anyone moving in and around your home in real-time
  • Sensors that detect glass breaking, motion, and unwanted entries
  • Safety alarms that protect you from fires and carbon monoxide leaks
  • Smart devices that automatically lock your doors and arm your security system so your home is protected

Partner with a security provider to take your home’s safety off your shoulders. Let them handle your protection so you can focus on other things.

2. Change up your routine

A daily routine allows criminals to find the perfect way to harm you or your kids. They may attack you on your regular running route or wait until you leave for a night shift to break into your home.

As much as possible, avoid following the same routine. Take different routes on runs and drives. Vary the times you leave, even if that means getting to work or school a bit early.

Most importantly, stay aware of your surroundings. Take note of people who seem overly interested in you or your family and get help when you need it.

3. Use a video doorbell camera

You need to support your family, so you can’t always be home when your kids are. Unfortunately, that leaves them vulnerable to criminals who approach your front door or try to break in.

A video doorbell alerts you to every person who approaches your home. You can immediately pull up a live video feed to see who it is. Even better, you can talk to the visitor through your phone. Easily learn what the person wants and, if needed, let them know that they’re being recorded. 

Along with giving you evidence of the lurker and the chance to call the police, your doorbell camera keeps your kids from answering the door. They’ll be safer with your active monitoring.

4. Create and practice safety routines with your kids

Your kids should know what to do in an emergency. Whether you’re at home or not, safety routines can make a critical difference in a dangerous situation.

Your safety routines should cover topics such as:

  • How to safely get home from school
  • What to do when a stranger approaches you
  • How to handle an injury
  • Who to call or go to in an emergency
  • Why it’s not okay to play with knives, guns, matches, and other dangerous items

While you don’t want to scare your kids, this preparation can keep a serious situation from becoming dangerous.

5. Check in regularly with someone you trust

If something bad does happen, rescue needs to come quickly. When you’re the only one who knows your schedule or what’s going on in your life, no one may know that you’re in trouble.

Choose a family member or close friend to check in with daily. Let them know your basic schedule and who you are going to be seeing. Inform them of your kids’ plans as well. That way, someone is always looking out for you and ready to react when you get in trouble.

6. Become friends with your neighbors

Your neighbors are your closest allies. They may notice suspicious activity and people that you miss. In an emergency, they are also the people who can get help the fastest.

Find neighbors that you can trust to have your back. Exchange phone numbers and help keep an eye on each other’s homes. You may even find that your neighbors are willing to help with yard work, babysitting, and other needs.

Additionally, you can ask your neighbors to help watch out for your kids when you’re not at home. If your kids need help, teach them to go to these neighbors. Knowing that someone is watching over your children when you can’t will give you greater peace of mind.

7. Keep your information private

Simple facts about your life can help criminals develop a successful plan of attack. Sharing your excitement about an upcoming vacation or your child’s accomplishment at school may seem harmless, but it can attract people with bad intentions.

To keep your home and family safe, avoid sharing this type of information online or in public spaces:

  • Where your kids go to school
  • Where you work
  • Your work schedule
  • Upcoming trips
  • Your kids’ names
  • That you’re a single parent
  • Places you like to visit

Criminals can use this information to know when your home will be empty or your kids left home alone. They can use your kids’ names to trick them into thinking the criminal is someone they can trust.

You never know who is listening or looking at your social media posts, so play it safe.

8. Keep your doors and windows closed and locked

Even on a fine spring day, leaving your doors or windows open can invite trouble. Keep burglars and intruders out of your house by securing all of the entrances at all times. Teach your kids to do the same. When your home is locked tight, you’ll all be safer.

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