What started as a creative workaround during the lockdown days of COVID-19 has become a feel-good fixture of graduation season: lawn signs adorned with a child’s name, photo, school and graduating class. You may have seen them around your own neighborhood from kindergarten “moving up” moments to high school and college milestones. But as these signs grow in popularity, some security experts and privacy advocates are raising a red flag.
Kaylen Schroeder, a mom to a 5-year-old, said she put up a sign for her son’s pre-kindergarten graduation ceremony at her mom’s house instead of their own.
“He doesn’t actually live there and there was no photo or name,” said Schroeder. ”We just did not feel safe putting one in our yard because we are not as familiar with our neighbors as I am at my mom’s house.”
Instead she opted to celebrate her son at her home by throwing a party and focusing on starting new traditions around these major milestones.
“I did self-defense instructor classes at the University of Florida police department,” said Schroeder. “One of the topics we went over was car decals. The things that say honor students or the sport they may play gets targeted a lot. We treated those yard signs the same way.”
