Helicopter parenting may be out, but submarine parenting — using technology to know where your child is, while offering them the feeling of independence — is the current trend. There are numerous options when it comes to helping you keep track of your pre-teen when they aren't at your side. Here are a few:

AngelSense

You're used to knowing exactly where your child is and that comfort is hard to let go of, even if your child is old enough to walk to school on their own, stay home alone or ride their bike to a friend's house. With AngelSense, a GPS tracker designed with kids in mind, you can confidently give your pre-teen a taste of freedom, while still maintaining the peace of mind of knowing that your child is okay every step of the way. AngelSense was thoughtfully designed with a variety of features, like Runner Mode, which offers more frequent GPS updates when your child runs off and late departure warnings to help you make sure your child is never left behind by the school bus or carpool. There's even a feature that allows you to use AngelSense as a listening device to ensure your child is safe wherever they are. 

Lorex Home Security Cameras

Your pre-teen has been begging for a chance to stay home alone. But as a parent, you're having trouble letting go of the fact that your child could get into trouble, or worse, that trouble could come to them. By installing Lorex home security cameras, you can maintain a watchful eye over your child, even when you aren't at home. The sturdy indoor/outdoor cameras use state-of-the-art technology and feature night vision so you can always get a clear view of what is happening at home. And unlike other home security systems that require an expensive contract, Lorex home security products can be purchased outright, so you can save on monthly monitoring.

Tile

Is your pre-teen constantly misplacing and losing their things? You can help them learn some responsibility and maintain their independence with the Tile app. Tile helps you keep track of any valuables like a cell phone, laptop, iPad, instrument or even just your keys using Bluetooth and GPS. Simply affix the Tile to the item you want to track. When you can't find the item, ring it from the Tile app on your smartphone and it will chime if it's within 100 feet of the smartphone. If the Tile is beyond the 100 foot Bluetooth range, the app will show you the last place that your child had the item, so they know where to start looking for it. 

There's even a "Notify When Found" function so you can be alerted of the current location when another Tile user is within range of your item. With over eight million Tiles in use, this makes for the possibility of even a stolen item being located efficiently. 

Apple Location Sharing

If you and your pre-teen have iPhones, you can track their location using the Find My iPhone feature. This feature allows you to automatically share the location of family members so you can quickly see if you child is where they said they were going or if they are somewhere they shouldn't be. If your child has been begging you to get them an iPhone, this could be a great opportunity to get them one and score some cool mom points.