Home SD when little ones are a concern

[anythingshiny]

When our border collie barks at deer by the time I have heard it my daughter has already rocketed out of her bed and into mine

I would like to think that I know the dog well enough to tell the difference between the deer/coon/possum/squirrel bark and the person/car bark, but i get up and check every time.

my son on the other hand will sleep thru the next atomic bomb test protocol and wake in in the morning with slobbery cheeks..

Our physical layout is ok, with the master at the end of the upper hallway with only the kids rooms and a bathroom on the same level ( 70's split level) so the hall looks down on the entry way. I could stand in the doorway of my room and cover movement into our room without too much issue.

Kids do add a HUGE level of risk as they are a pretty unpredictable element on a good day...let alone under stress. Mine are young so I have only gently brought it up as a soft point of "mommy and daddy's room is safe..go there" as it really is just a few steps.

 

[Grey_Mana]

If your kids are really young, get a baby monitor. At least sound, but the combination night-vision camera + sound runs about $150 at Babies-R-Us and Target. You want to hear if something bad is going on in their room (fire, bad guy, seizure, errant tree limb). If your house alarms don't alert you and you don't otherwise hear, you want an extra layer of information.

As they get older, a cheap intercom system is handy.

 

[saltydog452]

Lordy, I haven't thought about this in years.

All I can say my friend is that we all gotta work out our own salvation.

There is no definitive answer.

If its bothersome, you, your lady, and your kids gotta work it out, together.

I don't know what I'd do now my own self.

Downstairs and the fron of the house is a 'gimme' to the invaders. Upstairs and BRs are different.

salty

 

[YammyMonkey]

Jeff, I agree with your points but there's always a flip side. For instance, having locks on the kids' doors doesn't mean they can't get out. Keep the knob with the hand latch on the inside of their rooms. If it's a small kid who might get out & wander around in a fire is it possible that the best course of action could be for their door to be locked & you break out the window & grab them from outside? Flip...replace "you" in the above with "the boogeyman" & you have another issue.

Everything in that post is situationally dependant. Lighting, training, physical ability, etc. If you don't lock your doors then arming up might be kicking the attacker off you while you try to roll off the bed & grab your gun that's on the floor. On the other end of the spectrum you might have enough time to toss on your clothes, level 4 armor, sling up the AR, brew a pot of coffee & call the A-Team.

Yes, kids make messes & don't do what they're told. But we're the adults & it is our responsibility to work out the solution. If part of that means you take 30 seconds after the kids are in bed to ensure the path is properly cleared then so be it. That will also make things easier in case of fire.

In the end being on the opposite side of the house from your kids is a nasty situation regardless of the emergency.

 

[mljdeckard]

It is absolutely a legitimate concern. I have found it's always useful to think a little bit in laying out your house plans. Think about where your most likely lanes of fire are, meaning, where are you most likely to see and shoot at a bad guy, and in what direction. Obvious areas are entryways, hallways, and stairwells. Train to shoot from low angles, putting your over-penetrating projectiles in the ceiling. BUT ALSO, be aware that there may be situations where you have friendly targets past the ceiling as well.

Don't be too rigid in your plans, you never know who you will be shooting at or why. If your plan is too narrow, you will face indecision when you are presented with a situation that doesn't fit the plan.