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By Greg Bartlett

If you were to ask the average child or young teenager what he or she wants the most from their parents, it might surprise you to find out that what he or she truly wants is independence and trust. However, a teenager’s desire for independence will make parents proud to see their children growing up, but it also produces a nagging fear in the parent’s hearts that comes from not knowing where their kids are at every moment.

Teen Drivers & GPS

There is a way to keep tabs on your kids even when they are out of your sight.  GPS tracking devices are small, portable pieces of technology that allow you to follow your child’s or teenager’s movements.  So whether they are at school, the mall, or with a friend, you can stay informed.  Some GPS tracking devices also let you, as the parent, to set parameters for your child.  This means that you can choose where your children can and cannot go, and, if they cross one of these set boundaries, you are alerted via text message.

All GPS tracking devices make use of the twenty-some satellites in space, and there are two basic types of trackers.  The first type of GPS tracking device is a data logger.  This type of device stays on the child for anywhere between 10 to 21 days continuously.  A data logger does exactly what its name implies; it logs the time and location of the person wearing the GPS tracking device.  You, as the parent, can remove the tracker and retrieve that data off it and on to your computer.

This type of tracker is helpful, but it does not allow you to track your child in real-time.  If you are looking for up-to-date information on your child’s whereabouts, you may be more interested in a data pusher.  A data pusher is still worn on the child at all times—similar to a data logger.  The difference is that the data pusher periodically sends, or “pushes,” the child’s or teenager’s location every few seconds.  You can then follow your child’s movements online on any web-enabled device.

Every day the news is filled with headlines of children who are lost, missing, or even abducted.  It is a scary place to be as a parent and as a child.  No parent wants his or her child’s desire for independence to be overtaken by fear.  GPS tracking devices can bring both peace of mind and independence.