Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
The FBI’s National Crime Information Center received 365,348 reports of missing people involving minors under the age of eighteen in 2020. By year’s end, almost 30,000 of these complaints of missing juveniles were still open.
Even though the majority of parents will never have to deal with a missing kid, it’s still helpful to understand child abduction and what you can do to lessen the possibility that your child will be taken.
A GPS tracker may provide you peace of mind about your child’s safety and enable you to keep track of their whereabouts whether you’re in the grocery store, the park, or the airport.
GPS Devices
GPS tracking devices offer significant benefits for parents, including reassurance and the ability to monitor their child’s safety unobtrusively. They are particularly useful in scenarios where children are navigating unfamiliar or busy environments.
However, parents must be aware of the limitations, such as occasional inaccuracies and the need for the device to be charged and with the child at all times.
As children mature, it’s essential to balance the use of tracking devices with granting them more privacy and independence, helping them develop essential life skills and confidence in managing their own safety.
Smartphone
Smartphones are equipped with GPS capabilities, making it easy to track their location. If you’ve chosen to give your child a smartphone, it’s advisable to set up parental controls.
These settings allow you to link your phone with theirs, enabling you to monitor their location and receive alerts when they arrive or leave specific places.
Parental controls also help manage your child’s screen time, addressing concerns about excessive phone use.
Smartwatch
Like smartphones, smartwatches come with GPS support and their own phone number. They also require cellular service, which doesn’t need to be the same carrier as yours.
Smartwatches are just as reliable as smartphones for tracking location, with similar concerns about cell phone coverage.
However, smartwatches can sometimes be slower to update or may need manual refreshing to show the latest “live” location.
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post.
