Tip of the Month

The September tip of the month is provided by APB Security Systems: If your child is home alone after school (or home alone at any time), teach your child that if the doorbell rings or someone knocks on the door, he or she should answer without opening the door! In the absence of an intercom, have the child yell thorugh the door or answer through a second floor, INACCESSIBLE, window. Whether that person says he is a cousin, a police detective, a delivery person, or a clergyperson, the child's response should be "Dad's in the bathroom right now-come back in twenty minutes." The child then immediately calls you at work to tell you who was at the door, and you can decide wither to make a trip home, contact a neighbor, or how to instruct the child to respond if the visitor returns. Many well-meaning parents instruct children NOT to answer the door if they are home alone. This is definitely the WRONG response, as it signals the burglar that the home is empty, and the results could be disastrous if the burglar chooses to break in.