What is your intruder plan & how do you discuss with kids

[packinmama]

For those of you with young children, I am curious if you have sat down with them and explained what to do in case of an intruder in the middle of the night - or heck, even in the middle of the day. I have a 9 yr old and a 14 month old. Their bedrooms are in the front of the house, down a short hallway just to the left of the front door. If an intruder were to break in through the front door, I am afraid they could get to my kids before I could get to the intruder. My room is almost at the back of the house. (Not that my house is that big - less than 2100 sq ft) Another fear I have is that if there is enough noise to wake ME up when the break in happens, it will certainly wake the kids and the 9 yr old could come out of his room to see what is going on and get into harm's way (ie: my line of fire to the intruder or could be grabbed, etc.).

My 9yr old has some major anxiety issues and we have to be really careful about what we watch around him (ie: news) because he will start to have nightmares or freak out at night and not be able to go to sleep because he can't get "scary thoughts" out of his head. For this reason, we haven't sat down with him yet to explain that he needs to stay in his room if he hears a possible intruder.

I am curious how other parents handle the "intruder talk" with their kids or if you even go there.

[sookandy]

It sounds like we have the same type of layout. Between the two kids rooms it really limited my field of fire. One is off to college now so that opens it up a bit but I still get my son every weekend. We had to have the talk about why I carry a gun everywhere and that it's our secret. He is 7. You bring up a good point and maybe I should talk about it with him about what he should do in the event of a break in. I always thought about what I would do but never what they should do. Thanks for bringing it up.

[steve817]

Mine has been told that it most likely won't ever happen but if it does to stay put till I come to her. Our layout is different and it only make sense, her room is right across from ours.

[packinmama]

Do you guys think more break-ins happen at night or during the day? Also, do you think most intruders might be more likely to choose another way in other than the front door? I know there are lots of variables that would affect the answers to these questions, but my husband argues that pretty much anyone who is going to break in is going to bust in the front door and doesn't really factor in the possibilities of coming in a side window, the back door or through the garage.

We have had several mid-day break ins very close to my neighborhood in the last couple of years and I really need to come up with a plan for that too. One of them was a Walmart shooting and the assailants running from the police dove into a neighborhood and ran into an open garage where an elderly man was mowing his lawn out front. I guess part of the key there is to carry at all times in my own house.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Unfortunately, most people approach intruder plans and drills just like home fire drills -- they don't. Both are boring, practicing them make you feel at least a little bit silly, and if your neighbors or friends see or hear of you doing it, they'll think you are paranoid.

That's unfortunate; both can save you and your family. I applaud you for addressing this live-saving issue.

Chas.

[texanron]

The wife and I have discussed what both of our roles will be in the event of an intruder at night or during the day. We have not discussed it with the kiddos yet since they're only 6 months old at this time.
At Night: All the bedrooms in my home are upstairs. If someone breaks in my role is to grab the guns and then the wife (with cell phone in hand) and I both exit our room. After I have verified the upstairs is clear. The wife enters the kiddos room and removes both from their cribs. While she does this I'm covering the entrance to the stairs (fatal funnel). Once she has the kids secured she takes possession of a handgun and then calls the police.
During the Day: Draw firearm - verify target - engage.
For those that are worried if they will hear someone breaking in you can buy a simple a baby monitor. These things are really sensitive, inexpensive and work great. Be sure to turn off transmitter when not in use to prevent BGs that scan from picking up noises inside your home.

[Divided Attention]

While my kids are older, we have said to them since they were young that if they hear hollering in the night and are awakened, they have places they will hunker down until they hear the clear code or one of us comes to get them. The code word is not something we hardly ever would use in a conversation, especially not one with an intruder, but something the kids would easily recognize and remember. The code word has changed in the new house, but the plan is discussed often, and has morphed as schedules etc. change.

[Scott in Houston]

We haven't discussed with our daughter, but we have a plan now. After being rudely awakened by our burglar alarm about 10 years ago, we quickly realized that we had no plan and it was a bad situation!!

Quick story, the alarm went off, and we both freaked out. I grabbed the bed-side gun, and we were both rattled with no idea what to do. She goes upstairs and I check all the doors downstairs. Then she comes flying back down and says there's someone upstairs!
I knew there was no way an intruder could have made his way upstairs that quickly so I didn't react and said it had to be our girl. (It was).

Turns out we had a bad sensor. We were running around like crazy people.

New plan. Alarm goes off. She grabs phone, and I grab the Glock 32 (plus one extra mag).
Simultaneously, we both run upstairs. She leads the way and I follow.
She gets my daughter and they hide in the bathtub. It's bullet proof. (Or the most bullet proof part of the house because it's an old fashioned tub, and right next to my daughter's room).
I man the top of the stairs while she's on the phone with 911.
The bad guy(s) can take whatever they want down stairs... but if they set one foot on the stairs, they're losing at the very minimum, a foot.

With our plan, there's no reason to include our daughter in it. When she's older, we likely will, but now, it's not really necessary IMO.

[ninemm]

My intruder plan includes a poly tarp, a canvas tarp and a mini-excavator.

[Slappinthecatgut]

2 stories with bedrooms upstairs and a dog downstairs. Whenever the dog makes noise, my g19 and I wake up and have a look around. I have a small pistol safe on the nightstand that keeps my girls out, but lets me in with a press of a couple buttons... Threats will stop before a bad guy gets his foot on the staircase.

[SewTexas]

we don't ness have have 'plan' anymore...we did a few years ago when we lived in CO...we'd been broken into while we lived there (we were at church)...the week before my daughter had been sick and stayed at home, I lost my mind....I made sure both of the kids visited the range with us, and knew where the gun they were most comfortable with was placed in the house. They are teenagers. she's a highschool grad, 18...not gonna take night classes on a college campus if I can help it. Now, my dog will alert us before a bg gets near a door...she's a welsh corgi, her bark makes her sound like a monster!!! She's my plan our guns are our back up.

[michael e]

No kids, and the way my house is set up by time someone gets in its one hallway with the rooms off to the sides. Have told the better half to go into the closet with the shotgun before when heard something outside.