If you’re a working parent, there’s a good chance that your kids will eventually have to spend time at home alone, especially after school. Since every child progresses differently, it can be tough to tell when your child is ready to get a house key and when they require supervision. To help you decide who will have control over your home’s deadbolts, here are a few signs that an adolescent is ready for a key and how they can use it safely.  

What Factors Should You Consider When Giving Your Child a House Key?

General Need

If your child is usually accompanied by you, another guardian, or an older sibling, they may not need a key. However, if they will be coming home alone regularly, it’s worth considering letting them have a copy.

Personal Responsibility

Your child should exhibit a good degree of responsibility to ensure that they can manage a house key and stay at home alone. If they frequently lose their belongings or tend to break rules, it might not be the right time.

Capability

Even if a child is well-behaved and responsible for their age, they shouldn’t be home alone if they can’t perform certain common tasks, such as unlocking a deadbolt, using the phone, or cooking with a microwave.

How Can You Help Your Child Use a House Key Responsibly?

Set Boundaries

When you decide to let your child embrace the independence of being home alone, make sure they know the ground rules. Some guidelines to establish include what time they should arrive home, who is allowed to come over, and how they should check in with you. You should also set rules on who is allowed to use the key and who isn’t.

Keep Keys in the Same Spot

Build a routine that makes it difficult for your child to lose their house key. For example, you can have them clip the set to a hook inside their backpack while they’re at school and place them on a designated rack as soon as they enter the house.

Hide a Spare

If your child loses their key or leaves it at school, they should have an alternative way of getting inside. Hide a spare in a discreet, secure location that will remain hidden to others.

 

 

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, keys can get lost. Fortunately, if this happens, Ability Lock & Key can help. Serving the Winston-Salem, NC community, this mobile locksmith can rekey locks so unauthorized individuals won’t be able to enter your home with the old key. They can also install extra features to simplify your property’s security with lockas and deadbolts. Visit this Piedmont Triad locksmith online to learn more about these expansive capabilities. For service requests, call (336) 407-1586.