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Every parent, no matter their culture or heritage, knows the questions associated with parenting. Will I raise my child right? Can I keep him safe? What if I fail and something happens to her? What should I do in an emergency? How can I know where my child is without annoying him? How do I best take care of of my family?

Parental worries and concerns aren’t anything new; they’ve only changed shape with the changing culture. Our ancestors might have worried more whether their child would encounter wild animals or marauding bandits than child molesters or armed robbers; however, the fundamental fears themselves are nothing new. Whatever shape those fears take, they cross time and cultural barriers.

So what can parents today do to protect their children from our culture’s troubles? Essentially, we must fight fire with fire. We live in an increasingly technology driven culture. Even our robbers, kidnappers, and other malfeasants make use of today’s technology to aid them in their crimes. Thankfully, parents have their own sources of technology to fight back, especially with personal GPS tracking. Using the same technology police forces use to track down criminals, corporations use to keep track of their employees, and animal lovers use to keep their pets safe, parents can keep real-time tabs on the location and safety of their children.

Consider a recent move in Beijing, for example. The Red Cross gave 20,000 watch-like GPS trackers to children at the local schools. Their goal? To eventually provide 100,000 trackers to children and parents. Parents can use the trackers to keep tabs on their children and the children can use them to make calls or even receive calls as well as press a panic SOS button should an emergency occur. The Red Cross gave free GPS tracking devices, but parents are responsible for upkeep and maintenance costs. This Red Cross program was developed to combat China’s recent influx of kidnappings, and prevent another annual rate of 600,000 kidnappings per year.

Thankfully, most of us don’t live in places with such high kidnapping statistics. However, that doesn’t leave us and our children free from danger. Using GPS devices to keep tabs on valuable personal possessions has been a trend for years now. Your child is more valuable than any possession. Keeping him or her safe might be as simple as adding a GPS device to your collection of safety precautions. Don’t regret not taking advantage of this opportunity to protect your child. Take advantage of the technology at your fingertips.

Article Written by Greg Bartlett