Back to School Safety Tips for Parents

The start of the school year is an exciting time, but when life gets hectic, some stuff can get missed. One thing that you never want to fall through the cracks is your children’s safety. Fortunately, there are tips, tools, and tricks that can make the back-to-school season even simpler starting with your smart home security system.

Some Tips to Stop Added School Stress

A U.S. Census reported that 7 million of the nation’s 38 million elementary and middle school-aged children are left home alone regularly. Even if a child isn’t home alone, they may walk by themselves to and from school, the bus, or an after-school activity. If your child will likely be left alone for long periods of time when school starts back up, you may have additional stress about back-to-school season.

However, with a few simple instructions and a little bit of practice, children can feel confident being home alone for a few hours. Also, you can have peace of mind knowing your child is prepared in case of an emergency.

Ease into your routine

When you have kids, schedules are everything. Some kids handle changes in routine better than others, but a new schedule can stress anyone out. One surefire way to make a major routine change feel chaotic is to dive into it with no planning and preparation.

Establish your child’s school routine in advance to help things run more smoothly. Ensure they feel confident with everything they need to know, including where they need to be, how and when to get there, and how to get home.

Help your child memorize the following:

• Family cell phone numbers
• Home address
• Their teacher’s name
• Bus schedule and number
• School arrival and dismissal times
• What to do in case of severe weather

You can also create rules and Scenes for your home security system to fit the routine you and your family have set. These features make life easier by consistently taking tasks off your plate. We know you have enough going on as it is!

Create check-in times

Establish a firm check-in time after school or at other times when your child may be alone (traveling to an after-school activity or sports practice). A simple text or call will give you an extra layer of reassurance that your child is safe.

Create a process for missed check-ins and explain them to your child. This way, they understand that if they don’t reach out or respond in a certain amount of time, you will alert the school and/or the police.

Does your child arrive home from school while you’re at work? If you have a Guardian Protection smart home security system equipped with a video doorbell, you can receive mobile notifications when they get home. You can also program custom codes in your Guardian Protection smart lock so that you’re notified when your child uses their unique passcode.

Secure Your Home

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to relieve stress is to rely on tried and true tools to bring you the reassurance of checking in and staying locked up. There are many home security systems that you can utilize to make sure that your house and loved ones are being looked after.

Lock up

For instance, in the rush to get everyone to work and school, it’s easy to forget to lock up, set the alarm system, or secure other entrances to your home. If you use a smart home security system, maximize the tools and technology available to ensure your home is secure after leaving.

With the Guardian mobile app, you can remotely arm your system, close the garage door, turn off the lights, adjust the temperature, and so much more. It’s a helping hand that brings you peace of mind, whether you’re carpooling to baseball practice or working a late night.

Take time to ensure your child is comfortable with the basics of your monitored security system. Teach them the code and the importance of not sharing it with anyone.

Capture everything on camera

We mentioned earlier that you can receive mobile alerts via the video doorbell when your child arrives home. Guardian Protection’s touchscreen IQ2 panel gives you another way to see that your child is home safe and using your alarm system correctly. The IQ2 has a built-in camera that can snap a photo when disarmed at the panel. You can receive a time-stamped photo of your child disarming your system via text message.

You can also rely on additional cameras in your home security system for complete oversight over what is happening at home while you’re away. For instance, tripwires can be triggered by your outdoor camera when your new, teenage driver pulls into the driveway so that you are notified they have gotten home from their afternoon commute safely.

You can also use your Video Doorbell Pro to monitor package deliveries as you prepare to send your kids back to school. Whether it’s binders for your third grader or bedding for your college student before they go away, make sure you’re keeping an eye out for each shipment with your video doorbell.

Safety Shouldn’t Be a Stress… Let Us Worry About It!

Back-to-school is a time to focus on education, new friends, and activities — not whether your child is safe at home or at an extracurricular. You’ll breathe easier after spending just a few hours preparing your kids for being alone — well before they find themselves in that situation.

*Picture notifications for the IQ2 may require additional fees. Please contact 1.800.PROTECT (1.800.776.8328) to learn more about this feature.