Three Gadgets To Help Keep Track Of Your Children

Three Gadgets To Help Keep Track Of Your Children

by Sera Filson

I was tempted to break down and buy one of those harnesses for children that I once thought were so cruel...but at least a harness would be better than losing my child! I was relieved to find there are many other alternatives out there these days, thanks to the advancement of technology.

I personally started researching this because my 3.5 year old son is now faster than my husband, Tim, who has a slight physical disability. It's scary for us to even let our child go out into the yard with just Tim watching him, not to mention to the grocery store, where streets and parking lots must be crossed, and there are so many aisles to get lost in.

Whether your children are toddlers or teenagers, there are some technological gadgets that will help parents keep track of their children morning, noon and night...and give us some peace of mind. Key word is "help" because they don't substitute other safety precautions, but can be used in addition to your regular methods of keeping track of your children.

Even for the average family (ones without physical disabilities), one of the biggest fears parents have is something bad happening to their child. They dread getting that middle of the night knock on the door, only to find a policeman on the other side to tell them that something has happened. Of course, their other big fear is someone taking their children; someone who has no reason whatsoever to take their child. Parents worry everyday about their child’s safety, but parents looking to know where their children are at all times will be delighted to know that there are many ways to know their child's whereabouts, and help ensure their safety.

Three Gadgets That Can Help Parents Have Some Peace Of Mind

1 – Cell Phone Track Apps

If you have an older child, they probably have a cell phone. Well, guess what?! You can keep track of your child using any number of apps designed to help you locate your child. How does it work?

What you must do is download an app of your choosing that’s designed to help you track your children. One is the AmberAlertGPS, but there are many others. A simple online search will show you many. I presume their all good because they're quite simple. These apps will send you notifications of where your child is at through e-mail, text message and web interface. There might be a fee to have these kinds of apps, but of course, your child is more important than any monthly fee.

 Another such app can be found on most smartphones and it’s called the “MyNiño” app by SilverTouch. It works by tracking your child’s incoming and outgoing calls and will send that information to the parent’s smartphones. An app for children needs to be installed in the child’s phone and the app for parents needs to be installed in the parent phone for the application to work as it should. You can even program it so the child doesn't know the app is tracking them (great for teenagers).

2 – GPS Wristwatch

When you want to keep track of your child but don’t want to give them a cell phone to do it, consider the GPS wristwatch. It looks like a regular digital wristwatch but it has a GPS chip inside it, which keeps constant tabs on the child’s whereabouts. You’ll get text messages that pinpoint your child’s location.

Lok8u designed this type of watch, called the Nu-M8+ to do more than help parents keep track of their children. It was also designed to help children gain some freedom to go outside and play. If the watch is removed, the system will sound an alarm, going to the parent’s phone. It’s also sent via e-mail in case the parent is sitting in front of a computer.

3 – Short Distance Child Tracking Device

All parents know that small children can get away from them quite quickly. And, that rapid heartbeat of not knowing where they are can now be laid to rest with a short distance child tracking device. One such device is called the “Mommy, I’m here” device. The receiver is crafted into the shape of a bear that can be placed onto a child’s clothing, shoes, backpack, etc.

Parents will have a transmitter keychain that will alert them if their child is more than 25 feet away from them. It can reach up to 150 feet and has a loud beep when pressed so parents can find their child.

There’s no reason to have a leash or call your child several times a day to find out where they are. Rather, with the advances in technology, a simple tracking device can keep the nightmare of not knowing at bay. And you don't even have to get a chip implanted in your child! (Although I understand that is now an option, as well...but I draw the line there. Can we say "new world order"? Egads.) Now you can have more peace of mind with any of these convenient, and removable, child tracking devices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sera Filson is a proud mother, writer, health enthusiast, and professional student who's currently pursuing a B.A. in Business Management. She manages her busy life by staying organized with Outlook, which uses Intermedia's Exchange Hosting.