Home Safety And Single Parenting

Compared to married persons, who live with their husbands or wives under one roof, keeping a home safe is more difficult to those who are single parents. Aside from being alone in taking care of everything inside the house, single parenting is also more prone to crimes because they don’t have husbands or wives to protect them in their own homes.

More than men, single moms are prone with are thief or burglary and rape or sexual abuse. Single moms are more prone to crimes such as sexual abuses and even rape because they are all alone in their homes most of the time. Single dads might also be victims of losing their properties inside their houses because thieves think that they are always out for work.

For single parents to keep their kids, homes and lives safe, they should:

- always check their doors and windows. To avoid theft when you're away, make sure that all of your windows and doors have locks. You also have to check these locks once in a while to ensure that they are all working and functioning properly. Before leaving the house, always double check if all the windows are securely fastened and the doors are all locked. This will ensure that burglars cannot enter easily because all the possible entry points are bolted and locked. If you have sliding glass doors, always keep a piece of plywood or a rod made of metal in the track while you install vertical bolts. The metal rod or plywood as well as the vertical bolts will make forcible entry in your home.

- ensure that the lights are on. If you leave the house—especially at night—it is advisable to keep the lights on. This will create the false impression that you or somebody else is at home. Aside from the lights, you can also leave your television set and radio on. Just make sure that they all have timers and they are set at specific time of your arrival. Setting the timer of these appliances will also ensure that they will not cause fire if they are left turned on for a long period of time.

- ask your neighbor to use your parking space while you are away. By having your parking space occupied by your neighbor, potential burglars will hesitate to enter your house and steal your properties because they know that you are present.

- trim shrubs that are too tall. Shrubs that keep in the way such as entrances or walkways will make it hard for you to escape when an offender gets into your house.

- join in a community watch program in your neighborhood. One of the burdens of single parenting is that your safety even at home is at stake since you are all alone with your kid. Although it's worrisome, you can overcome this fear by joining a community watch program in your area because the people in this group can help you once a burglar or an offender attacks you and your home.