Keeping Your Kids Safe With Gps

It's every parent's nightmare: your child is not answering their cell phone and they have not returned home as scheduled. You call their friends but they don't where they are either. Frantically, you call the police in an effort to track them down, when all of a sudden your call waiting kicks in. It is your child, who decided to go the movies without telling you first. They are safe and sound, but your heart won't stop beating fast.

This situation could have been easily averted if the parent had been able to track their child's whereabouts using GPS technology.
There are two primary ways to track where your child is using GPS: in their car or on their cell phone.

GPS in the car. Many new cars now come standard with GPS devices, but if you want to add a GPS to an existing car, the cost is lower than it has ever been. Garmin, Tom Tom and other consumer GPS companies now offer basic products that only cost between $200 - $300 and fit seamlessly into any automobile.

GPS in the cell phone. One of the most effective ways to track the whereabouts of your child using GPS is through a cell phone. The latest smart phones from Palm and Blackberry are now coming equipped with the technology and can be purchased for a couple of hundreds of dollars (or may even be free with an upgrade or extension of your cell phone calling plan).

Both these methods are extremely affordable, given the peace-of-mind that they provide the parents of kids who are driving age or older.

How it Works

Once the GPS device is activated, it can be tracked on any PC with an Internet connection. It is important to tell your child to keep the device in the on position at all times (especially on a cell phone) so that you can determine their location if need be.

Don't be secretive

If your child discovers that you tried to sneak a GPS device into their car without their knowledge, it can create trust issues that may be difficult to repair. A better idea is to tell them upfront about your intentions and the reasons why you are doing it.

It is important to tell the child that you are not using a GPS device because you don't trust them, but rather because you are concerned about their safety. Emphasize that will only check the GPS in the case of an emergency or if you are unable to reach them by cell phone.

If handled correctly, this will make the teenager feel loved rather than mistrusted.

More Tips

Cell phone GPS functionality tends to drain the phone's battery. Be sure your teenager's phone is always properly charged when the leave the house.

Don't panic. If you can't find a signal from your child's GPS device, it may that they are driving through a "dead spot" where service is not available.