Home Security Ideas

[LittleExplorers]

What do you do for safety and security? I hate that our address is posted online.

I had a strange older man stop and ask questions about me being a daycare. We are in the country on a road that isnt heavily traveled so I assume he got my address online. When he asked if I was a home daycare or center, that seemed off. When I asked what ages he needed care for, he said I don't know, maybe knee high. It was at that point I shut and locked the door. Prior to that he asked what daycare in town might have openings and where to find them. As I was shutting the door, he asked how to get to the county daycare website.

I called the sheriff but am now wondering what to do to protect myself and the kiddos. We are outside a ton, so a video doorbell will not solve all of this, nor will my internet support a Wi-Fi one. Maybe its nothing, but it still feels pff to me.

[Mom2Two]

Wow, your address is online? Do you mean that your state puts it online?

Our state puts our cross streets, but that's all.

[LittleExplorers]

Wow, your address is online? Do you mean that your state puts it online?

Our state puts our cross streets, but that's all.

Yes, the state and the county both do. :dislike:

[Blackcat31]

Is your yard area fenced?

I have a completely fenced in yard. I have an alarm that signals (loudly) any time some one enters (or exits) through the gate.

I would suggest maybe putting up a sign at the entrance to your yard saying something such as:
"No trespassing. Daycare visitors by appointment ONLY. Property under surveillance"

Helps those that are truly seeking daycare services understand why they can't just walk up and knock on the door.

I've had many people, especially from grandparents looking for care that just stop by.

I can see how it could be considered creepy or weird but I think in most cases it's grandparents raising their grandkids or being the caregiver vs a child care and they are either looking for child care themselves for grand child or looking to find options to pass along to their own child.

I've had two grand parents stop by and ask because they didnt want to be the primary chidl care provider any more but their grandchilds parent wasn't actively looking for care because grandparent was providing the care for free so why look kwim?

As for posting our addresses on-line... I don't see it as something that will ever change. We are a business and like other businesses, that type of thing is usually considered public information. Just because our business is in our homes it, doesn't change how the state views us.

Ive been told many times that being a child care business is a choice so we don't have to have our addresses available to the public if we don't want to but then we can't be a licensed child care then either.

[LittleExplorers]

Is your yard area fenced?

I have a completely fenced in yard. I have an alarm that signals (loudly) any time some one enters (or exits) through the gate.

I would suggest maybe putting up a sign at the entrance to your yard saying something such as:
"No trespassing. Daycare visitors by appointment ONLY. Property under surveillance"

Helps those that are truly seeking daycare services understand why they can't just walk up and knock on the door.

I've had many people, especially from grandparents looking for care that just stop by.

I can see how it could be considered creepy or weird but I think in most cases it's grandparents raising their grandkids or being the caregiver vs a child care and they are either looking for child care themselves for grand child or looking to find options to pass along to their own child.

I've had two grand parents stop by and ask because they didnt want to be the primary chidl care provider any more but their grandchilds parent wasn't actively looking for care because grandparent was providing the care for free so why look kwim?

As for posting our addresses on-line... I don't see it as something that will ever change. We are a business and like other businesses, that type of thing is usually considered public information. Just because our business is in our homes it, doesn't change how the state views us.

Ive been told many times that being a child care business is a choice so we don't have to have our addresses available to the public if we don't want to but then we can't be a licensed child care then either.

I can see it being a legit inquiry sometimes, but this man couldn't answer how old the kids were.

A sign is a good idea!

We have almost 2 acres so a fence isn't an option. I think more than anything it just made me feel unsafe in the moment. I should not have opened the door.

[Alwaysgreener]

Is your yard area fenced?

I have a completely fenced in yard. I have an alarm that signals (loudly) any time some one enters (or exits) through the gate.

I would suggest maybe putting up a sign at the entrance to your yard saying something such as:
"No trespassing. Daycare visitors by appointment ONLY. Property under surveillance"

Helps those that are truly seeking daycare services understand why they can't just walk up and knock on the door.

I've had many people, especially from grandparents looking for care that just stop by.

I can see how it could be considered creepy or weird but I think in most cases it's grandparents raising their grandkids or being the caregiver vs a child care and they are either looking for child care themselves for grand child or looking to find options to pass along to their own child.

I've had two grand parents stop by and ask because they didnt want to be the primary chidl care provider any more but their grandchilds parent wasn't actively looking for care because grandparent was providing the care for free so why look kwim?

As for posting our addresses on-line... I don't see it as something that will ever change. We are a business and like other businesses, that type of thing is usually considered public information. Just because our business is in our homes it, doesn't change how the state views us.

Ive been told many times that being a child care business is a choice so we don't have to have our addresses available to the public if we don't want to but then we can't be a licensed child care then either.

What kind of gate alarm do you have.

[Blackcat31]

What kind of gate alarm do you have.

https://m.harborfreight.com/wireless-driveway-alert-system-93068.html?cid=paid_google|*PLA+-+Low+Price+%28Main%29|Alert+System|93068&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&mkwid=sPWJBtRuT|pcrid|324561444177|pkw||pmt||pdv|m|slid||product|93068|&pgrid=64661527123&ptaid=pla-300277928612&pcid=1425851011&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItPSTnsTc4QIVjf_jBx1Caw9eEAQYDSABEgIWD_D_BwE&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

[Alwaysgreener]

https://m.harborfreight.com/wireless....google.com%2F

Oh I have that, I use it for my porch steps. Those are useful and work well but also annoying. One time it keep going off, so I keep looking out to see who was there. The last time I waited and then I saw a bird land in front of it.

[Blackcat31]

Oh I have that, I use it for my porch steps. Those are useful and work well but also annoying. One time it keep going off, so I keep looking out to see who was there. The last time I waited and then I saw a bird land in front of it.

At my house we gave a spider that keeps trying to build a web across the sensor.... it is annoying but the alert does work well