In today’s busy modern world, both parents often need to work, leaving children to arrive home alone and let themselves into the house. While this can be an excellent way to build independence and responsibility, giving your kids keys to your home can open you up to some potential security risks. Here are some things to consider.
Risks of Kids Handling Keys
There are two major risks to letting your kids handle house keys, both of which can be chalked up to their inexperience and naïve thinking:
Lost keys: Even adults sometimes misplace their keys. With less life experience, kids are even more likely to lose their keys. Using a lanyard or other device can help, but it could break or be misplaced.
Visibility: Keys that are out in the open could be photographed and decoded, making it easy for a stranger to make a copy. If your child uses a key that is hidden outside your home, he or she may be open about the hiding spot to friends, neighbors, salespeople, and others who come to the house.
Solutions
There are a few different solutions to the issues of kids handling house keys. Here is an integrated choice that can dramatically improve the security of your home:
Install an electric keypad: Your child can’t lose her keys or leave them out in the open if she doesn’t have keys at all. An electric keypad uses codes that can be frequently changed. You can even assign each child (and anyone else who needs access, such as the sitter or dog walker) a separate code.
Use an entry camera: An entry camera lets you see if your child brought anyone home who may have seen the security code, allowing you to change it if needed.
Memorize the code: Kids can be forgetful, and they may not remember the code, especially if you change it frequently. Memorize each code yourself, or keep it somewhere safe, and instruct your child to call or text you for the code if needed.
Not all kids are forgetful or prone to losing their keys. However, the reality is that children have less life experience than adults, and are therefore less likely to keep home security at the top of their minds. At one time, all parents could do was try to attach the key to the child with a lanyard or similar device, and try to impress the importance of security on the child. Today, though, modern technology can make it easier on everyone. Electronic keypads are available at numerous price points, can be fully integrated into home security solutions, and also solve the problem of handing out keys to various workers who may need access to your home.
Texas Premier Locksmith is known as one of the premier locksmith companies across the state of Texas. If you are ready to form a relationship with a reliable, trustworthy locksmith, please give us a call today at (866) 948-8188.