Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker Child Locator

[thismama]

http://www.happymothers.com/shop/prd...-_red_bug.html

I'm into it.

[amitymama]

WTF?? So you're supposed to let your child wander away and then damage their hearing by having this device emit an 80 decibel noise? Unbelievable.

[merpk]

Originally Posted by amitymama

WTF?? So you're supposed to let your child wander away and then damage their hearing by having this device emit an 80 decibel noise? Unbelievable.

You don't live in a big city, do you.



Our block in NY was very intensely crowded almost all of the day and it was always a struggle to keep track of the children, so I had to be very strict about them all holding my hand/holding the stroller/etc. But no matter how strict you are, one of 'em at some point is going to get away ...




Sounds louder than 80 decibels are potentially dangerous, and 80 decibels is the sound of a busy city street (or so I've read). So a city kid is exposed to that anyway.



Seems like something for the urban mama to consider. Not an outrageous idea. Just for being in crowded spaces. Not a bad idea, even, come to think of it.






Whoever took that picture, though ... the thing might be better put on the kid's belt instead of directly behind their ears ... :

[amitymama]

Originally Posted by merpk

You don't live in a big city, do you.

Last time I checked, London was considered a pretty big city


I agree with you that urban mothers have a bit more to worry about than their DC running off in the mall or the WalMart parking lot, but I think there are better ways to do it than with something that straps to their back and emits a shrill noise. It just makes me think of those electric fences for dogs.

[cee3]

I was actually just looking at these. We're going to the mountains in a couple weeks (for a week long vacation) and we're going to be doing a lot of hiking and outdoors stuff in areas I'm unfamiliar with. I was thinking about getting a couple of these for my boys, just in case they took off running into the woods or something. It wouldn't be a matter of "letting them wander away." Kids do sometimes do things you don't allow them to do.

[mommy2abigail]

If I tried to stick that on dd she WOULD probably run away! Seriously, I wouldn't trust it. What if you were depending on it, and it fell off or the kid took it off? I suppose as an EXTRA (meaning beside a stroller, carrier, and leash thingie-which I dont particularly like, but can see the value of at times) measure of precaution....maybe. But nah, not worth my $20.

[North_Of_60]

Originally Posted by cee3

It wouldn't be a matter of "letting them wander away." Kids do sometimes do things you don't allow them to do.

And if your child happened to fall down a cliff, or was otherwise unconscious, this would come in very handy.

... off to google how loud 85 decibels is...

[merpk]

Originally Posted by amitymama

Last time I checked, London was considered a pretty big city

Oops. Didn't see your location or sig.

[North_Of_60]

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the maximum exposure time before your hearing is endangered at 85 dB is 8 hours. Unfortunately, the decibel scale is logarithmic, which means that a mere 3 dB increase represents a doubling of sound intensity. A four-hour dose of sound at 88 dB is roughly the same as an eight-hour dose at 85 dB. At 110 dB, the recommended maximum exposure time is only about a minute and a half. If you must be exposed to sound above 85 dB for an extended period of time, it is recommended that you use some form of hearing protection (see Plugs 'n' aids).

Sound Decibel Level

softest audible sound 0 dB
normal breathing 10 dB
rustling leaves 20 dB
whispering 25 dB
clothes dryer 60 dB
normal conversation 60 dB
dishwasher 65 dB
car 70 dB
busy traffic 75 dB
alarm clock 80 dB
noisy restaurant 80 dB
average factory 85 dB
screaming child 90 dB
subway train 100 dB
diesel truck 100 dB
jackhammer 100 dB
helicopter 105 dB
power mower 105 dB
shouting in ear 110 dB
live rock music 90-130 dB
football stadium 117 dB
band concert 120 dB
thunder 120 dB
car horn 120 dB
jackhammer 130 dB
air raid siren 130 dB
noisy squeeze toys 135 dB

PAIN STARTS 140 dB
gunshot 140 dB
jet engine 140 dB
rocket launching 180 dB
loudest sound 194 dB


http://net.unl.edu/artsFeat/deafenin...earing-nf.html

[North_Of_60]

Unless there is some horrific accident the sound wouldn't go off for 8 hours, so with that in mind I'd probably attach it to her shoe laces or something.

[absinthe]

Just yesterday I went to a ren. faire with a family who have five children, three of them little. The four year old (quite intentionally, I think) took advantage of mom and dad being distracted for a second and bolted off. It was free admission for kids weekend and the place was a MADHOUSE. He was missing for at least twenty minutes. I bet that Suzy would have LOVED to have had one of those clipped to her son.

[cee3]

I just read some reviews of this product on Amazon and I'm wondering if their 80 db claim is correct. It got pretty poor reviews, with the biggest complaint being that you couldn't hear it if there was any sort of background noise, including playgrounds or stores where they played background music. I'm not sure what we're going to do when we go camping. I thought about attaching bells or something onto my kids' clothing, but I'm not sure I'd be able to hear that, either.

Edited to add: I'm going to give my older son a whistle, but the little one wouldn't be capable of using a whistle if he couldn't see us.

[thismama]

I liked it coz we had the kids at a few outdoor festivals during the past few weeks, and the little buggers kept running off!! Oh teh stress to chase them down as they head off down a trail or into a crowd, before losing sight of them.

I'd love to know if I just kept on the general trail, I could click something and it would beep.

We were joking actually about putting "Clappers" on the kids. Remember those commercials? Clap on clap off: The Clapper.

[bdavis337]

I just use a harness/leash thing. He gets 4 feet of harness to walk around on, and I don't have to chase him. He's a runner, sprinter really, and I'm 9 months pregnant. I'd rather have him on a leash than with a noise device strapped to his clothing. No guarantee I'd get to him in time, even with something like that.

[ccohenou]

I want two.

[DBassett]

I don't know any kid that would even keep that on...

I realize children get away when you don't want them too and it can be terrifiying for both child and parent but I really don't think this is the answer. I think the best thing is either wear your child, put them in a stroller, a cart, or if they must walk, use a leash thingie -which I always felt weird using but at least I knew my child was safe and within my site.

[Terabith]

If I had the cash, I'd get a bunch of them and put them on our shoes in the house (I can never find shoes), my keys, cell phone, and some other things that seem to consistently wander off.....

[RainCoastMama]

Good idea on the cel phone...and glasses...and the remote...

I think it's a good idea. My 19 month old toddler escaped through the front door the other day - with 4 adults in the house 'looking after her' (she was literally out of sight for 30 seconds). We found her playing hide and seek in the front yard, not before my hair turned gray. Stuff happens.

I'm all about being able to locate your child. 'Freedom' from me doesn't exist until they are old enough to know what traffic is.

[incorrigible]

It sounds like a creative idea, but I don't think I'd bother with it. I just teach my kids what to do if they get lost. They need to know that whether they have a noise making device or not. I would rather rely on knowledge and action than them beeping. Any time we hit a crowded or desolate kind of place we go over the rules again...."What do you do if we are separated?" bit. I always have to overcome what some dumb TV show taught them and remind them of the safest ways to deal with things. They always chime up with "Stay right where I am" or "don't talk to strangers" or some other non-sense and have to be reminded to take positive actions not just stand around and hope fate is in their favor.

We've tested this method on many occasions. Ds is a wanderer. He was 2 1/2, MAYBE 3 the first major wandering. I had to go to the bathroom at Navy Pier in Chicago and ds wanted me so xh let him "go find me". They weren't waiting outside the bathrooms either, but sitting having ice creams about 4 shops away. Ds did a great job. When he realized he was lost, he looked for an employee. He couldn't see one, so he found a mom with kids and told her he was lost. She took him to security and I was at another security guy telling him what happened at about the same time. Ds didn't cry or get scared at all until it was all over and he was back in my arms. He knew what to do and he did it. I'd much rather have things go so smoothly than try to chase down a sound. I imagine the alarm noise would add to his fear and confusion and make it harder to deal with the task at hand, as well.

Any time ds goes anywhere with anyone but me, he ends up lost. He doesn't even know he's not with the group until they're totally gone, and can disappear in the second you glance away even when you're talking right to him. His mind is always wandering and with any opportunity his body ends up following. Outings w his dad, field trips with camps or organizations, whatever. We've made sure he's very knowledgeable and prepared to deal with whatever situations he finds himself in, from the time he was little. He's empowered and capable and always does a smashing job of handling the trouble he gets himself into.

[siobhang]

I'd rather have a GPS locator, strapped to their wrist or arm and locked so they cannot take it off - it cannot be taken off.

Low jack for the toddler set.