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Comparing Family Safety Apps: MamaBear and Life360

Mamabear Family Safety AppChoosing the right family safety app isn’t easy. There are a number of  great options on the market today providing parents some peace of mind. MamaBear App and Life360 are two top choices many families consider.  While both apps have similar features when it comes to monitoring a child’s location using a smartphone or other mobile device, there are some key differences between the apps. Let’s discuss what makes MamaBear and Life360 similar and different.

Similarly, the MamaBear and Life360 app offers parents the ability see their children’s current and recent locations. Both apps also allow kids to check in with parents using the app. They also allow parents to set automatic alerts to track when their kids come and go from places they frequently visit (school, soccer practice, friends’ houses, etc.).

Both apps have some key differences as well.

Here’s a breakdown of the ways in which these two Family Safety Apps differ:

– Mamabear offers social media monitoring.  For example, with MamaBear a parent can receive alerts when a child makes a new friend on Facebook, follows someone new or uploads a photo on Instagram, gets tagged or @mentioned in a photo, message or at a location on Facebook or Instagram.  The restricted words list allows parents to be notified to words or phrases that are posted on their child’s Facebook or Instagram page. The list can include inappropriate language or words that may indicate bullying.

Related: Protecting Kids from Internet Stranger Danger

– MamaBear offers driving speed monitoring for teens. Parents receive an alert when their child drives or rides over a preset speed limit that tells them how fast they were going and where they were when they exceeded the preset limit. You can also view the child’s speeding history.

– MamaBear offers a custom child view. Kids can check in with parents with emoticons or send a quick “come get me” or “emergency” notification from a different view with a child profile log in.  Kids can also customize their view of the app with wallpaper selections.

– Life360 offers a premium version along with their free app. The premium version of Life360 comes with access to a 24/7 advisor connecting you to a real person who can direct emergency responders to your location, give you personalized crisis care, access your emergency profile, etc. The premium version of the app also includes stolen phone protection.

– Life360 has the same map view regardless of the family role as a child or parent allowing parents to share their location if they choose. The app also adds crime updates and sex offenders plotted on the map.

More recently, the app added “Circles,”  a feature to create custom groups of people to share location and messages.

Two great family safety apps with many different features filling different needs for families. Choose the right one for your family and let us know how it goes!

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The MamaBear Family Monitoring App Can Help With Parental Anxiety About Teen Driving

anxiety about teen driving

It’s totally normal for parents to dread certain phases of their children’s development. It’s only normal that we fear letting our young ones out into the world and as they grow that anxiety can grow with the freedom our kids experience. A difficult and common one of these anxieties are when we first let our kids behind the wheel. The combination of an expensive automobile, a young and excited teenager, the very real risk of other drivers and a potential accident make us all understandably nervous about handing over the keys for the first time.

The good news is there are options to help significantly lower this anxiety. Options like the MamaBear family monitoring app can help ease parental anxiety when their teen is driving. The combination of MamaBear driving alerts, location alerts and nearly real time monitoring provides parents the ability to keep a much closer eye on a newly licensed teen. MamaBear lets parents know where they are going, and that they are obeying programmed speed limits.

The MamaBear location based alerts can inform a parent when their child is at a dangerous location or isn’t a place they are schedule to attend. This feature ensures that parents know their children are going to pre-approved locations. If a parent wants to monitor more frequently, active GPS monitoring can allow parents to watch an entire trip and confirm the kids are on route. Driving speed alerts give parents relevant information to talk to their children about vehicle responsibility and safe speed driving.

By providing parents with this nearly real-time data regarding location and vehicle speed, the MamaBear family monitoring app lets parents rest easy when the kids have the car. Many parents are reporting that the MamaBear app is facilitating conversations about car usage that they never expected to have. With MamaBear, a young driver can be trusted to run errands, help parents and even use the car for their own devices, all while allowing parents input and peace of mind about their teens’ driving habits.

The MamaBear app is available for download on Android devices here and Iphone devices here.

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Driving Monitor App – How Fast is Your Teenager Driving?

driving monitor app

It’s so important for our newest drivers, in most cases teenagers, to be safe when out on the road. Speeding is a common violation for many new drivers, yet can have terrible consequences. MamaBear App’s driving monitor feature can tell you how fast your teen is driving. Knowing how fast your teen is going can start a needed conversation on ways to be safe drivers and the consequences of speeding.

According to a survey from Allstate.com, 69% of teens who speed say they do so because they want to keep up with traffic. Also, it states that 55% of teens knowingly exceed the speed limit by at least 10 miles per hour and 17% of teens surveyed said that speeding is fun. There really shouldn’t be any reasoning behind speeding. It’s a law in place with safety in mind. It’s a must follow. MamaBear’s driving monitor app can help parent’s track their teen’s speed to see if they’re exceeding the limits and by how much. How do you think your teen drives when you’re not around? Can peer pressure from friends in the car play a role?

Knowing and understand your teen’s speeding habits gives you a chance to share stories with them about the most severe consequences. You’ll find a new one in the news pretty much daily.

During the teenage years, they may feel invincible like nothing can hurt them. So when approached about speeding, your teen may be defensive. But, hold your ground. There’s no debate. We all know how important it is to abide the speed limits.

Speeding teenage drivers are more common than many parents may think. Much of it can be a result of peers and the pressure put on teens. If you choose to use a driving monitor app, like MamaBear’s, you may be surprised by what you find. However, this knowledge can start great conversations. Constantly impressing the importance of safe driving upon your new driver is just one more way you can help protect your children. The full Allstate.com survey can be found here: http://www.allstate.com/tools-and-resources/safe-driving-resources.aspx

Keep your teens safe while driving, download the MamaBear driving monitor app.