Sorry for the long delay...life!
It has recently come to my attention that a friend of mine is having issues with an ex-wife and her new boyfriend and the interaction between her new beau and his little girl. That story is neither here nor there, but it brought up a situation I'm sure a lot of divorced parents with children have unfortunately experienced. Picture yourself with kids, boys or girls, it doesn't matter. Your ex takes the kids for the weekend and takes them to her new boyfriend/girlfriends house. Being a nasty divorce, the ex is less then forthcoming on any information concerning anything, especially contact information on his/her new fling. So off they go, your kids going into the unknown. Are they safe? Who is this guy? Where does he live? Then, to make it worse, your little girl/boy comes home and tells you that mommy/daddy's new boyfriend/girlfriend gives them the creeps. Unless the new friend has actually done something to the child, there is, unfortunately, little anyone can do. (I know laws are different in some states concerning who children can spend the night with if they aren't relatives but I'm generalizing.)
One legal thing that you as the parent can do that is totally legal and will also make your child feel a little safer is the Amber Alert GPS. It does cost a monthly fee, but I believe it is well worth it. Some of its features are Predator Alert, alerting you when the child is within 500ft of a sex offenders residence. There is a panic button, speed alert if your child is going too fast, a safe zone you can establish that will alert you if your child leaves the virtual boundary, and also Smart phone tracking among other things. This is not a cheap piece of gear, but considering what the alternative could be, it may be the best thing you ever bought.
This isn't going to be a long post, I just wanted to throw that out there while I was thinking about it. I will try to get back on task in a few weeks but we shall see...
