A home is supposed to be a place where kids grow up and have fun. But there’s a constant worry that they won’t be safe. 

Young children are in particular need of protection, and they need to know what to do in case of an emergency. When it comes to protecting your family, you want to make sure that you’ve got all your bases covered. Here are just a few of the ways that you can protect your children from intruders and predators. 

Teach Your Kids That Strangers Can Be Dangerous

For young children, the world can be a very confusing place sometimes. Adults with bad intentions can act really kind and generous. Children need to be made aware from a young age that some adults who appear to be kind might not be and so it is always best to err on the side of caution. 

The best policy is for them to come straight to you if they see somebody at the door or knocking on the window. They should not approach them on their own. 

Track Internet Usage

When we grew up, we didn’t have to worry about things like the web and so we weren’t taught the dangers. But over the last 20 years or so, the world has moved on enormously. The risks that kids face aren’t just from the real world, they’re online too. 

This is why it’s so important that parents get to grips with the latest risks that kids face online. One significant risk is the use of forums. Young children can often be duped into meeting up with people after conversations on forums. The same goes for chat rooms and apps like Snapchat. Adults can pose as children and ask to meet somewhere which is dangerous for your kids. 

As a general rule, children should never meet up with anybody they have met over the internet. The risks are just too high. Second, parents need to keep track of what is being said on these forums. Often the signs of grooming are subtle and require constant monitoring. And third, kids should be made “cyber smart” meaning that they understand that some people who talk to them online might not be who they say they are. 

Get A Smart Doorbell

When people come knocking at your door, you want to know who it is. The problem is if you’re out at the shops or in the garden, you can’t always see who it is. What’s more, your kids might go and open the door in your absence, putting them in danger. 

Technologists have come up with a solution. It’s called a video doorbell, and its purpose is to provide moms with a video feed of whoever is standing on their porch. Companies like Ring Pro, however, have expanded the technology beyond being just a glorified peep-hole. As this Ring Pro review points out, smart doorbells are both a security system and a doorman all in one. 

Thanks to smartphone technology, you’re not limited to using the smart doorbells in your house. You can connect to it from anywhere. This means that you can see who is standing at your front door no matter where you are. 

The best smart doorbells have sensors in them can capture motion detection, so they know when to switch on and off. They’re also pretty small these days, thanks to the miniaturization of things like cameras and circuits, so it won’t look out of place on your front door. 

Listen Out For Neighbour News

When people suspect that a criminal is operating in the area, news spread quickly throughout the local community. A great way to stay on top of goings on is to listen to the neighbors. Find out whether they suspect thieves are targeting homes in your area so that you can take necessary precautions. 

Keep Lines Of Communication With Your Kids Open

If kids think that they have done something wrong, they will often keep important information to themselves. After all, they don’t want to be punished. 

But from a security point of view, this is a dangerous thing, since kids often have information that is essential for keeping them safe. Children need to know that no matter how bad their decisions are, that you value their safety more than anything else. Keeping the lines of communication open, therefore, requires making fewer threats and helping kids to express themselves openly and honestly. 

The bottom line: the best way to keep your kids safe is to be prepared. It requires giving children the street smarts they need and augmenting this with the latest technology.