Raising a teenager can be challenging, but if your teen seems to be out of control, it can be even harder. You may find yourself considering things that you had never imagined you would do as a parent. However, in dire circumstances, seemingly extreme measures sometimes become necessary.

If your teen is lying about their whereabouts, sneaking out of the house or doing other things that are against your rules, a strategic use of security alarms, codes and locks can help. Consider these ideas:

1. Add alarms to your doors and windows

Security alarms don't' just monitor your home for intruders. These alarms can also be used to monitor people leaving your home. If you put alarms on the doors, you can have them beep or even send an alert to your smartphone every time someone opens your front door -- that can be critical if you are trying to keep tabs on an errant teen. Similarly, you can also install alarms on your teen's bedroom windows.

2. Give your teen a unique disarming code

If the issue is not that your teen is sneaking out of the house but rather that he or she is lying about when he or she returns to the house, you can also use your home security alarm to help monitor your teen. Most alarms have codes so that you can disarm them when you step in your door.

Rather than using the same code for everyone in the family, give your teen a unique code. That way, if he or she slips in after you have gone to bed, you will be able to see what time he or she arrived home based on the record on your alarm.

3. Use locks to keep your teen away from dangerous things

Locking your teen in his or her room is not ideal, but if you are afraid that your teen may leave the house and commit a crime, it may seem better to have your teen temporarily locked in at home rather than locked up in a juvenile detention center.

However, locking anyone in a bedroom is not that safe. In case of a fire, your teen would only have one exit (the window) whereas two exits are ideal. Instead of having a locksmith install locks on your teen's bedroom doors, lock up the things around the home that could be dangerous. For example, lock your liquor cabinet or lock the door to the basement if you are afraid your teen is going to sneak out of a basement window.

If you need new locks or security alarms for an out-of-control teen now, contact a locksmith such as HUNTER LOCKSMITH SERVICES.