Wifes important question. Need help with the answer. ???

My wife asked me a question last week and I have been stewing on it ever since.

Our situation:

We have 2 teenagers 14, 16. One boy and one girl. We live in a two story home with bedrooms on the second floor up a rather long, enclosed staircase from the front door. We keep home defense weapon on the headboard that is locked during the day and available at night.

Her question was if i was out of town and she felt an intruder was in the house she would not be able to get to the top of the stairs quick enough to identify if it was a child or intruder. She horrified at the thought of shooting one of our children (as I am) but knows she could be overpowered easily at the top of the stairs. One has to guard against being shot with their own weapon as well.

As the kids get older they will have more freedom going in and out and these late night entering situations could happen regularly. When I was growing up we announced ourselves loudly at the front door so my father would not go into attack mode. The difference was the bedrooms their were pretty far from the front door. Here you want to catch someone on the stairs and control access to the upper level.

Need some help here to answer her question and keep the family safe!

:confused:

The question doesn't seem very clear to me....could you elaborate?

I would think on applying levels of access. Key entry, keypad code after entering before alarm sounds, and "Mom Dad Im home!". The last may sound annoying but, in my family if we entered my house without asking for a blessing from mom, no matter what time of night, big trouble! Its like net security, something you have (key), something you know(code), something you are (voice). Hope that helps some, later. Oh plus I love my friends alarm that announces loudly what entrance just opened! BG would be very stupid to not pay attention. Later!

Sounds like she would have a firearm. She must use a light to distinguish children from an intruder.

I am a light sleeper who hates noise. When my kids were old enough to come in late, they would try to sneak in the front door as quietly as possible, but I would wake in an upstairs bedroom when a key slid into the deadbolt cylinder. That sound was as good as an alarm clock.

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Originally Posted by nlghthawk

The question doesn't seem very clear to me....could you elaborate?

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Reccomendations to make the situation more manageable for her. In crisis I think/move more confidently and quicker than she does. She needs more confidence in how to handle the situation and I am looking for help.

1) intercom? ("Hey, Mom, I'm home")
2) cheap low-light / IR security TV camera?
3) closed and locked doors at the top of the stairs?
4) train the kids to shoot and arm them, too? Plenty of 15-16 year olds have successfully defended themselves and family members, though their responsibility levels would need to be considered.

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Originally Posted by Paymeister

1) intercom? ("Hey, Mom, I'm home")
2) cheap low-light / IR security TV camera?
3) closed and locked doors at the top of the stairs?
4) train the kids to shoot and arm them, too? Plenty of 15-16 year olds have successfully defended themselves and family members, though their responsibility levels would need to be considered.

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On thought number four I would agree but laws do not. My kids can both shoot well but the state says they have to be 18 to have ready access to a firearm. Otherwise it is child endangerment. When my son got a rifle recently we joked that he bought me a new gun that he would receive in a few years as a gift when he is old enough. Good suggestions otherwise.

I would go with an alarm system, that you can set with a delay that allows you time to disarm before it goes off.
Mine has a 30 sec delay to deactivate, or if everyone is home it is set with no time delay. Also a wireless intercom system so they can announce themselves when they come in.

You can try all the security systems you want, but my solution to this problem was very simple: Get a REAL bright flashlight and visually ID your potential target before "lighting them up".

That may seem a little more dangerous, but it can save you incalculable amounts of grief if things go the other way..........

I agree with the good flashlight. Something like a Surefire atleast 80 lumins. It's not only good for visual, but also good for blinding.
I know when my daughter comes home. If she is going to be early, she calls. She comes to my room first.

I think some intercom or system that would permit the kids to announce themselves would be good.
I also wonder if there is not a relatively inexpensive TV system that would reveal the stairs and who was there.

Normally, I do not like the idea of searching for an intruder in a home at night. It seems to me that the intruder has the advantage, and the best thing is to stay in the bedroom and call 911. However, with the current situation one might need to go to the stairs. I would have some system to light the stairs from a remote. That might serve to frighten an intruder.

The cost of a closed circuit TV system could not be so expensive that the wife or kids would be put in danger otherwise.

Years ago when my son was around 21 or so, he would be out late and after we went to bed. He tried not to disturb us by turning on lights, but one night he knocked over a candlestick we had in the hall. It made a lot of noise, and he immediately shouted, "Dad, it's me." After that he turned on lights and we kept our door closed. No problem.

Regards,
Jerry

Time for a 'family' pow-wow...the family that shoots together, stays together.
Teens who understand the use and purpose of firearms are going to understand the need for identifying themselves as they enter the home...just as hubby would when he comes home (if at night).

Family members should know the 'rules' for protecting the home turf in a number of potential situations.

The aforementioned use of light for identification purposes is important.

Stay armed...train your family...stay safe!

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Originally Posted by realitycramp

My wife asked me a question last week and I have been stewing on it ever since.

Our situation:

We have 2 teenagers 14, 16. One boy and one girl. We live in a two story home with bedrooms on the second floor up a rather long, enclosed staircase from the front door. We keep home defense weapon on the headboard that is locked during the day and available at night.

Her question was if i was out of town and she felt an intruder was in the house she would not be able to get to the top of the stairs quick enough to identify if it was a child or intruder. She horrified at the thought of shooting one of our children (as I am) but knows she could be overpowered easily at the top of the stairs. One has to guard against being shot with their own weapon as well.

As the kids get older they will have more freedom going in and out and these late night entering situations could happen regularly. When I was growing up we announced ourselves loudly at the front door so my father would not go into attack mode. The difference was the bedrooms their were pretty far from the front door. Here you want to catch someone on the stairs and control access to the upper level.

Need some help here to answer her question and keep the family safe!

:confused:

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It seems the problem is how to identify the entrant in order to arrive first at the top of the stairs.

Telephone, intercom, alarm system. You did not describe how you/yourself identify who is entering the house when you are home.

Dog?

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Reccomendations to make the situation more manageable for her. In crisis I think/move more confidently and quicker than she does. She needs more confidence in how to handle the situation and I am looking for help.

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Hate to sound like Ann "Get counseling" Landers, but -- get training.

When the perceived need is for more confidence, there is no other answer but to acquire appropriate training which will, by its very nature, result in having an accurately-measured level of confidence in your ability to handle the situation.

pax