How to Make Your Child Feel Safe When They Are Home Alone:

At some point or another, your child will have to get used to being home by themselves, as a large part of adulthood involves being home by yourself. There are good ways to prepare your child, and less appropriate ways to prepare your child. As children, we don’t always feel safe at home by ourselves, and maybe something as simple as finding a company that installs security doors in sydney can make your child feel safe at home all the time, but for everyone else, we have compiled a list of ways to make your child feel safe when they are home alone.

TV Time

Sitting in a quiet, empty house can make one listen out for suspicious sounds, and this heightened state of anxiety can make people hear sounds that frighten them. Encourage your child to put on the TV, even just as background noise to break the silence.

Security Doors

A security door can make your child feel safe by adding another layer between them and the outside world, and can make them physically safer via the same means. A lock installed on the security door will further protect them from any potential dangers, and allows you to feel safer with leaving them at home on their own.

Fire Plans

Having a well rehearsed and well ready fire plan can make your child aware of the emergency exits of your house, which can add to a sense of security in familiarity. This also means that in the instance of an actual emergency, your child will be well prepared, and ready to quickly and safely exit the house.

Contact Numbers

Make sure to leave contact numbers for yourself and other people familiar and trusted with your child.

Having someone to contact if they feel unsafe can put their mind at ease. This has the added bonus of adding “safety blanket” people to help with taking calls in less-than- urgent matters.

Checking In

Calling every hour or two to check in adds a sense of stability to the allotted “alone time” and can also give your child regular communication to inform you of anything that has gone awry. This lets them know that they can rely on you calling at an agreed-upon time reliably, and that questions or concerns don’t necessarily need to be phoned in immediately.

Schedules

Letting your child know about what time you’ll be going from point A to point B, what time you’ll be home, and what time you’ll be leaving will give them a timeline for the “alone time”, and lets them stay up-to- date with your movements. This also paves the way for the same good habit to be returned to you when they’re older and traveling on their own.

Getting a Dog

Getting a dog is a big step, but it can absolutely help your child to feel safer. Would-be criminals are often deterred by dogs, even if they are only small, as they make a lot of noise when strangers approach.

They also make good companion animals, and can teach a child about responsibility.

Shutting the Blinds

Leaving the blinds open can add to the fear a child can experience when home alone, especially at night.

Telling your child to shut the blinds, and in some cases turn on the outside lights, can give them a sense of seclusion, which can be good for fostering a safe feeling.

Your child will feel safe at home in no time with these simple suggestions, and hopefully you’ll feel ok leaving them there too.