A Single Mom’s Guide: Setting Up a Safe and Healthy Home

Running a single-parent household can be challenging on one income, and it can be difficult to know who you should talk to or what you should do in order to set up the safest and healthiest home environment for your children. With rising housing costs and high cost of living, some single moms are at risk of becoming homeless, should an unforeseen circumstance arise. Other moms settle for living in areas with higher crime rates, because they can get housing large enough for their families, but they often sacrifice a secure living environment out of necessity. Here are a few tricks for creating a safe and secure home environment for your family.

Look Into Assistance

Many organizations, foundations, and trusts have assistance available for a variety of different needs for single mothers. Emergency housing, affordable housing, low income housing, and rental assistance are just a few of the types of assistance that may be available to you. Check outthis website to learn more. These solutions may help you move your family into a safer area with children their age, where they can go outside and play safely. You can also get some piece of mind, knowing you have good neighbors who are invested in maintaining the safety of the neighborhood.

Guard Dogs

If you are unable to move to a nicer area, a good solution to increasing your safety is investing in a guard dog. Many dog breeds are good with children and extremely loyal to their families, but they are also highly intuitive and protective against strangers. Do your research before purchasing one, and familiarize yourself with your landlord’s policies on pets. Dogs can be expensive if they are high-maintenance, so ensure that you and your children have the time, effort, and finances to take care of one adequately.

Know Your Neighbors

Grow in relationship with your neighbors. There may be other women around who are in a similar situation, and you can work together to keep an eye on your homes and children. Likewise, you can also keep an eye on the neighbors who might not be a positive influence for your children. Find good people you can trust who have been living there for a while, and work together to bring positive change in your neighborhood. Look for after-school programs in the area as well.