In a conversation in comments on a past post, I noticed how many spouses talked about not being able to sleep when the DH is gone.
I could definitely relate to that problem especially when the kids were younger and it did remind me of another Real Simple article about how to make your home more secure (I swear I don't work for them).
I decided that I would email a good friend of mine, Ralph, and ask him what advice he could give to help military spouses feel more secure. Ralph's son and my husband deployed together, Ralph is a former Marine/Vietnam vet AND he works for the police on a drug task force. Not to mention, I just happen to really adore Ralph and his wife, Sharron.
Some of Ralph's tips.....
1. Keep your garage door shut. Leaving it up even a little invites trouble.
2. If you can, get a dog. It doesn't have to be an attack dog. Doggie doors are not a good idea.
3. Consider installing motion lights around the outside of your house.
4. Don't leave items outside (like rakes or shovels) that could be used to break windows or as a weapon against you.
5. Keep your windows and doors locked.
6. Do not put a spare key in that cute,fake rock outside. Thieves know what they are.
7. Keep your curtains drawn so that potential burglars don't find something of interest inside your home.
8. If you have sliding windows or a sliding glass door, get wooden dowels to put in the tracks.
9. If you have a particular blindspot or do not have a peephole on your front door, consider what Soul Sister did. Install a little webcam so that you can see who's at the door. Some of them run for as little as $30
10. Do not hesitate to call the police. Ever.
11. Some police departments offer home security assesments. Check and see if yours does or would consider starting one.
12. Start, as one genious milspouse did, a neighborhood watch group.
13. Have at least one trusted neighbor's phone number handy. Exchange numbers even.
14. If you area permits this, consider carrying police quality pepper spray.
15. Have a small flashlight on your keychain. When you are getting back in your vehicle, always check the backseat.
16. Put items that would make noise under windows so that if someone is breaking in, you're going to hear it. Things like bells or maybe soda cans with rocks in them.
This is by no means a complete list of how to make your house more secure. Chime in with other things that we spouses can do to make our homes more safe.
Also, if any of you have a specific question for Ralph, you can email me at
conserv00 AT yahoo.com (those 00's are zeroes, not two letter O's). I am sure that Ralph would be happy to assist.
