Being Conscious & Active About Home Security Is A Great Feeling

As a new dad, I'm starting to see my house as this great big breach in security, complete with neon signs inviting every burglar in the tri-county area. Okay, my house isn't quite that pathetic, but because I have a new child at home, I see everything that a burglar could exploit to get into my house.

Of late I've made a conscious effort to be hyper-aware of my habits around the house, particularly as they directly relate to home security. I've discovered a thing or two and now I'm left to make sense of them. One of the things I do is check the door and window locks, particularly as I'm getting ready to call it a night.

I stopped and thought about that for a while and came to realize I hadn't been that bad in the past. I could recall that I generally had checked, at least, the door locks; the window locks too, but less frequently. It felt good to know that I'd always seemed to care about home security, but a casual approach would no longer be acceptable. I now make certain all the locks are locked, and just a week or so ago I added a deadbolt lock to an exterior door.

I also realized that I was taking care of some of the smaller, but important, home security tasks and treating them like they were just common sense. I made sure all the outdoor lights on my house and property were functioning. I've made plans to plant rosebushes in front of a basement window. I create the appearance that someone is home at all times, which deters burglars. I recently gave a set of house keys to a neighbor I've known for a long time. I can't run the risk of being locked out, particularly with a newborn. If these sound like common sense, then that's the point. Doing something will always be better than doing nothing.

Now, I don't think one necessarily needs the epiphany of a new child to become quite conscious of the status of one's home security. Sometimes just knowing that a house with an ADT monitored home security burglar alarm system installed is 3-times less likely to be robbed than a house with no home security system installed can be enough. Or discovering that the average loss of property due to burglary is more than $2,000 on average.

Those are true statistics that I discovered by doing some research into home security safety tips and statistics, and that's a new thing I've discovered I'm doing. Becoming hyper-aware of security around my home has prompted me to read what I can on the topic. I've learned so many simple-but-important things that I can do around my house each day that will make my house a serious problem for a potential burglar.

I like that about me. I like that I'm aware of what I'm doing, and that I've been doing some of it for a long time. You can too. Once you start making a conscious effort to, say, make certain your doors and windows are locked before you call it a night, you'll find yourself wanting to do more. Run with that, and make your home as safe as you can for you, and your family, and any new additions that may come your way.