When your child is old enough to come home from school alone, it makes things more convenient for you, but it doesn't mean you don't worry about them. Kids are notoriously distracted and unreliable at times, so there is a concern about them losing the house keys and being stranded on the front porch. Here are a few suggestions for tactics to implement in advance so you and your child are prepared for a lockout.
Have A Plan In Place
It may not be safe for your child to linger at the front door depending on where your home is located and the safety of your neighborhood. Establish a plan so your child knows exactly what to do when he or she comes home and discovers they've lost the key and can't get inside. It might be that they go straight to a neighbor's house or walk down to the library or other safe place until you can meet them. It's helpful to talk to a locksmith before your child starts coming home alone to find out what the procedure should be if your child is locked out. Keep the locksmith's number handy so you or your neighbor will have it in an emergency.
Install Electronic Locks
A locksmith can update your locks so lockouts can be dealt with remotely. Your child can call you at work and you can unlock the door with your smartphone. You may even give your child a temporary code to punch into a keypad. When you switch to digital locks, your child won't even need to carry a key. All they have to do is remember their code and they can get in the house. Talk to a locksmith about the different type of secure locks to install so it will protect your home while reducing the risk of your child being locked out.
Make Additional Keys
If you prefer the traditional cylinder lock and key for your front door, then you may want to have extra keys made and stowed somewhere for a lockout emergency. If you have a close friend or relative living nearby, you might leave a key with them. Leaving an extra key hidden outdoors is usually not a good idea since it could be found by intruders. If you don't have a safe and convenient place to stow a spare key, then you may want to reconsider switching to a digital lock on at least one door of your home.
Deal With The Lost Key
When your child is locked out, your primary concern is your child's safety. Once the crisis is over, you have to think about the lost key. If it was stolen or if it is identifiable to your home in some way, then your home is at risk of an intruder breaking in. You may want to have your locks rekeyed so your home stays secure. Rekeying is inconvenient if your child constantly loses keys, and this is another reason to think about going with a digital lock. The lock codes can be changed easily and as often as needed to keep your home safe.
While you might not be eager to give up the traditional home key, going digital could keep your child safer when he or she comes home from school. It will eliminate being stranded outdoors in cold weather or when it's dark outside. A digital door lock is much easier to deal with during a lockout, so installing at least one on your home might be a good idea.
Share21 October 2017
I have always been a big fan of garage sales. There is just something about the ability to stop and pick up hidden treasures for an incredibly low price that always gets my blood flowing. So when I spotted a top of the line safe at a local sale for an amazingly low price, I simply could not help myself. After years of sitting in my garage unused, I decided to finally move my safe into the house. The problem was, I had forgotten the combination. Thankfully, a local locksmith was able to help me gain access to the safe. While watching the locksmith work, I was fascinated by the way he bypassed the safe's lock. Suddenly I found myself wanting to learn this skill. Throughout the course of research, I learned a lot about the profession of locksmiths. Today, I would like to share that knowledge with you.
