Most families now have several cell phones in their family. When is the right age for a child to get their first cell phone is a decision only your family can make. It will take lots of family talks and discussions to come up with the right age, but just make sure to make it a joint decision instead of the children making the decision for you. After having several discussions with my husband and I, we are going to give our oldest daughter a regular flip phone. She will only get the phone though when she is at a friends house, school event, or an event where my husband and I are not present. With today’s society, you can just never be safe enough, and we want to know she has a outlet to call us if anything ever happened. We are hoping nothing ever will happen though, but you can never be too safe.
Since, we are on Verizon, I was on the look-out for apps that will help keep her cell phone safe and secure. There are many apps that can be installed on your child’s cell phone, but one app I recommend is developed by Verizon. It is call the Family Locator. Listen up moms and dads at what all this app will allow you to do with your child’s cell phone.
You will always know where your child is either by using your cell phone or the web. The family locator app provides very detailed information, right down to the specific address where your child is. Also, it will allow you to follow them using turn by turn directions of where they are going. A parent is able to get a notification once they arrive at a specific location such as soccer practice and then another notification once they leave that specific location. The parent is able to set-up times throughout the day where the Family Locator will automatically update you where your child is at that specific time alert you set-up. If your child is not where they are suppose to be or you just need to message them, this app allows you to send a SMS message to their phone or to multiple phones.
This app really helps put parent’s minds at ease. This app will allow me to have much less anxiety attacks. There is a charge for this app, which is $9.99 for each phone that you install this app on. Honestly though, $9.99 is so cheap for all the features the app allows the parents to do. Technology is changing everyday, so I am sure we will be seeing even more apps like this launched across all cell phone companies.
What are your thoughts? Would you use this app on your child’s phone?
I agree that because of the present threats to our children’s safety nowadays, it is just right to give them a cell phone. In fact, my daughter who is as young as 8 years old already has one. But I just gave her a simple cell phone that will allow her to call and text us. She’s particularly using the Just5 cell phone. I personally chose this for her as this is also equipped with an SOS button, which will allow her to call for an immediate help in times of emergency.
Karen other than the cell phone functions, there is mobile spy software application that you can install in your girl’s mobile and monitor all her activities. I’m also using it to keep eyes on my children and the good thing is, it will let you know if they are in trouble in case they can’t inform you.
Wow, I had no idea there was an app out there that would provide such a valuable service. This app would be perfect for my teenage son. Jen have you used this app your self? Do you have to have this app on your childs phone and yours as well. I would assume so. I will check this app out. Thank you for letting us Mom’s know about it. It would give me piece of mind for those times which are many when my son forgets to call and let me know where he is. Your right the price of this service would be worth the peace of mind to know their child is where they are sopposed to be and safe.