Ready or not, for most kids the new school year is only a few weeks away. Back-to-school season can cause anxiety for not only children, but also for their parents. More families see both parents working regularly to bolster their income. In fact, 61% of married couples with kids—about 39 million parents—see both parents work to support their families. This means more kids are left alone for several hours after school—a cause of worry and stress for their parents.
Luckily, as parents increasingly leave their children home without supervision after the bell rings, the home security industry has kept pace. With modern smart home technology, there are ways to check in on your kids without wondering if they made it safely or if they’re getting into any trouble at home. At EPS Security, we use a platform called Total Connect to help people control their home security solution remotely, and it can be used to great effect to mitigate the anxiety of parents of so-called “latchkey kids.”
Receive arm/disarm alerts.
Instead of needing your kids to call you as soon as they arrive home from school to confirm they’ve arrived safely, Total Connect allows you to receive alerts straight to your phone so you can know when your children are disarming the system.
Check in on your kids with Total Connect cameras.
Anxious about what your kids might be up to before you get home? Log in to your Total Connect app on your phone or computer and see what they’re getting into using up to six internet-connected cameras.
Use an electronic door lock.
Don’t trust your child to carry a key? Install an electronic door lock that only requires a code to automatically unlock your door. Many of these electronic locks are Total Connect-compatible, so you can control them from your smartphone in case your child forgets their code. This also saves you from needing to “hide” a spare key—which is never a good idea in the first place.
Teach your kids how to set the alarm in “stay” mode.
Once your kids are home, you can have them re-set the alarm in “stay” mode, which arms the perimeter devices on your system (doors, windows) but keeps the motion sensors off. This allows for your children to move freely about the house but prevents anyone uninvited from entering.
Show your kids how to use the duress button.
A standard keypad will have a “duress” button built-in. If any emergencies were to occur, simply holding down the button would send a signal to EPS Security’s 24/7 Monitoring Center in Grand Rapids and we would dispatch the authorities to your house immediately.
Use monitored life safety devices.
Make sure your smoke detectors and CO detectors are wired to report through your security system. In the event of a fire or CO leak, you can rest assured that help is on its way to your home—and your kids—with an EPS-monitored system.
Your children are your most valuable asset. Don’t settle for anything less than the best when it comes to their security. Use Total Connect to stay connected to your kids from your desk at work and find some peace of mind with the help of EPS Security.