Nowadays, more and more parents are finding it advantageous to use GPS trackers for their kids. They do this not because they want to invade the privacy of their young children but because they want to ensure their safety even if they are not in their line of sight.
There are many reasons why some parents decide to use trackers on their kids:
- It ensures that their kids get home safe from school.
- It monitors their kids’ whereabouts so the parents can make sure that they are where they’re supposed to be.
- It can track and address parents’ safety concerns such as leaving designated areas, speeding, unexpected stops, car accidents, and the like.
- It can help them quickly locate their child in case they get lost or if a stranger attempts to abduct them.
- It can ease their worries during times when their kids are away from them and thus give them peace of mind.
- It allows them to monitor their teenage kid’s driving habits and use the data gathered by the device to team them about road safety.
- It can instill a sense of independence in kids as parents will feel freer to let them go out and roam around without direct supervision.
Despite all the advantages that a tracking device can give to parents, there are a few questions that have been raised. For one, there is the issue of privacy. As in, how much monitoring is too much? And is it an invasion of the privacy rights of the child?
But you can easily shut down such questions if you sit down with your child and have an open conversation about the use of the tracker and what its purpose is. First of all, you should make it clear to them that the tracking device is there not because you don’t have confidence in their choices but because you want to ensure their safety. You can also point out to them that such a device can be lifesaving in case something bad happens, like when they get into an accident or somebody threatens to harm or abduct them. Ultimately, make them understand that the GPS tracker is there not as a threat to their privacy but to instill in them a sense of independence while also giving you some peace of mind as their parents.
- You can get alerts whenever your child leaves and arrives at home.
Trackers have an alerts feature that allows you to customize the device so you can receive alerts whenever your child leaves your home for school and arrives home safely at the end of the day. There’s also a geofencing feature that allows you to set safety zones, also known as geographical perimeters. Whenever these perimeters are exceeded by your kid, the device instantly sends an alert to you. Upon receiving the alert, you can then access a convenient app to determine the exact whereabouts of your kid.
As a parent, this enables you to plan your day accordingly without having to wonder what time your kid will be home. On the part of your kid, they can gain some level of independence without having to feel like you’re looking over their shoulder every minute of their day.
- It can prevent and stop attempts of abduction.
It has a real-time tracking feature that can help you locate the whereabouts of your child on a map. A GPS tracker works through satellite technology, and this enables it to give you accurate location updates at certain intervals. Such a feature can be helpful when your child gets separated from you. All you need to do is to access the database and you can instantly know where he is.
In these dangerous times, a lot of children do get abducted, and majority of them unfortunately never get reunited with their parents. While you wouldn’t want that to happen to your kid, the possibility is very real. A GPS tracker is one way you can ensure that your child is secure. While it may not 100 percent deter any attempt, at the very least it can prevent anything really harmful happening to your kid. The moment you realize your kid is gone, you can instantly access the database to find out where he is, and with the help of the local police, you can rescue and recover him quickly from his abductors before anything really serious happens.
- If you’re the parent of a teenager who is just learning to drive, it’s a way to monitor his driving habits when you set up a tracker in his car.
Aside from geofencing alerts, a tracker also has speed, motion, and acceleration alerts. It can even detect stopovers made during a journey. This makes it the perfect device to monitor your teen’s driving habits especially when he is new to driving. Think of it as a way of training him to drive even when you’re not there with him. There might be some dangerous driving behaviors he is in the habit of doing, such as swerving, hard braking, speeding, and the like.
The device gives out all these alerts and sends them to you, and you can use them to remind your teen to be more responsible with his driving by sending him a message.
- It can detect the vital stats and activities of the wearer, so this will be helpful if you have very young children who might not be able to fully express yet if they are physically uncomfortable or are feeling sick.
Trackers have a health feature that can detect the heart rate and other vital stats of the person wearing them. It can also monitor their activities, so this can be helpful in instances when you have a sick child but you also can’t stay by their bedside all the side. A tracker gives you the opportunity to monitor their health even when you’re in another room. When your kid has a low heart rate or when he gets up from bed even when he’s not supposed to, you will instantly be alerted by the device.
- It can be helpful in monitoring children who have behavioral issues.
If you have children who have been diagnosed with behavioral disorders like ADHD and autism, a tracker can be helpful too. Children who have autism or ADHD are prone to wander off and get lost, and you can use a tracker to monitor their whereabouts even when they are not in your line of sight.
Trackers also have an SOS button feature, which your child can use when he feels that he is in danger or doesn’t know how to find his way home. All he needs to do is to push the SOS button, and the device will alert you as to his location.
When shopping for a tracker, you have to keep in mind that not all trackers are made equal. There are some devices that offer just the basic features such as real-time tracking, while there are others that provide advanced features, such as a health monitoring feature. Here are some useful tips that can make the selection process easier for you:
- Determine your budget as this will also determine the type of tracker you’ll be getting. If you have a limited budget, a tracker will just the basic features will be best for you. However, if you can afford to splurge, we urge you to do so, as you can certainly benefit from the wide selection of features that a more advanced device will be able to give you.
- Consider the specifications and features of the device. To do this, you’ll also have to consider the needs of your kid as well. For instance, if your kid is prone to sickness, you might want to avail of the more advanced device with the health features. Generally, though, we’d recommend that you get the tracker with the more diverse set of features as you never know what can happen.
- Consider the cost of the monthly subscription plan. When they buy a tracking device, most people tend to only consider the cost of the device and forget about the fee for the monthly plan. Take note that you will be paying this fee for as long as you’ll be using the device, so it’s preferable that you get one that won’t bust a hole in your budget.
In the industry of tracking devices, Tracki is known for being the maker of the smartest, most compact, and most cost-effective devices. For one, it offers the widest selection of features that you won’t be able to find in other devices. It is also known for being the smallest and most lightweight tracker in the world, so its user can easily wear it without being uncomfortable. Lastly, it has one of the cheapest devices in the market as well as one of the lowest monthly subscription plans.