Home security tips for after-school safety

With school now in session, many children may be coming home to an empty house and as a parent, there are several precautions you can take to ease your worries while they’re home alone.

Weiser, manufacturers of innovative, high quality and secure door locksets, recommend simple, common sense home security when it comes to keeping your home safe.

“On average, more than 50 percent of home break-ins are through an unlocked door,” said Steve Kolobaric, Marketing Manager, Weiser. “Keeping your door locked is an easy step you can take, whether you’re inside or outside of the house. With a few other proactive steps, you can add an additional layer of security and comfort for you and your children.”

Weiser suggests the following security tips to help keep your home safe this September when your kids are coming home after school: 

Stay in touch - Ask your children to check in as soon as they arrive home or leave the house.  Staying connected, despite the distance, ensures that you know their whereabouts at all times and they know you’re always just a phone call, email or text message away.

Install a keyless door lock - A lockset that doesn’t require a key, which can be easily lost, makes your children’s lives easier. The SmartCode 10 Touchscreen lets you or your children into the house by inputting an easy four to eight digit code, while the Kevo Smart Lock can open the door with a smartphone. If your child doesn’t have a smartphone, you can put a Kevo key fob in his or her backpack, which will allow them to simply touch the keyhole to open the door.

Have a routine - When your child comes home, make sure they turn on the lights and make it look like someone is home. Burglars like unoccupied homes so ifthey see that someone is around they are more likely to move along. It’s also important to talk to your children in advance about what to do when the phone rings or if someone comes to the door. 

Lock up items not friendly for kids - Make sure chemicals, cleaners, tools, razor blades and other items not kid-friendly are not left out in the open or get locked away. Consider using a Smartkey Padlock to lock up these dangerous objects, or tokeep your valuables safe from unwelcomed home visitors. The padlocks are bump proof and pick resistant, protect against pry and hammer attacks as well assawing and cutting so when no one is home, the items will remain safely locked up and secure.

Keep kids connected - Post a list of important numbers by the telephone, including parents’ work and cell phone, the doctor's office and a neighbor or a nearby relative who can comeover to help your children quickly if they need it.

Lock up – Before leaving the house in the morning, make sure all doors and windows, including those on the second floor, are locked. If you have a sliding backdoor, place a rod in the track to keep it securely closed. If you have an alarm system, practice arming and de-arming it with your children. Most burglars are looking for an easy target when the homeowner isn’t home and the best line of defense is simply keeping your home locked up.

To learn more about Weiser, visit www.weiserlock.com, like it on Facebook and follow it on Twitter @weiserlock.

About Spectrum Brands

HHI is a division of Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPB). Spectrum Brands is a global, diversified consumer products company and a leading supplier of consumer batteries, residential locksets, residential builders’ hardware and faucets, shaving and grooming products, personal care products, small household appliances, specialty pet supplies,lawn and garden and home pest control products, and personal insect repellents. Spectrum Brands had net sales of approximately $4.43 billion in fiscal 2014, employs over 13,500 employees worldwide and sells to the top 25 global retailers with products in more than one million stores.