Every Halloween, parents debate two things.
- When are the kids old enough to trick or treat with friends ALONE?
- How old is TOO old to trick or treat?
Thanks to technology, parents can have some peace of mind when the little ones go out on their own for the first time. Here are 3 FREE apps that help you keep track of your kids, courtesy of USA Today. Keep in mind they will need a smartphone with them.
1. Family Locator. It uses the GPS on their phone to show exactly where they are in real time. You just log in on your phone, and it pulls up a map. Or if they need you, they can press an S.O.S. button that sends you their location.
2. Red Panic Button. It’s basically like the S.O.S. button, but simpler so it’s good for little kids. All they have to do is push a big red button, and it automatically sends you a text with a link to a map that shows where they are. And you can put multiple people on the contact list, so more than one person gets it.
3. Life360. Again, you can see where they are on a map in real time, and they can message you if there’s a problem. But the cool part is you can also set boundary limits. So you get an alert if they go too far away, or cross a street they’re not supposed to.
These apps will be good to keep track of the kids long after Halloween has come and gone. Now onto question 2…if your kid is driving, he or she is too old to go house to house trick-or-treating, in my humble opinion.
Stay safe this weekend, and have a Happy Halloween!!
