Child | Parent Spy

Tracking Your Kids Through Mobile Phones

Image via Wikipedia

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.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Android, Child, Mobile phone

Online Protection for Your Children

Image by San Jose Library via Flickr

Today, there are many dangers to our children that are on the Internet. It is imperative that, as parents, you protect your children while they are online. Here is a look at several ways you can implement this safety plan.

Internet filtering and monitoring software should be considered an option. These packages can range from simple to complex and can also include specially design children’s browsers.

Browsers, in general, have several levels of protection that include being able to set certain levels of protection. However, consider using a children’s browser. These browsers are available free and will only allow access to sites that you have selected. These browsers can also filter out pornographic and other dangerous sites. It is also advisable that you keep the computer in a supervised area of your home.

Filtering software can be purchased, usually on a subscription basis, and provides customization features. These features allow parents to provide the proper level of filter that is age-appropriate. Sites can be disallowed or allowed. In addition, this type of software can be remotely accessed.

There are also programs available that will allow you to track the sites that your child visits. Some packages also are able to track actually keystrokes to add a greater level of monitoring.

While these tools are valuable, one of the most important things you can do is to discuss the dangers that are present on the Internet with your children. Help them understand that not everyone on the Internet is a friend or has good intentions. Also, make sure that they never give out any personal information.

Filed Under: Expert Advice, Software Tagged With: Child, Content filtering, Parental Control

Importance Of Keeping A Track Of Your Child

News papers and news channels carry reports of abduction, rape, murder etc on everyday basis. The growing crime rate has made it very important for parents to keep a track of their child. No one wants their child to be abducted by some stranger for money. Parents train their children in order to avoid such mishaps. Children are taught not to accept any eatables from strangers or not to give any information to strangers. Many parents instruct their kids to steer clear of strangers totally.

These are some preventive measures for the older kids, however how would one track their kid in a mall when they are busy shopping? Companies have come up with different solutions for this. The simplest solution to keep a track of your toddlers from running away is the leash. A leash has a small opening that needs to be worn around the mother’s wrist and the other end is tied around the kid’s waist. Your toddler can roam around freely up to a specific distance that is set on the leash, after that it just feels tugged if it tries to cross the specified boundary.

Another solution offered by the manufacturers is the tracking bad. This band needs to be worn by the kid around his wrist. This band works on the GPS navigation technology. Parents can track the real-time location of their kid. This is especially important for youngsters because they tend to evade the restrictions and venture out to forbidden places. This is an ideal way of checking if the information relayed by your kid is correct or not. However many kids would take off the bands or switch off the system and make it impossible to track them, now this GPS navigation facility is available in cell phones. You can track your kid’s whereabouts through the hidden application in their cell phone.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Child, Mobile phone, Parent

Strollers are Great for Safety

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When my children were babies, I thought always having to drag a stroller around with us was a hassle. It took up half the space in the car’s trunk, was awkward to put in and take out, and made it harder to get through the aisles in the stores. If it wasn’t for the little detail of having to carry the kids and their diaper bags through the mall, I think I would have gladly foregone the stroller.

That was then; I’ve gained a little wisdom since those days. One of the things I’ve discovered that a stroller is great for is protecting my children. All right, they’re too big to get in a stroller now, but they’re still great for protecting my grandchildren. Children in strollers aren’t running around the store getting lost. Not only that, they typically can’t grab any merchandise and bring it crashing to the ground. At the same time, I don’t have to watch to make sure that nobody steps on my child when they are in a stroller.

Actually, a stroller makes a pretty good all-around child protections system for taking your children out in public. In a sense, it works like a combination shell to protect them from things hitting them, and a (dare I use the word) cage, to keep them from getting to things. They can sit, strapped into their stroller, looking at the world around them, playing with a few small, attached toys, and even drink a bottle.

As a parent, okay grandparent, I have found that I can feel more secure, knowing that my child is protected wherever I go. Now, that doesn’t mean I can walk off and leave them in the stroller, I obviously have to bring the stroller and the child it contains with me, wherever I go. But, you know, the hassle is actually worth it.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: Baby transport, Child, Shopping

Does Your Child Need a Cell Phone?

Have you noticed how cell phones have become one of the modern status symbols? The fancier the phone, with more apps, whistles and bells, means the owner must be more important as well. Not only is this happening with us as adults, but with our kids as well. It seems like every month the average age for having a cell phone drops.

Many parents try and put off buying their child a cell phone for as long as possible. Understandably, they don’t want their children spending the whole day texting their friends, instead of doing their schoolwork. They want to, and should, control their children’s access to the telephone; who they call, how much they talk, and when they talk as well.

With some of the phones designed especially for kids, parents can let their children have a phone, and control how it’s used as well. The control comes in the form of programming the numbers that the child can speed-dial. If the parent doesn’t program the number in, the child can’t call them. On the other hand, they can call the people who the parents want to allow them access to call; people such as grandparents, teachers, siblings and most important the parents themselves.

This can be a great aid when going shopping with your kids. Typically, it’s almost impossible to keep a family together in the mall, or even a large department store. Your kids don’t want to stay there with you, while you’re trying on shoes.

Okay, so if they go running off in the mall, how do you find them again? Simple, call them on their cell phone. I’m not saying you should get them a cell phone for them, but for your convenience. It gives you are ready, easy way of maintaining contact with your children, and making sure that they aren’t getting in trouble.

Filed Under: Parenting, Security Tagged With: Child, Mobile phone, Parent

Helping Your Child Pick After School Activities

After school activities are important for children. They can help your child work on social skills, make new friends and learn a new talent. Make sure to guide your child to choose the best after school activities for them.

Don’t Relive Your Childhood

Just because you were the head cheerleader or a star soccer player doesn’t mean that your child has to be. Don’t try to have a second chance at your own childhood through your child. Children like to please their parents. Don’t show any signs of disappointment if your child wants to do a different activity than the one you choose at their age.

Look at Your Child’s Strengths

Look at what makes your child happy and what natural talents that they have. If they are very coordinated, they may make a great soccer player or hockey player. If they are very fast they may be good on the track team or basketball team. If they are creative enroll them in an art class or acting troop.

Know When Enough is Enough

One activity per season is enough for the average child. Don’t force your child to be in six different activities at once. This will put them on a path to be a constant over achiever and will begin to stress them out as they get into their teen years. It is also hard on the family to coordinate this many drop offs and pick ups, dinner time and activities for other children.

Don’t Discourage

If your child wants to try an activity you think they will not be good at, don’t forbid them just to keep their feelings safe. There are many people not born with a natural skill who are great learners. Your child may excel after proper coaching and training. It is also good to learn at a young age what you like and don’t like. Maybe after a few practices or meetings your child will see that the activity is not for them.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Child

Over-scheduling Our Kids

We all want the very best for our children. We want them to have the best chance to have a great life. We want them to have the advantages we never had. But are we serving the best futures for our children by scheduling them for too many activities? That is a question parent’s are beginning to ask.

When you have several children in several activities each week, it can feel like an unending treadmill: school, chores, homework, dance lesson, karate lessons, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, basketball, baseball, tutoring and piano lessons. As a parent, you’re exhausted. As a child, you’re burnt out.

Psychologists tell us that children need down time, just like parents, maybe more so. Children need to know how to entertain themselves. Over-scheduling can dampen a child’s creativity and reduce the child’s ability to become self-reliant. So if you think you may be over-scheduling your child here are few Dos and Don’ts to get your child’s schedule back into balance.

Do

Limit your child to one or two organized outside activities, such as dance lessons, basketball, or scouting.
Let the child choose what activities to keep and what activities they are willing to give up.
Do schedule family time. Experts agree that regular family time increases a child’s self-esteem and emotional balance.

Don’t

Give up your regular date time with your spouse to add activities for your children. Children are more apt to form healthy happy relationships in adulthood, when they see it modeled in their home.
Give in to a sense of guilt or competition, if other parents in your social group are scheduling more activities for their children.

The truth is, that no amount of money, no secret combination of classes, skills, and knowledge, will ensure that our child will attain perfect happiness forever after. It is an ideal that doesn’t exist. What we can give every child is a solid foundation in themselves and unending love.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Child, Parent

Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe

As society continues to evolve, it is more important than ever to keep your children safe from predators and other shady individuals. Make sure you go over safety tips with your child for both daily life and Internet use.

The Buddy System

If your child walks to school or likes to walk around the neighborhood to play or get a slice of pizza, make sure they always have a buddy to walk with. Predators are more likely to bother an individual child. Always make sure that your child’s buddy will be present. If your kid’s buddy is sick and won’t be going to school, drive your child or find other children for your kid to walk with.

Internet Safety

Teach your child not to talk to strangers on instant messaging systems or social networking websites. It is very easy for grown men and women to impersonate teenagers to make children trust them. Monitor your child’s internet usage and question friendship links with any name that you do not recognize. Teach your child to never ever meet anyone off the Internet in person even if the individual claims to be the same age.

Be in the Loop

Give your child a pre-paid cell phone to keep in their backpack. Have your child notify you if there are any change in their plans. Getting a ride home instead of walking or going to one mall instead of another is something that they need to tell you upfront. If they ever did fall in harms way, it will be much harder for you to track your child down if you do not know their actual whereabouts.

Never Trust Strangers, even if they are Children

Teach your child never to go off with any stranger, even another child. Predators sometimes use other children as decoys to lure new children in. Your child can also find trouble if they wander off with a new friend who puts them in a situation involving smoking, drinking or other bad behavior.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Child, Internet safety

Chores for Children

According to the Center for Effective Parenting, “chores are beneficial for children—even very young ones.” Yes experts say that even children as young as 9 months to a year should be learning chores. In addition to teaching children of all ages about cooperation and responsibility, chores teach life skills, values, commitment and responsibility.

The key, according to experts, is to gear the chores to the specific age or developmental stage, and to lower parental expectations to what a child can accomplish. In other words, set your child up to succeed. So what chores are appropriate for which age groups? Here’s a general list.

Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers (ages 18 months to 5 years old.) At this age children love to help and to feel they are doing the same things their parents are doing. Some easy chores would be:

Help make their bed.
Pick up their toys.
Take dirty clothes to the hamper.
Feed Pets
Bringing in groceries and helping put them away. (Make sure that bags are not too heavy or two bulky for little arms to handle.)
Setting and clearing the table.

School age children. (Ages 6-8) Be sure to tie the additional chores to additional rewards. Think about adding these chores:

Vacuum and mop the floors.
Take out the trash
Fold the laundry and put it away.

Pre-teens (Ages 9-12). Allow children of this age to choose which chores to add. Some chores to add are:

Clean the bathroom.
Wash dishes.
Use the washer and dryer.

Teens (Ages 13 to 17). While teens can handle almost any domestic chore, they also have hectic schedules. Be sure the chores you assign don’t overload your teen. Teens can:

Make grocery lists
Prepare simple meals
Clean out refrigerator

Children who grow up doing chores, grow into individuals who know that everyone has to contribute to keep a household going. That’s the goal.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Child

Keep Track of Your Kids in a Crowd

When going to a theme park, concert, fair or other crowded event it can be challenging to keep an eye on all of your children. Using some simple steps and creativity you can keep track of your kids and enjoy the event at the same time.

All About Colors

Have every member of your family wear the same color clothing. Go for something bold like red which will stand out. If your children are older and will not agree to wear matching outfits, make everyone wear their own bright and distinct color such as hot pink or yellow. Avoid dark colors like black or navy blue. People wearing these color clothes can easily be lost in a sea of people.

Use the Buddy System

If you are at a fair and not everyone in the family wants to do the same things, use the buddy system. Make sure a parent or older teen is always the buddy of a younger child. Make sure each pair of buddies has a cell phone to contact the other members of the family incase of an emergency. Pick a meeting spot and a time when the whole family should meet back up.

Link Up

When going on a trip with younger children have everyone hold hands. You can purchase a backpack for your younger kids that has a string that you can hold onto. It’s almost like a leash for children.

Have a Plan for if Someone Does Get Lost

Accidents do happen. Make sure that your family has a plan for if someone does get lost. Pick a prominent landmark and tell all of your kids to report there if they go missing from the group. This is the first place you should check for your missing child. Also, upon entry of the event point out to your children where the security guard booth, ticket booth and other areas where event workers are.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Child, Family