Finding A System With the Right Features

Do you and your family have a plan for what to do if a burglar enters your home during the day? While it's true that most burglaries happen when the home is unoccupied, a burglar willing to enter an occupied house is usually desperate. This can be a dangerous situation.

Some criminals choose to target stay-at-home parents because a parent's first priority is protecting their children – many criminals assume there's less chance of a confrontation turning violent with a stay-at-home parent due to the danger posed to the children. Creating a security plan is important to protect your family and it's easy to integrate your home's burglar alarm into it. Here's how.

Keep Your Burglar Alarm Audible and in "Stay" Mode During the Day Instead of Turning It Off

Most burglar alarms offer a "stay" mode that disarms the motion sensors inside your home but leaves the external sensors on your doors and windows active. This allows you and your kids to move around your home while letting you know if an invader has entered your home.

Some security systems allow you to switch between an audible alarm and an inaudible alarm. When you're using your burglar alarm to help keep you and your kids safe during the day, you should always use the audible alarm. You'll be instantly alerted whenever someone opens a door or window and doesn't immediately turn off the alarm with the code.

Select a Safe Room In Your Home to Use In Emergencies

Designate a room in your home as a safe room. A safe room needs to have a door that locks from the inside. A bathroom is a good choice for a safe room – as an added bonus, it's unlikely that a burglar would be interested in your toiletries, so there's little reason for a burglar to force entry into your bathroom.

If you use a bedroom as your safe room, you'll have to plan for this possibility. Bedrooms are the number one target of burglars since they often contain high-value items like cash, jewelry, and firearms.

Create a Code Word That Signals an Emergency and Teach Your Kids the Emergency Procedure

Once you've selected your safe room, come up with a code word, and share it with your older kids. The code word means that there's an emergency and your kids need to stop whatever they are doing immediately and quietly head to your designated safe room.

Do a few drills with your kids to ensure that they understand the emergency procedure. If you ever feel uncomfortable in your home, use the code word, and head to the safe room.

Teach Your Kids That an Audible Burglar Alarm Is Always an Emergency

Similarly, your kids should also know to head to the safe room whenever the burglar alarm sounds. They should do this regardless of where you are in the home or what you're doing about the situation.

Note that you should never try to confront a home invader on your own. Make sure you have your cellphone on you at all times so that you can call 911 after you have reached the safe room and locked the door.

By using an audible burglar alarm in "stay" mode and teaching your kids the procedure to follow in a home invasion emergency, you'll help keep your kids and yourself safe during the day. A burglar alarm provides an extra layer of protection by notifying you immediately if a burglar enters your home. If you don't have a burglar alarm in your home, or if yours doesn't have a "stay" mode, contact a home security company for more info, and ask about having one installed.