You can’t always be there to keep an eye on your kids. Even though you become a parent, chances are you also have a job or meetings or chores to do. You simply can’t be there all of the time to keep them safe. And that’s okay! In fact, sometimes being away from the watchful eye of a parent is a good thing. At some point when they’re little, kids need to learn to be away from their parents. This is even more important as they get a little older and they need to learn independence.
But that doesn’t mean you forget about them altogether, of course!
So how do you step back as a parent–say on a much-needed date night when you’ve got toddlers at home, when the kids are old enough to play outside without you, or when that teen wants to be trusted to be left home alone? You rely on your home security system.
Think of it this way: Security means safety, right? So a home security system does more than protect your home from burglars and bad guys. It can keep your kids safe too, and give you some much-needed peace of mind.
Below are three scenarios where home security cameras can help you feel confident as a parent that you’re doing your best to watch over your children, even when you’re not around. Given your own situation, you probably have others. These are just three of the most common…
1. The dreaded attractive nuisance
The kids clamored for a trampoline and they got one, much to your pleasure and your chagrin both. Or maybe you live in an area like Phoenix where backyard pools are commonplace, and your kids aren’t old enough to go near the pool alone. Whatever the “attractive nuisance” at your house, it can wear on a parent’s nerves to know the temptation—and danger—are constantly present when you have little ones around. Your home security system can help, by offering video monitoring of the dangers.
2. Babysitters and nannies
As much as we might not like leaving our little ones in someone else’s care, it’s going to happen. We’ll need to go somewhere without them, and what parent hasn’t endured the guilt induced by a crying toddler when trying to get out the door to a meeting on time? Even though it gets easier as your kids get older (fewer tears, less guilt), you’re still entrusting their care to someone else, and that’s always hard. Being able to keep tabs on the kind of care they’re getting while you’re away can offer huge peace of mind.
3. Latchkey kids
Let’s face it: Modern life means our kids are often arriving home to empty houses because both parents are at work. Or they live in a single-parent household, as more kids do these days. (According to the 2010 census, the number of children living in single-parent homes has nearly doubled since 1960.) Your home security system can help you to know they’ve arrived home safely from school…and that they’re eating the apples and not the ice cream as their after school snack.
Once a parent, always a parent, no matter what era you live in. At least with today’s technology, we have tools to keep our kids safe when we’re not right there to protect them, so we can maybe worry just a little less.
