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Tracking Your Kids Through Mobile Phones

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Equipping your children with mobile phones may sound extravagant. After all, does a child in elementary or middle school really need to return important calls on the go? Probably not, but that child may need quick access to you. That’s why many parents choose to give their children cell phones.

While your Android tablet may offer many conveniences and be an essential part of your routine, your child doesn’t need a device with that much functionality. A simple cell phone can make life easier and safer for your kids.

Sometimes after-school activities get canceled or moved to a different location. Kids with cell phones don’t have to wait around for their parents to come back a couple of hours later or find a ride, both of which can be dangerous.

When your family attends a large-scale public event, it’s easy to get separated. In those cases, you can track down your children by simply dialing their cell phone numbers. This can eliminate a lot of anxiety, especially in situations where you can’t visually locate your children right away.

Cell phones are also great tools when the family visits a museum, county fair, or theme park. When kids get stuck in line at a ride and choose not to meet their parents at the designated time and place, they can simply call their parents to let them know where they are.

One of the most important things to remember when using cell phones to communicate with your kids is that they only work when they’re turned on.  If you’re in a noisy place, be sure to check the screen of your phone often for missed calls from your kids. This technology is just another way parents can keep tabs on their kids.

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Playing Games Online Can be Fun for Everyone

There are many different online games that you can enjoy. Some of them are just for adults, and others are designed for everyone to enjoy. There are a few that adults can play but that are really geared for kids, like games that revolve around specific cartoon characters or shows. No matter what you like to play, though, you want to be sure that you’ve talked to your children about using computers safely. If you don’t address that with them, they can end up on sites where they really don’t belong. You don’t want that to happen. It could turn a fun day of playing games into a real nightmare of hackers, spam, viruses, or worse.

You also want to make sure that they aren’t getting involved with games that are just for you and other adults, like online casino games. If they find those kinds of things they could be doing something illegal – and they could also end up costing you money by betting and losing. That’s not a good thing, and they shouldn’t be exposed to things like gambling until they’re legally old enough to do it themselves. There are privacy settings on your computer, and many browsers have them, as well. Be sure you use them, so you aren’t compromising your safety or your children’s safety online.

In addition, be sure to spend some time playing their games with them, whether it’s World of Warcraft or Dora the Explorer – or anything in between. The age of your children will have a lot to do with what kinds of games they want to play and what they’re allowed to play. Giving them as much freedom as is safe can really help them learn to explore their world and make wise choices. Those kinds of skills will stay with them throughout life.

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Nanny Cams Yes or No?

We’ve all seen the video clips, a babysitter or relative is caught on-camera abusing or neglecting a child in their care. It gives us pause.  What is happening to my child? What don’t I know?  Nanny cams have given us a more vivid awareness of what can go wrong.  But what often doesn’t get reported, is that nanny cams can also show us what is going right!

Reasons to Use a Nanny Cam

  • You’ve hired a new daycare provider or babysitter and you want to see how your child adjusts and how the new provider performs.
  • Your child has medical issues and you want to keep close tabs on both your child and the care provider.
  • You just want to be able to check in and see your child from time to time during the day.
  • You suspect that the care provider of abuse, neglect, or theft.

The Ethics and Legality of Nanny Cams

The use of nanny cams, even hidden nanny cams, is legal in all 50 states.  However, 15 states forbid  covert  voice recording.  Those states are: Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, New Hampshire, Nevada, Montana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Louisiana, Illinois, Hawaii, Florida, Delaware, Connecticut, and California.

Ethically, babysitters and other care providers should be told that you use a nanny cam.  Most providers welcome nanny cam use; they just want to be informed.  Advise any potential care givers that you plan to use a nanny cam and give them the opportunity to accept or decline employment.

Price and Placement of Nanny Cams

Prices for nanny cams start at under $100 and go as high as $500.  You want to think carefully about where you place your nanny cams.  Parents who report success with nanny cams say they place the cameras in the room or rooms where the child will spend the most amount of time.

Nanny cams provide a way to stay connected to your child during the day.  They give you the opportunity to catch a precious moment you may have otherwise missed.  When you do, be sure to praise the child and the caregiver.

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Organize Your Children’s Schedules

If you have multiple children, juggling their schedules can be like a three ring circus.  Between soccer practice for a high school student and dance class for a child in grade school, it can be easy to forget about an activity or when it is your turn to drive the car pool.  Use a dry erase board chart to keep track of your kids’ schedules.

Set Up

Purchase the dry erase board at any office supply store or art supply store.  Also invest in a variety of colored wipe away markers, one color for each child.  Don’t forget to purchase the eraser if it doesn’t come with the board.  If you forget to buy an eraser, most boards can be wiped with a paper towel and water.

Utilizing the Chart

Set up a grid with each day of the week and each child’s name.  Have each kid write their activity in their designated color on the day of the week that the activity falls.  Don’t forget to have your children include start and end times.  Next to each activity in a different color, come up with a coding system for how each child will get to the activity.  For example, a red star can symbolize you having to drive the child.  A black circle can be used if it is your spouse’s responsibility.  Use a green triangle if it is another mother’s turn to drive the car pool.  If you have a teen with a driver’s license and access to a car, have them put a blue smiley face next to any practice that they will drive to and from on their own.

Keep Up with the Routine

Make sure to update the chart weekly.  Make this your Sunday night activity to start your week off right.  Keep the chart in a common and highly used room such as the family room or kitchen so that all members of the family have access to the chart at all times.

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Printable Chore Charts

Getting your children to do their chores every day can be a chore for mom too. Printable chore charts can help.

The following are three, user-friendly, free sites that offer a variety of printable chore charts. The charts are PDF files, so you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print them. Download the program free at http://get.adobe.com/reader

http://www.handipoints.com/printable-chart/chore-chart.html This site offers a customizable chore chart, so you can create exactly the right chart for each child. This site also has the option of having your child check off their chores online to earn points they can use to play games, adopt cats, and more. Creating a free account is required to see and print the charts you design. These charts are monthly. This site has been recognized by Real Simple and Parents magazines.

http://www.chorecharts.com/Free_Chore_Charts.html You and your child can chose from more than 45 different designs, such as penguins, dogs, or horses. Maybe your child is an explorer – this site offers The Great Wall, Egypt, and Space chore charts. The charts are monthly and blank for customization. They also offer weekly versions, but with fewer design choices.

http://www.freeprintablebehaviorcharts.com/ is a site that offers a variety of popular characters charts, such as Batman, Backyardigans, Hannah Montana, Tinkerbell, and Spongebob. This site also offers charts for various types of chores, behavior, allowance, saving money, homework, hygiene, and more. This site also offers printable rewards, calendar pages, stickers, and cards.

One suggestion, other than printing a new chart each week or month, is to laminate your chart and then it can be reused. If the chores change often, this may not be an option for your family. At our house, we use stickers and allow the child to color their chart, so we use a new one each time. The chart design changes with their mood, season, and current interests. I keep my favorite sites bookmarked to return to them easily.

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