PARANOID PARENTS THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Geo-fences

A new type of smart watch includes a GPS tracker, which allows parents to log on to their phone or laptop and see where their child is. They also allow the creation of “geo-fences” around areas like a schools, sports clubs or parties, which means if the child leaves that space, you get a message. Overkill or entirely sensible?

Cameras

There are any number of webcam video apps available to paranoid parents these days. Something like icam lets you watch live feeds from your home on your mobile.

Apps

Would you like a photo of your child looking at his or her phone to prove they’re ignoring your texts? There’s an app (Teenage Tracker) for that. What about a phone monitoring service where you can see a child’s texts, photos and Snapchat stories from your phone? Yep, that’s possible too (Kidguard). Whether this level of helicopter-parenting is healthy or not is up to you.

Microchips

company Chip My Life has reportedly been “flooded” with calls from parents wanting to get their children implanted with a tracker chip, yet to be approved. The idea would be to plant a chip under the skin that transmits the child’s location and vital signs at all times.