Safety And Tracking Devices To Help Keep Children And Other Vulnerable Individuals Out Of Harms Way. View Videos

The world has changed so very much since I was a child. Our parents were concerned about our safety, but let us rip & romp around the neighborhood and told us we needed to be home before dark - that is, before the street lights came on. Most of the time, my brother, sister, and I were so close to our apartment that our Mom could yell out of the window and tell us it was time to come in, and when we asked to go to a friend's house to play our parents would just say, yes. Parents, nowadays, need to have a relationship with other parents in order for their children to play together, and they need to call the friend's house to make sure parents are home. Not only that, parents need to know if their child's friend's house has any relatives or other individuals in the home. Parents need to know what teens and adults will be around their child other than a set of parents or parent. But, in a not so perfect world, keeping track of our children and their safety, is at times, a balancing act. There are some precautions we can take to help keep our children and other vulnerable individuals out of harms way - mind you, I said, help. Sometimes what we do to try to protect our children does not always work, but as loving parents we never stop trying.

There are several devices that can at least give parents some sense of safety concerning their children and other relatives, let's take a look at a few.

1. Nanny Cameras and Baby Cameras. I was a nanny when I was in college, and all caregivers from my agency were investigated thoroughly. We were told to be aware of cameras in the residences in which we were caring for the children. This was good information just in case some caregivers showed their true colors - if you get my drift. These cameras can also be used if you have a caregiver taking care of an elderly relative. Even though the person is an adult, you want to make sure he or she is treated properly.

2. A Safety Whistle for children. This whistle is loud enough to get the attention of someone close by your child. A safety whistle can bring assistance to your child if he or she is lost, hurt, or in danger. This is a great device your child can take with him or her if they are out camping or hiking and may get separated from their group. If your child is alone and is injured and is not mobile, then this safety whistle would be an asset. If your child is visually impaired and out with a group and is separated, then this safety whistle will help the group to locate your child. Want to learn more about safety whistles, visit www.whistleawaycrime.org.

3. Kids Cell Phone with GPS Tracking. Again, this is great for tweens and teens. This gives kids the freedom they want and security for parents. Some of these phones come with parental control settings as well. This phone can be given to an elderly relative who insists on living on their own and if they get in some distress can easily be located if their phone is with them.

4. GPS Child Locator Watch. I think this is a wonderful device, especially for young children. These watches are colorful and of course children love bright colors. Some of these watches have tamper-alerts so if someone attempts to remove the device parents will be sent an e-mail or a phone message. Google street maps is a support to some locator watches. This type of locator watch is not only great for giving parents a sense of safety about their child's whereabouts, but this device can be used for individuals with Alzheimer's, Dementia, individuals who are mentally challenged, and for individuals who are blind and may live alone. There are other pocket locator devices, too.

5. Remote Access for your home. Nowadays, parents can see when their children come home from school through their SmartPhones. This type of remote access is also great to check up on elderly parents or on other individuals in which some type of follow up is needed.

A great idea would be for retire homes or assisted living places to have pocket locators on hand for individuals who like to wander off at times. These safety/locator devices would make great gifts for caregivers and bring some peace of mind to families.

Please keep in mind that by using tracking devices you do not want to break the law by infringing on a person's rights and/or privacy so please investigate applicable laws before using any tracking device on individuals.