For busy mothers, the idea of going off on a family vacation can be a very appealing one, but is also often a stressful proposition. Of course you want to show your family a good time, and you want to enjoy some time away with your husband and kids. However, it takes a lot of preparation to organize a family vacation, and there are some things that need doing that you may not always think of in advance. For example, have you considered how best to prepare your home in a way that keeps it secure in your absence? This is definitely something that you need to give some thought to.
When you are at home, you have probably reached the point at which your security is second nature. Most of us lock our doors at night, put our garage doors down, and set our alarm systems when necessary. Otherwise, we know how to deal with emergencies or dangerous situations as they come – we are prepared to call 911 in the event of a break-in or a fire, for example. However, when you are not home to perform this preparation and vigilance, the steps you take before your vacation will be the ones that keep your home safe.
To begin with, while planning a vacation out of town, you should make sure that your security system is up-to-date. This means testing your smoke detectors and your alarm, and updating any other security features you may have, such as video cameras, motion sensors, etc. You may also want to place a sign in your front yard indicating that your property is protected by a security system, and by that point your home will be about as secure as possible in the event of criminal activity or an emergency.
For the most part, the steps outlined briefly above will keep your home safe, even in your absence. However, the human touch of home security is an important one, so it can never hurt to bring in a little bit of help. If you feel comfortable with the idea, you may want to hire at least a part time house sitter, and at the least you should let your close neighbors know that you will be out of town. This is important because they can keep their eyes on your home, and even pick up your newspapers, etc., so that your home does not appear to be unoccupied. Once you set up your security measures – ideally by bringing in support from your neighbors and by activating an up-to-date security system – you should be more able to focus on planning and enjoying your vacation, without worrying about home!