When I was a kid I was taught that under no circumstances was I to open the door if I was home alone and someone knocked.

That’s good! But I interpreted that to mean for me to be very quiet so the person would think no one was home – not so good.

Many times that’s how burglars decide which house to invite – nobody home? – Great! Nobody to stop me from getting the goods.

But if someone is home and confronts them, well that’s how a lot of home invasions go bad. The last thing a burglar wants is to have someone see him. And they (you) might have a gun. And it’s not common, but if the bad guy has a gun too then that escalates the situation– a lot. So if someone that you don’t know or don’t expect is at your door – turn on the TV, make sure the dog is barking and don’t answer the door! For situations where there is a repairman expected, make sure the company tells you the name of the repairman, and that he has ID. And be sure to let him know that your husband is in the way home and will be there shortly.

And for the kids, be sure they understand that nobody means NOBODY! I saw a special on TV a long time ago where parents agreed to have their home alone kids be tested with someone at the door. All were confident their kid would easily follow the rule and not answer. But the knock at the door came from a guy with a collared shirt with a logo on it and khaki pants , and bunch of balloons. And as if that wasn’t enough, he had an adorable puppy in his arm as well. A PUPPY!! What kid is going to resist that? He told them through the door that his parents had a special surprise for them. 10 out of 11 kids opened the door.

Now that’s probably not a realistic scenario for a kid to have happen to them, but it brings home the point that kids should have a back up available at all times so if there are questions they have an adult who can tell them exactly what to do…. don’t open the door!