The saying “mother knows best” always makes me laugh.
My grandma lived with my family while I was little after her husband passed away. She took over the role of nanny and took care of my brothers and me every day for several years.
We would rush home from school to find a homemade snack and our loving nana waiting to help us with our homework. She taught us everything we know.
For us, “grandma knows best” was the mantra.
Nana was always very opinionated. Not only did she have her opinions, she made sure everyone knew about them. Not much has changed. She still has strong opinions about everything and has the attitude to back them up.
As she has aged, she has become less self-reliant, but still has the same passion I remember from childhood.
It’s kind of funny; she still teaches me lessons every time I see her. Although the lessons are more implied now, she’s still the wisest person I know. Here are 4 things my stubborn grandma taught me about home security.
1. There’s always more than one way to solve a problem
My nana is the queen of creative problem-solving.
I clearly remember sitting at the kitchen table after school looking at my math homework. I never was good at math. Every time I asked a question, she would explain how she learned to do it as a child.
Don’t ask me how that was. I didn’t understand it then and I don’t get it now.
When I started to get frustrated she would stop, take a deep breath, then approach the problem from a different angle.
Typically, it would take counting on our fingers and toes before I understood how to get the solution, but we always got the answer.
My grandma has always been willing to see problems from every angle possible. She helped me understand that every solution has several different paths.
With my new home, keeping my wife and daughter safe is my first priority. That’s why the first major purchase I made for our new house was a security system.
There’re a lot of security options available for homeowners, but not every solution is right for your home. I took the time to review all my options and find which system makes sense for me.
Just like my grandma taught me, there are several ways to get where you want to go; the key is finding the way that works for you.
2. When buying home security, quality is always more important than cost
Grandma believed quality was always the top priority.
For as long as I can remember, my nana has always loved recreating the dinners she had as a child in Sicily. Every meal featured a pasta course, and all that pasta was handmade.
One night while I was helping her cook, I suggested we use dry pasta from the grocery store because it would save us time.
She proudly explained to me that no store bought pasta would ever make the dish taste as good. She told me the secret to all my favorite dinners was the care and thought put into every ingredient. As I’ve grown older and tried to cook those dishes myself, I’ve found she was right.
Although the recipe is the same, the quality of my canned sauces and dry pasta are just not as good.
When I was looking at my home security options, I decided to heed my nana’s advice and focus on quality. I didn’t choose the cheapest model. I didn’t focus on the most expensive. I made the quality my first priority.
That quality is what helps me sleep at night and lets me go on business trips without worrying about my girls.
3. Two heads are better than one
Anytime I had to solve a problem, my grandma was there to help.
Whether I was putting together a puzzle, playing a video game, or doing my chores, nana was close by. If I ever got stuck, she would help me find the solution.
“Two heads are better than one.”
If grandma had a catchphrase, that would be it. Teamwork makes any job more manageable. It’s true at home. It’s true at work. Turns out, it’s also true in home security.
When I was choosing my new home’s security system I was new to everything. This is my first house. I’d never even thought about home security before. Having a team of experts made me feel I found the right solution.
My new system was installed by a security expert and it’s monitored 24/7 by a trained professional. Having a team protect my home makes my wife feel safe. Like my nana always said: two heads are better than one.
4. Don’t forget to enjoy life
Above all else, nana has always enjoyed life.
She would play games with my brothers and me nearly every day while we were growing up and she still invites the entire family over for dinner whenever possible.
If my grandma could be explained in one sentence, it would be “keep smiling and have fun.”
What led me to get a security system was wanting to protect my girls. I was so worried about what might happen to my family or home that I forgot to slow down and enjoy life.
My daughter is young, we just bought a new house, there’re lots of reasons to celebrate. Focusing on the positive things completely changed by perspective.
Sure, there are dangers out there and yes, I am doing what I can to keep them out of my home, but my nana taught me life is too short to focus on worrying.
