Twenty-two percent of parents have reported losing their child for at least an hour, while 23% report their child leaving the house without them knowing (SafeWise). So how do you keep your kids safe when you’re not with them, particularly during the summer?
Read on for tips for unstructured time and how to keep your kids safe while they adventure outside of school.
The Importance of Unstructured Time
The arrival of summer means more than a shift in a child’s daily routine, it means more unstructured time. Replacing hours of school with your own activities can be a challenge so it might take some pressure off to remember that unstructured time is also important for your child’s development.
In fact, research has found that unstructured time is crucial to children developing the cognitive processes that support things like planning, decision-making, memory, and self-control over thoughts, feelings, and actions.1
So it’s actually best if you don’t have every minute of your child’s summer days planned out. It’s important to allow your kids space to be creative, learn on their own, explore, and socialize voluntarily. But, of course, allowing your kids that kind of freedom brings its own set of worries.
Giving parents peace of mind while allowing kids to be kids is literally our mission at Gabb. Our kid-safe devices like Gabb Watch 3 and Gabb Phone 3 Pro were designed with these exact parental worries in mind.
What are GPS Trackers?
GPS trackers are devices that utilize the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to accurately determine and monitor the geographical location of a person, object, vehicle, or pet.
GPS trackers can triangulate their precise position and provide real-time location information by receiving signals from multiple satellites. These trackers come in various forms, ranging from standalone units to integrated components in devices like smartphones and smartwatches.
Devices equipped with GPS tracking provide real-time location updates and often come with additional features like geofencing, which alerts you when your child enters or exits a predefined area.
Best GPS Watch and Phone Trackers for Kids
If you’re reading this then chances are good you’ve already begun the search for a good GPS tracking option for your kid.
As explained above, it’s beneficial to let kids do some roaming around the neighborhood this summer. But you’ll want to be sure they’re safe and you can get a hold of them when it’s time for dinner.
Every kid is different so you’ll know best how much tech your child is ready for (and when).
All our phones and watches come with GPS tracking on the nation’s most reliable network so either one is a great option for keeping track of your child.
Gabb Watch 3
The Gabb Watch 3 is a perfect first step for a child ready to roam but not ready for a device with an overwhelming list of features.
Our secure watch bands are durable and sweat resistant so your child has a location tracker they can comfortably wear, unlike relay phones or other standalone GPS devices for kids. And our fun watch band options (like our Star Wars bands) and step counter mean they won’t want to take it off.
The Gabb Watch 3 comes with the following features:
- GPS tracking and customizable geo-fenced “safe zones”
- SOS button to immediately contact a pre-programmed contact
- Focus and silent mode scheduling
- 100 custom contacts for safe, exclusive calls and texts (no spam calls or junk mail).
- Voice-messaging, speech-to-text, templated texting, and emojis
- Gabb Go gives them a fun step counter and gamified to-do list
- Bluetooth connection
- Wireless charging
- Long-lasting battery life
Learn more about Gabb Watch 3 and see subscription plan options.
Gabb Phone 3 Pro
Gabb Phone 3 Pro is the perfect next step if Gabb Watch 3 doesn’t have everything you need for your child.
While this is often thought of as safe tech for older kids, age really isn’t the best indicator. It’s good to consider things like your child’s maturity level, how well they handle responsibility, and what features are really important for them to have in addition to GPS tracking.
Gabb Phone 3 Pro was designed to give kids a safe device with everything they need, but nothing they don’t (i.e. no internet browser, social media, and unsafe apps). Choose between three service plans to get the features that work for your family.
The Gabb Phone 3 Pro comes with the following features:
- GPS tracking and customizable geo-fenced “safe zones”
- Nationwide unlimited talk and text
- Quad Core camera with wide, ultra-wide, macro, and depth lenses
- Bluetooth connection
- Gabb Music
- Gabb reviewed apps
- Gabb Guard
- Gabb Cloud
- Long-lasting battery life
Learn more about Gabb Phone 3 Pro and check service plan options to compare monthly fees.
There’s nothing we (or anyone else) can do to make parenting easy. But Gabb is leading the way at making it easier for parents to keep their kids safe and teach them how to begin to navigate a digital world.
Both Gabb Watch 3 and Gabb Phone 3 Pro give your kids a device they’ll be excited about, while also giving yourself a little more peace of mind this summer.
Author Gabb Staff Writer
More than a cellular company—Gabb is a movement to connect kids to what matters most with safe technology solutions.
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