Last month, I was testing a new system at home when my three-year-old watched me enter the code. A few days later, I found the alarm disarmed and the front door wide open. She had copied my button presses and let the family dog outside. This could have been a big security problem if it was a real break-in. Now, I always use a plastic cover over the keypad when I set new codes. I also make separate user codes just for the adults in the house. Talk to your kids about the alarm but do not let them touch the panel. It is a simple fix that keeps everyone safe and the system working right.
I drove out to this old cabin by the lake to update their alarm system. They still had those big metal contact switches on the windows from like the 80s. Had to explain why we don't use those bulky things anymore and how sensors got so small. Made me remember hauling around giant toolboxes full of wire, now I just carry a tablet and a few little devices.
I learned to check placement from the floor up after a cat's tail kept setting off the same high corner unit. Now I crawl around like a toddler during every walk test, but it works.