Tips for Giving Your Kids House Keys

So you think it’s time. Your sons or daughters are old enough to attend school, go out into the neighborhood on their own or be dropped home from a friend’s house when you’re out, and you think it’s probably wise to give them house keys to make sure they can always get in.

The problem with giving keys to kids, however, is that they can easily misplace them, which is a security threat to your home and a problem when your child gets locked out. Here’s how to help your kids keep track of their house keys:

• Organize keys so they’re easy to locate. Think about buying your child a lanyard or a special keychain to help him or her have a personalized and easy way to remember and grab house keys. Kids can also attach keychains to their backpacks with a clip or tie. It’s easy to lose one little key, but losing a backpack or lanyard will be much more noticeable, so kids will keep better track of their keys this way.
• Use a key rack at home to help keep all keys in one place. Designate a special spot in your house where everyone can put their keys down when they come home and pick them up again when they go out. If Mom, Dad and the kids all hang their keys on one rack or place them in a specific drawer, the whole family will always know where the keys are when you need them.
• Have spare keys and keep them hidden. In the event that your kids (or you!) do misplace their keys, you should always keep spare keys as backup. Make duplicates and hide your keys in places only your family knows about.
• Have a plan if your child gets locked out of the house. Even with the best organization, sometimes mistakes happen and your kids can get locked out. Make sure you’re prepared for this situation by having an emergency number to call, a neighbor they can go to or a spare key hidden in a secure location, like inside a keypad-entry garage. For security, never hide a key in a visible or easily accessible place outside, like under a mat or potted plant.

Choose Ernie’s for Your Duplicate Keys

If you’re confident your kids can handle having their own house keys, trust Ernie’s Lock and Key for your key cutting and duplication needs. We’ve been dedicated to the safety and peace-of-mind of residents in the Maryland and Metro D.C. areas since 1960. Contact us today.