Our own school days may be a distant memory, but there are many of us who’ll remember the freedom of being allowed a door key, or of having one we could reach through the letterbox so we could let ourselves in after school. Those precious few hours before a parent came home from work meant we could have friends over, watch things we weren’t supposed to on TV and, as long as we were careful about it, not get found out.
Today’s youth have no such luxury – gone are the days when you could safely leave a key on some string tied to the letterbox, and with many people investing in doorbell cameras it’s gotten a lot harder to sneak friends into the house. Although it was a freedom many enjoyed, perhaps this new inability to have secrets is actually a good thing for parent-child relationships?
Something we may not have considered is how our own parents felt knowing that they had no way of knowing if we were safely home (or behaving ourselves) back in our childhoods. This is something parents can check up on now, thanks to mobile phones, doorbell cameras and even tracking apps on smartphones.
So if your child is starting a new secondary school and wants to feel grown up they’ll likely want a door key, so they can go home after school and get straight on with their homework (yeah, right!). As a parent this means handing over not only a physical key, but a sense of responsibility and an expectation that they will behave like an adult.
Talk to your children about security – tell them what it really means to be allowed their own key and how to keep it safe. Ensure they know what could happen if it is lost or stolen, and what to do if this happens. If you have an intruder alarm they’ll need to know how to turn it off, and what happens if there is a fault, or if they don’t turn it off in time. They should also know what to do if they return home to find the alarm going and/or a door or window open.
This is a lot of information for a young brain to remember, so consider writing it all down to be kept in their notes app (minus identifying details like the address, and the alarm code). Ideally you can start handing over a little responsibility at an earlier age, such as asking them to unlock the door or turn the alarm off while you carry shopping in. Lots of practice at doing these tasks helps build confidence, both in them and in you!
If you don’t have a video doorbell, the new school year may be a good time to get one. If your child is forgetful, or might bring unsuitable friends over in your absence then this is a good way to check on the comings and goings at your front door. A video doorbell can help deter your kids from bringing unsuitable friends round – they might remember to sneak them in through the back door but forget about the camera when they leave.
Many of these cameras can be set to only alert you if unfamiliar faces are seen, so this could be a great way of knowing when a new friend (or potential foe) is present without frequent notifications. As a deterrent, and a peace-of-mind measure a video doorbell or home CCTV is invaluable. It will also help deter burglars!
If you’re on the cusp of handing the keys to your castle over to a teenager, and you’re concerned about the impact this will have on your home safety, talk to us and we’ll create a solution that works for everyone.