10 Items That Should be Locked Up in Your Home

There are plenty of things in the average home that should be under lock and key, whether there are children living in the house or not. For the safety of your family, visitors and finances, here are ten of the things you should always secure properly.

1. Firearms – Most people believe that guns only need to be in a locked safe or secured cabinet if there are children living in or visiting the home, but this may not always be the case. Serious collectors should also lock up their firearms, as they could be a target item for burglars that know you own them.
2. Ammunition – If you do have children in your home, it’s best to go a step further and lock the guns in one cabinet and the ammunition in another locking location such as a strongbox or safe. Taking this precaution adds another safety measure to prevent tragedy in the event that children are able to somehow gain access to a gun cabinet.
3. Alcohol – Young children might get into a liquor cabinet out of sheer curiosity, while their older siblings or babysitters may have more nefarious plans in mind. Putting alcohol in a locked cabinet is a good way to keep your kids out of it and prevent liability in the event of a visiting teen’s desire to imbibe.
4. Jewelery – Valuable pieces of special occasion jewelery should be locked away in order to keep them safe in the event of a home invasion or burglary. This may not be convenient for items that you wear every day, but especially valuable pieces that you wear only rarely should never be left in an easily-portable jewelry box or unlocked cabinet.
5. Sensitive Personal Documents – Financial records, passports and birth certificates should all be placed in a safe or strongbox to keep the sensitive information they contain away from prying eyes in the event of a burglary.
6. Medicine Chests – The most obvious reason to lock medicine chests is to keep children from accessing potentially lethal chemicals. However, prescription drugs with street value can be another target for burglars who know you’re on such medications.
7. Power Tools and Machinery – In addition to being costly to replace in the event of theft or damage, power tools and other machinery can be quite dangerous in the hands of children. Wandering neighborhood kids that can access a detached shed or workshop might be tempted to play with these items out of sheer mischief, but you could be held legally liable if they injure themselves with them while on your property.
8. Bureau Drawers – When there are crawling infants and walking toddlers in the house, any bureau or dresser drawer that can be reached should be fitted with childproof locks in order to prevent delicate fingers from being crushed in them or the temptation to pull them out and scale them like stairs.
9. Cabinetry – All of the lower cabinets in your kitchen must be locked if there are children in the house, as they’re likely to contain hazardous chemicals and potentially unsafe kitchen implements with sharp edges or points.
10. Your Wireless Network – All too often, less savvy web users don’t understand the necessity of thoroughly locking their wireless network until they fall victim to con artists. Neighbors leeching on your connection that download illegal files can even leave you shouldering the blame.

Taking the proper precautions to secure your family, valuables and personal information may present a few minor inconveniences, but those inconveniences are nothing compared to the heartache and stress of carrying regrets that you didn’t.

Taken From Become a Nanny