cell phone

Children are easily distracted by people and activities around them which can lead parents to lose children in small crowds or where there are engaging activities taking place. Parents are always concerned about what their children are doing and their current location. It is, however, impossible to keep track due to various commitments. The good news is that different apps in the market can help paranoid parents monitor their children from wherever they are. With these apps, it becomes easy for parents to know the exact location of their children and the various activities that they are performing with their smartphones. Some of these phones are installed in the children’s phone without their knowledge while others are agreed upon especially when they are in a new neighborhood or traveling so as to alert the parents in case of danger.

Family Locator

The Verizon Family Locator app allows parents to monitor the whereabouts of their children as they go about their day’s activities. The app is in a position to alert you via email or text message when it recognizes an abnormality in the location of your children. When your child, for example, skips a lesson and decides to go out with friends, you can get a notification, and her smartphone signal will pinpoint the current location on an aerial map or photo.

Family Medical Info

The health of a growing child is one of the biggest concerns of a parent. Having the vital medical information of your baby stored in an app is a perfect way to stay stress-free regarding your child’s medical condition. This app stores some relevant medical history which includes the child’s vaccinations, allergies, blood type, a list of prescriptions, and other complicated conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. With this kind of information, you can contact your insurance rep or your family doctor with a tap of a button regardless of the distance between you and your child.

FamilyBase

Digital interactions via social media have become rampant among the young generation. Children are in a phase where their curiosity might lead them into accessing sites meant for adults. This app aids you in controlling how, when and with whom your child communicates with at all times. It also has an option where you can restrict the service hours, limiting the child’s text messages, calls, and purchase options. The FamilyBase app will also help you in controlling your internet bills by limiting your child’s data usage.

Child ID

According to the FBI, more than 400,000 are reported missing annually. The thought of losing a child in a mall without a trace is a nightmare for every parent. With this app, you can store some vital data that can help the authorities in identifying your children when you accidentally lose them. The app can be used to store your baby’s current photos, height, eye colour, weight, mannerism, and birthmarks. The information saved in this app should be able to distinguish your child from the rest for easier tracking by the security agents. This app also comes with advice and safety on what parents need to do when a crisis occurs.

Lassy Project

Most children disappear without trace due to the extended time taken by parents to realize that their child has gone missing. This app provides an instant alert when your child goes missing so as to facilitate an immediate rescue mission. Lassy Project provides an updated image of the missing child and a real-time map displaying the coordinates of the last recognized site. This app makes a perfect alert tool for notifying when a child goes missing as only relevant people in the immediate area are informed.

As a mom, knowing that you have young eyes and ears watching and listening to you all of the time can be daunting. From toddlers who gleefully repeat the salty words you exclaimed when you stubbed your toe really hard to teens who may seem like they barely pay attention to you but are actually watching you with hawk-like intensity 24/7, being a great role model is not always easy.

Fortunately, it is not as difficult as you might think to set a great example, which in turn can help you raise well-adjusted kids who are polite, empathetic and kind to others. Here are a few ways you can do it.

Put the phone down

If your kids are constantly attached to their electronics, it might be hard to accept that they probably learned this behavior from you. Chances are, you have a smartphone and you are on it checking emails, texting and posting updates on social media pretty frequently. In order to pay more attention to the real world that is by your side, and be a good example to your kids in the process, make a conscious effort to reduce your phone time. Those texts to your BFF can probably wait until your little ones are in bed, and the small beings you share your house with need you more than your online buddies on Facebook. Of course, there will certainly be times that you have to keep your phone handy, like if your teen is out with friends or you are waiting for an important call from the family doctor or your boss. To make checking your messages as quick as possible, you might consider upgrading your phone to a model like the Samsung Galaxy S7 from T-Mobile; its cutting-edge technology allows you to view your messages quickly in an emergency and then get right back to hanging with your kids.

Listen when they talk to you

Yes, kids can sometimes chatter endlessly about a wide variety of topics, and there will be days when you would give your right arm for 10 minutes of blessed silence. However, being engaged and an active listener is essential to making sure that you maintain open communication with your kiddos. Recognize that your child wanting to talk to you is a great sign — they will probably grow up to be teens who still want to communicate with mom, which in this day and age is essential. In addition to simply listening to your kids, ask them regularly how things are going, and answer any questions they have about any topic as honestly as they can. As a bonus, parents who are great listeners and make an effort not to tune out their kids when they are talking will probably be rewarded with children who also listen to them.

Follow the rules you set for them

One of the best ways to be a great role model for your children is to follow the same rules you have established for them. If your seemingly mouthy tween or teen wonders why she should have to put her shoes away when yours are under the kitchen table, try to see past the attitude and realize that she may have a point. If you do not tolerate whining or yelling from your kids, refrain from doing the same when your favorite team loses or your spouse gets on your nerves. When your children see you following household rules and being kind and patient, they will be more inclined to do the same.