Simple Tips and Guide to Improving Your Home and Family Security

Many people do not put up a home security measure since they do not see the importance of having one. Maybe they have not yet experienced any break in incident, which makes them feel very confident and secure.

However, no one would wait for something to happen before taking any action. The possible losses from an intrusion are not limited to just your properties and valuables.

Worst case scenario, it could also mean an injury or potentially the loss of a life. Catching an intruder that is already inside the house or in the act of committing a crime can lead to a desperate situation. This could turn out nasty especially if the perpetrator is armed. If the intruder was prevented from ever entering your property, the chances of such an event from happening are close to nil.

Having an effective security system installed is far better than simply relying on a guard dog. You have many options at your disposal to protect the perimeter of your property and make it difficult for an intruder to get to your house unnoticed.

This can be complemented by an outdoor lighting system, security alarms and motion sensors that will stop any unauthorized entry on your house. Alarms and sensors installed to the doors and windows will warn you of an intrusion, in case your yard security has been compromised.

Inside your house, it is advisable for you to store any valuable items in a secure or locked location out of a potential intruder's sight. A safe or a lock box can provide you with greater protection and these are easily obtainable at reasonable prices.

If you tend to be away from your home for long period of time, you may want to look at setting up cameras both inside and outside your house. These cameras can be setup such that you can remotely monitored them from your office or even when you are away on holiday.

For those that do not have an idea of what a security system can do and how to set up one, there are security agencies and companies specializing for such concerns. They can provide you with an expert advice on how to have an effective security set up.

They can also direct you to various resources to have an array of security devices ideal for your particular location. Furthermore, you will not be tricked into buying overly advertised but ineffective security products that are scattered everywhere in the market nowadays.

Top Tips If You Are Working Away From Home

Family life today has been affected by a culture change over the last 20 or 30 years which has meant more and more people are working away from home 4 or 5 days a week. Personally, I have had spells where I have worked almost completely at home but I am currently going through a spell where my job takes me to a location 250 miles away - and I have been doing this for nearly 8 months. If you have a young family this can be difficult to manage so here are my tips for keeping both yourself (and your family) sane:

• Make sure you keep in contact with home regularly. The phone is the obvious choice but my 8 year old daughter loves instant messaging (Google or MSN) especially when she gets home from school. It is more 'instant' than email. A webcam is also a good idea if you have the technology and are maybe stuck in a hotel room with only a laptop for company. This is a great way of keeping up to date with what is going on in your family so you are not playing catch-up at weekends.

• My 8 year old also loves a story at night. We have made up a character (Sophie) who has a magic bed. When she goes to sleep she can travel anywhere and we make up the story as we go along. Often Sophie travels to places we know, sometimes she visits characters off the TV or TV shows - either way my daughter loves the stories and it is always the last thing she does before she goes to bed.

• Set your boundaries at work. If you can, negotiate to work at home (or locally to your home) on a Friday and stick to it as much as you can. By and large, if you put the hours in Monday to Thursday then this will be respected. At the very least aim to leave the office Friday lunchtime so you have a full weekend available to you.l

• If you do work at home on a Friday make sure you bring home the work you need to do! (either electronically or physically!)

• Negotiate your time to be in the office on a Monday morning - there may not be any need to get up at 4am if you can agree a late morning start and make the hours up in the evening

• When you are staying in a hotel the evenings are a really good opportunity to put the hours in, catch up with work etc. If you adopt this approach and are prepared to stay late a couple of nights a week then it will strengthen your case to have Fridays at home and a later start on Mondays.

• Protect your weekends - if at all possible switch off the computer/phone and concentrate on your family

• Join a gym, or find something to occupy you at your work location. Many gyms you can pay monthly - or do an evening class, go to the local comedy club, or go to the cinema (you can get monthly passes very reasonably these days). Find things to occupy your time other than work and the hotel TV, even if it is going for a walk or run.

• Make sure that if there is a crisis at home you communicate well to your bosses and peers so they know exactly where they stand. If you have to stay at home for any reason or travel home unexpectedly - make sure they are fully aware - by and large they will understand as long as they know what is going on.

• Make sure you eat well, get exercise and sleep well while you are away. You want to be 'there' for your family at the weekend - not burnt out

• Use the time in the evenings to do a self study qualification - either work related (e.g. Accreditation training) or not (e.g. Learn French)

• Do your expenses in good time - they can build quickly and this will save the anger of your bosses and avoid any unnecessary build up of personal expense - Friday afternoon (assuming you are working at home not travelling) is ideal for admin.

It is not easy working away from home but often it is an essential part of family life today, but with close management and a little thought it can work out well for all concerned.