Do you worry about your house being broken into when just the kids are home?

[Tap]

The has been an increase in home robberies in our city due in part to the economy.

 

A freind of ours was home a month ago with the flu and sick child. She heard people in her house, yelled that she was calling the police and they left. She has a large dog and was surprised they got past it, but the tricked it and locked it in the garage. There is a lot more to the story, but that is the gist of it. It was during the day, when no one would typically be home and her car was in the garage.

 

 

It has me more worried bout the times when the kids are home alone. I was already becoming more uncomfortable with them being home, but now I am getting more worried. I wonder what to tell them to do? I don't want to scare them, but what do you tell a 14yo to do if he is babysitting his sisters and someone tries to break in?

[Liza Q]

Yes, I worry about this. But I have not actually done anything about it as I fear that my fear is not realistic enough to worry my children over. My neighborhood is not known for break-ins, gun violence, etc. but.....you never know! I live in a big city and - stuff happens.

 

They do know not to answer the door if I am not home, unless it is the super or doorman (we live in an apartment building) - they just pretend that they are not home. We keep the door (metal, not wood) double-locked and it would be pretty hard (impossible, I think, unless it was Superman) for someone to break the door down before the kids called the cops. You can get past one of the locks with a credit card, but not the other.

 

The only other way to get into our apartment (unless Spiderman is trying to break in!!!) is through the window that opens on to the fire escape. This window is in my bedroom and faces a pretty busy street that is well lit at nighttime, so an enterprising crook would run the risk of being seen (I can't think of a superhero who becomes invisible, but you get the idea!).

 

In your situation I would call the police and see if they have some specific information or ideas.

 

Praying for you (if that is ok!!).

[Pamela H in Texas]

Well, it actually happened at our old house years ago. Someone broke into the house when it was just my kids home. SCARY. The guy broke down the door and broke my pit bull puppy's toe, but once he realized the kids were there he left....THANKFULLY.

 

To make matters worse, hubby was working in OK at the time so it was just the children and me home in the evenings too. It was so scary. We put furniture to hold the door up and stayed on the phone with hubby until we all fell asleep together. YUCK.

 

BUT, we got over it. And pretty quickly (if mom can't keep it together, kids live in fear which isn't healthy).

 

My kids, especially my son, stay home alone a good bit of time now.

 

BTW, before this had happened, I had told my kids not to answer if someone knocked on the door. I really think that is a mistake! They are to holler "MOM!" (as if I were in the bathroom or something) and not open the door. IF it is the police or someone, they can call me and *I* will direct my children. The only people my kids would open the door to would be certain adult friends or congregation elders (who wouldn't come in unless there was a 2nd adult there anyway).

 

Anyway, I jut don't think you can live in fear. You just have to go about your daily lives the best you can, putting in place safety measures as possible.

[mamaof2andtwins]

Well, typically I worried more about them fighting with each other and someone getting hurt and not some outside intrusion.

 

In our neighborhood, I am not that worried about it, but if I saw more evidence for concern like you have I probably would be.

 

Sorry you are having to contend with this.

 

Jennie

[MamaT]

We actually had this happen a while back. Someone didn't break in, but they were outside on our driveway. We live on the side of a mountain with nothing around us, so they had no business being there.

 

My girls were walking their puppies with their big brother who was 13 at the time. This guy was in the woods right beside our driveway. He ran when he saw them.

 

They went inside, called us (we were out to dinner for our anniversary), and then called 911. When we got home, sheriff's deputies were searching our property, our barn, and the surrounding roads. It was scary, and the kids were really frightened.

 

I still leave them alone, but not at night. If my dh and I have to be out after dark, I make sure their 22yo brother is there with them.

 

If I were you, I would probably leave my dc during the day with good instructions about not answering the door, what to do in case of emergency, etc. I just would not leave them alone at night.

[Harriet Vane]

I live in a higher crime neighborhood, so this is a real consideration for me. I leave dd home alone only for short times (30 minutes or less) and only if there is a neighbor home in case of an emergency. She keeps the phone right there with her the whole time I am gone. If someone were to break into the house, she knows to get out of the house quietly through the nearest door or window and call the neighbor or 911.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

We live in a subdivision and there are plenty of obviously empty houses available for robbing. There are nicer neighborhoods close by, so I think they would be robbed before we would.

 

I try to keep a car parked in the driveway (one with an NRA sticker on it:001_smile:) and a light on when I leave the kids home. I have them leave a radio on. I think robbers look for unoccupied homes as a rule.

 

A friend of mine had a series of robberies in her neighborhood. The culprits were neighborhood kids who were stealing computers, video games etc. from their friends houses.

 

I'm not saying it can never happen, I just don't think it's worth worrying about. Taking my kids with me in the car is putting them in more danger than leaving them at home.

 

k

[Sharon in SC]

The has been an increase in home robberies in our city due in part to the economy.

 

A freind of ours was home a month ago with the flu and sick child. She heard people in her house, yelled that she was calling the police and they left. She has a large dog and was surprised they got past it, but the tricked it and locked it in the garage. There is a lot more to the story, but that is the gist of it. It was during the day, when no one would typically be home and her car was in the garage.

 

 

It has me more worried bout the times when the kids are home alone. I was already becoming more uncomfortable with them being home, but now I am getting more worried. I wonder what to tell them to do? I don't want to scare them, but what do you tell a 14yo to do if he is babysitting his sisters and someone tries to break in?

 

I don't *worry* about it but, because we live in a "neighborhood" where the lots are more than 2 acres each, the thought does cross my mind periodically that something like that could happen and no one nearby would necessarily know. One thing that gives me peace of mind is that we have an alarm system on the house. The kids (now ages 16 and 12) know how to use it proficiently.

[Julie in CA]

When I was young, my mom taught me to be very quiet if someone knocked on the door and she wasn't home. That isn't my advice to my dc. Most regular break-ins happen when no one is home. I *want* it to look like someone's home. If someone comes to the door, or if my kids hear someone, they yell out, "my Dad can't come to the door right now, what do you want?" We also have a big, mean-looking and sounding dog, and window stickers for our alarm system. I'm pretty sure if someone wanted to steal stuff, they'd go to the neighbors (who have no dog and no alarm).

[Murphy101]

My oldest are left hone alone once in a great while.

they are told to never open the door, but to hollar for dad and get on the phone pronto for further instructions from us. no exceptions.

 

I agree. Don't be too quiet or dark, you want them to know someone is home, just not that the someone is a kid by themselves.

 

Oddly enough I worry about this far more in our new neighborhood than the crummy one we moved from. This neighborhood looks like one worry trolling for loot from, kwim?

[Barb_]

When I was young, my mom taught me to be very quiet if someone knocked on the door and she wasn't home. That isn't my advice to my dc. Most regular break-ins happen when no one is home. I *want* it to look like someone's home. If someone comes to the door, or if my kids hear someone, they yell out, "my Dad can't come to the door right now, what do you want?" We also have a big, mean-looking and sounding dog, and window stickers for our alarm system. I'm pretty sure if someone wanted to steal stuff, they'd go to the neighbors (who have no dog and no alarm).

 

Yes Julie, I agree. The most important thing is not to be an easy mark. The more annoying and difficult it is to get in, the greater the likelihood they will move on. Unless the person is cracked out or crazy and then nothing is a deterrent.

 

Barb

[Carrie12345]

We live in a quiet, gated community, but break-ins aren't all that unusual. Most happen in vacant vacation homes, but we just had our cars broken into a few months ago while we were all home.

 

My kids are still little, so only ds is occasionally left alone for a few minutes while I run to get the mail or get milk from the convenience store. The doors are kept locked, and our dogs are big and loud. The site of them in the window should be enough to scare a sane person off. And he knows to call 911.

[swellmomma]

I never used to. In fact until the events of Saturday night came into play I had never locked my doors whether we were home or out. Now though given the current situation I am very scared of it, so the house gets locked up tight and we have been spending 90% of our time in my room where I can lock us in with the phone by my side. I am hoping in time this fear will change and we will go back to living a normal life, but over all things have changed for my family permanently, the doors will always be locked for now on, the kids will no longer be allowed to play in the yard alone like they previously could, and until this happened I had started letting my 10 yr old stay home alone for a few minutes while I ran out for milk etc That will not be happening again for years at least. I am just too worried about someone trying to break in while he is here alone even if just for a few minutes. We do have the neighbor's home phone, and personal cell phone numbers posted to that if something were to happen the kids could call them to have them come over right away, but I am still to scared to take that chance any time soon.

[Jacklyn]

it isn't likely. We live in a good neighborhood, but you just never know. These things seem to happen when you don't expect them. Just recently some neighbors across the street allowed their 20-something boys to move back in with them. The boys had a fight, one hit the other with a crow-bar, and the next thing you know he is high-tailing it across the street for our house. We ran and turned on the alarm--which up til then I had considered cancelling to save a little $ every month.

 

In thinking about my kids being home alone, I know now I will not cancel my alarm service. It gives me a sense of peace when my children are home alone, and it is also tied into the fire alarm. I know that my children can open a window or a door or push the panic button. It still isn't fool-proof, but the peace of mind is worth $30 a month.

 

Jacklyn