No one likes to imagine the unimaginable, but taking steps to secure your home can give you both peace of mind and preparation should a disaster strike.
A home is the sanctuary we retreat to after a long day of work. It is our holy place where we feel safe to cry and laugh without judgement. Home is where we dance and play with the people that bring out the best of who we are. Home is a place to let our guard down, to be our messy and imperfect selves. A home holds the memories of yesterday and the hope for tomorrow. It is our fortress, our safety net, a soft place to land, and gives us the freedom to just be.
But even the strongest of them are subject to potential calamities. Weather emergencies, house fires, pool accidents, burglary {and everything in between} are all possibilities of tragedy that could knock at the front door to destroy the very foundation in which we reside on.
A home invasion is among the most terrifying experiences I’ve ever had. It rattled me for months, and years later, I still look back and shrink at the thought. The heartiness of our walls and the locks on our doors became insufficient; they did not protect from the nightmares that stole my peaceful slumber. My new reality became one of shock, fear, resolute anger and a wild determination to create normalcy amongst the disorder I felt within. I was taken by surprise and wonder as I questioned all of humanity and the very structure that was suppose to protect us. The “why me” complex was fruitful grasping the hand of loneliness and all of the wrenching “what ifs”.
What then do you do when an unfortunate turn of events uproots your home base? How do you recover from accident, tragedy, or bad luck? Is there a way to prepare or better yet STOP the worst from happening to you?
Preparing ourselves for accidents, hardships and heartbreak in this manner isn’t really at the top of our “Mom to do list”. Emotionally, it’s difficult to put yourself in a place of visitation toward those events, even in imagination. Having a conversation with children on “what to do if” intensifies the downpour of panic in our minds.
However, preparation is the control group in life’s variable experiment. All else is left to that which is beyond our reach. Start with the ideas below and you’ll be on your way to secure your home::
Open Conversation
I was raised in the generation of when “not speaking about it” made it somehow magically disappear from the minds of every adult around me. Although as a child I didn’t understand what could happen during storm season {tornados in my case, because I’m a Kansas girl} I could feel the emotions of my family being uneasy, confused and panicked. As a mother now, I relate the reasoning behind {trying to shield or protect} the closed lips of my parents when something hard was potentially going to happen, but I don’t agree with that mentality or approach for raising my own family.
Maintaining an open dialogue with your children when life seems to be crumbling around you is one way to take a proactive approach to the circumstances that may feel out of control. Let them know what you do know. If you are scared, don’t understand, or maybe ignorant to what is actually taking place, allow them to see you in a space of uncertainty so they themselves won’t feel alone in that arena. Share with them your knowledge in basic terms so that it is easy for them to grasp. Children are amazingly strong and resilient. They will often become the reminders to us when we forget how truly blessed we are, even in hard times.
Plan and Practice
We’ve all been at work or school and have had to take part in a fire drill, take shelter from a storm and {unfortunately these days} participate in active shooter exercises. These routines should also be implemented in our own homes. This gives you and your family an opportunity to make specific adjustments for age and ability as well as discuss questions and concerns that are unique to your circumstance.
Will your husband grab the baby when the fire alarm goes off or will you?
Who wakes Granny or gets Fido the dog?
Every man for himself or all for one?
Jump out of the second story window or try to make it downstairs?
Secure your home:: give everyone a turn to vocalize ideas for themselves, make a plan that is easy to remember and practice the routine/route every six months.
Know your neighbors
There isn’t a more valuable resource in your life than having a great neighbor, especially when life hits you hard at the homestead. Why? Because they are right there with you. They can physically have their eyes on your home and family in perilous times. They will be your greatest ally in the darkest of nights. Secure your home:: get to know them, exchange numbers and house keys, give them a helping hand and a plate of cookies. Make friends with them and have their back. You never know when they will become your instant angel, saving you when no one else can.
Invest
It’s hard to go out and spend a bunch of money -all at once- on a “what if”, but if you allow in your budget a little money here and there for items that could help in case of an emergency, slowly building a stock of items will make you feel a little more secure. These products can range from batteries and flashlights for only a few dollars, a two story fire ladder that you can find for under $30 on amazon to a whole house alarm system which can be under $100 quarterly. Making overnight grab bags for each person in the family that include basic necessities would be a great way to get started with little or no additional cost at all.
Execute
Initiating a safety movement in your home will ultimately be most successful if done with honesty and respect, by keeping the needs of the whole family in mind while actively engaging each where they are. For instance, making it a game for small children will allow them to find fun in what might otherwise be a little scary and help them feel some control in a difficult situation. Allowing your teenager the privilege of carrying out a safety check around the pool for potential hazards including inflation of pool toys or possibly taking a CPR class to feel responsible and needed in tough circumstances. Encouraging each member of your family unit will unite you in purpose and give everyone the greatest chance of success when trials present themselves.
You cannot prevent every bad thing that may happen, because…nothing would ever happen within you if you could. You can take steps to prepare and secure your home . That preparation is more than changing your batteries every six months in the fire alarm or saying “hi” to the strangers that live on your street. It’s about knowing when you fall, you’ve done your very best and can find rest in picking yourself back up while still seeing the beauty amidst the chaos. The sun will rise tomorrow, your tribe will carry you if needed and in the end you’ll stand stronger and taller than you ever have.
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