Moms are being celebrated on 11 May and this day should be used as an opportunity to honour the many women that have played a mothering role in our lives. One way of doing it, is by focussing on their safety and security and offering them the best protection possible.

They should also be recognised for the important role they play in society and especially in the lives of their own children. Keeping children out of harm’s way is but one of the many responsibilities of mothers, but in today’s world probably the most important.

Charnel Hattingh, Fidelity ADT’s Group Head of Marketing and Communications, urges families to keep personal safety top of mind this Mother’s Day, whether at home or out and about.

Parents should know where their children are at all times. Even if celebrating at home, keep common dangers like a swimming pool or access to household chemicals in mind for younger children.

Hattingh offers these basic tips for moms to help keep their children safe:

• When parking in public places with children in the vehicle, turn the car off and take the keys out. Unless your child is much older (teenage years), don’t leave your child in the car.Even if you are just running into the shop for bread, don’t do it
• As unreal as it may seem, it has happened that a sleeping child was forgotten in a car. Newer car seats have an alarm that goes off if your child is in the seat when the vehicle is turned off
• If you are leaving your children at home in someone else’s care to go shopping, know where they are before you start the car. The seemingly impossible is always possible to an extent. It’s not worth the risk
• Any criminal incident is traumatic, especially for children. To prevent falling victim to a smash and grab, never leave valuables – your phone, handbag, laptop – in plain sight while driving. Ensure the doors are locked and the windows are closed
• If you leave your children at home in the care of a babysitter or au pair, they must be as security conscious as you are all of the time and know what to do in an emergency. Make sure all remote panic buttons are working and that areas of the home that are not being used are protected through the alarm system and other home security solutions you have in plac
• Remote monitoring of your home and property while you are out keeps you informed of everything going on in real time. Consider surveillance camera installation with 24/7 security monitoring.
• Make use of community security services, like Whatsapp groups and your local security provider’s value-added services, like meet and greet and extra patrols, for added peace of mind.

“Any opportunity to focus on personal safety should be used. We can give our mothers a wonderful present by making sure we empower them with the skills and knowledge they need to be safe from crime,” says Hattingh.

Criminals often see women as vulnerable and easy targets. Hattingh recommends remaining vigilant and to never let one’s guard down to avoid becoming a crime statistic. The key to safety is always to err on the side of caution.

She offers the following pointers for all mothers and women in general:

• Of utmost importance is to trust your instincts. Women have great intuition and should listen to their instincts. If someone or something makes you feel uneasy, avoid the individual and leave the area
• Make contact with your private security service provider and asking them if they offer a mobile panic alarm service, which could be downloaded to your mobile phone
• Tell someone where you are going and the time you expect to return. Save to your mobile phone or memorise the details of the person to be contacted in the event of an emergency
• Be aware of people around you when heading to your vehicle, especially at places such as shopping centres, petrol stations, and the likes. Ensure that you take a moment to check the street before pulling into a driveway, be it your own or a friend’s
• If you are driving, the first thing to do once you are inside your vehicle is to ensure that all the doors are locked. Never drive with a handbag or any other valuable items on a seat or in the view of anyone looking into your vehicle from the outside. Try and make your car a mobile-free zone so you can concentrate on your surrounds and keeping you and your family safe

“I encourage women to not only use these tips, but to share them with family and friends. In this way we can help make a positive difference in the fight against crime and keep our women safe. I wish our nation’s mothers a wonderful Mother’s Day,” says Hattingh.