The long summer vacation is just around the corner and many kids will be at home enjoying some fun holiday time.
“Kids who’s parents work during the holidays will be at home with a caregiver, domestic worker or possibly just by themselves. Now is a great time to teach them about staying safe at home during the holidays,” says Peter Kruger, district manager (Coastal Outlying Branches) for Fideltiy ADT.

He offers these top security tips for parents:

Teach children to keep entry and exit doors locked, and that nobody is to enter the property without your permission.

If you have a home security system installed teach them how to activate and de-activate it and how and when to use other security devices like panic buttons.

Have a list of emergency contacts – including the 10111 number – near the telephone and explain to children when and how it must be used.

If you allow the children to walk to a friend in the neighbourhood, walk the route with them before they try it on their own. Tell them to let you know when they are leaving and when they arrive. Explain that it is better to walk a slightly longer route down familiar streets where there is more activity, than taking short-cuts across fields or deserted areas.

There’s a good chance that kids will be watching TV or spend time online, so make sure that parental control settings are on and privacy settings are as high as possible. Make sure they understand that they should never post any personal information online – like an address, email address or mobile number – and if they see something online that makes them feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried: they should leave the website, turn off their computer and tell someone immediately.

“It’s important to also ensure that they know that a caregiver or domestic worker is in charge while you are at work. They should also know that they can call you at any time or can press the panic button if they feel unsafe. Empowering children to be safety savvy is a great gift,” he concludes.
Issued on behalf of ADT Security