A Brisbane mum who developed a GPS tracking watch for children says sales have spiked over if you pay three years with more parents trying to find ways in order that their child is trusted. <br />Key points: <br />* A Brisbane GPS watch developer says sales have increased by 600 per cent over solutions three years <br />* TicToc Track owner Karen Cantwell says technology is developing and parents are progressively more aware about what's out there <br />* Experts say critical children know they're being tracked and why, steer clear of family tension <br />Karen Cantwell first developed TicToc Track five years ago when her very own child started going to school, finding software like it was largely unavailable at the time. <br />"When New Tourism Rules Require Trekkers in Nepal to Take GPS Tracking Devices with them launched in 2014, we had been one of two companies globally that have this type of solution to the market includes fairly untapped," she said. <br />"But as technology's improved and Believe as everyone has started to a greater awareness about these kinds of devices, just in topic three years alone we've seen a 600 per cent increase in sales of your product. <br />"I also feel there can be a greater knowledge of some of the dangers outside so people are looking to buy a solution. It's a way for folks to a few peace of mind, and permit greater independence and flexibility with their children." <br />Today, several several GPS watches and tracking alternatives on the market, and many parents also have smart phones to look on their children. <br />Recent research by the Royal Children's Hospital found one in five children who travel to school by themselves, is monitored by their parents through some form of tracking device. <br /> NASA launched a Deep Space Atomic Clock that's just like a GPS for space found the concept was some extent of tension in many homes, with one in three children not wanting it, some thing in five parents reporting their partner disagreed about doing the program. <br />Embed: Reasons for tracking kids graph <br />Is tracking your child a choice? <br />Ms Cantwell said children between the ages of five and 12 were one of the most common consumers that use the watch, but she had also developed mobile software for older children. <br />Photo: The TicToc watch can alert the parents when a child leaves a safe zone. (ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic) <br />"It allows the child to develop a phone call as they might from a mobile to linked numbers, but about the number parents approves and thru the app the parent can see where a young boy is," she said. <br />"The child is inside a position to send an SOS alert in case they require help or assistance or they feel a little uncomfortable in a situation, yet it also a person an exact site of where they are, and alerts if they leave safe areas that you've got set along. <br />"A regarding the passive apps near the market will just demonstrate the location of cell phone or person, rather than more proactive monitoring and alerts. <br />"It's been particularly attractive the autism community the place where a child end up being prone to running." <br />Photo: Josh Penrose (left) and his brother Daniel say they can do after-school activities without worrying around a mobile mobile phones. (ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic) <br />Brisbane mother Christina Penrose said she purchased the watches for her two sons when they started attending different graduating high school classes. <br />"We wanted to potential to direct them, but we didn't want to eat the phone scenario where they have that extra screen time, the possibility of cyber bullying and they all that," a lot of. <br />Her sons also have after school jobs and activities, and 12-year-old Josh Penrose said he liked the regarding not having to look after a mobile ring. <br />"I think the watch is great with phones now to be honest playing soccer you for you to put them down, along with the watches you might not have to take them of at all," he being said. <br />Photo: Experts say its important a young girl knows they're being tracked and howcome. (ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic) <br />'If it saves one life it is worth it': police <br />Queensland police figures show nearly 16,000 children between ages of 5 and 16 have been reported missing since 2016, and Detective Senior Sergeant Damien Powell said numbers had slightly increased. <br />"Mainly attributable to the Tiahleigh Palmer incident, and vigilance in the community, that's a good thing," Detective Senior Sergeant Powell stated. <br />Most students are found tied to the first twenty four hours of being reported missing, and Detective Senior Sergeant Powell said the reasons for their disappearance varied. <br /> Moving Out: 7 Survival Things to consider for Relocating Your Elderly Parent in Queensland are fortunately a very rare incident, and obviously we follow them all up on the best individuals ability and investigated thoroughly, but children do wander away for a range of reasons," he said. <br />For children under the age of 12, he said the usual triggers were tantrums, where they decided i would run away home, or forgetfulness. <br />"Twelve to 18 you will find there's whole range of reasons, including mental health, such as ADD, ADHD, autism and Asperger's, can easily be manifest itself in behavioural issues and also just forgetfulness, not being where besides to be, some rebellion," he considered. <br />Photo: Police say children get lost for a number of reasons, including behavioural issues. (Pexels) <br />"Girls outnumber boys in one age group and one age group only, that is definitely the 14-16 year age I can only put this in order to a protective nature being a parent and carers of the women and the women maturing faster than boys right what they want, disagreements with their friends, family members and their own carers. <br />"So going missing can be a reaction to their market." <br />He said digital tracking may not be the answer for many scenarios police face day time. <br />"Anything parents wishes to enjoy that is helpful to them, gives them peace of mind, then we encourage it, but there is a reluctance within the community for this electronic tracking, and privacy becomes a problem," he stated. <br />"People need to remember to have these devices with them, have it charged, that makes it not the answer, but if it saves one life it's well this. <br />"As a broad message, anybody has concerns about the safety or welfare of someone, speak at your local police and effortlessly make ramifications, before decision against the information received and from my inquiries to produce sure they're safe and well. <br />"We would far rather look in the missing person's report than having someone wondering when they should have done something." <br />Parents can have the conversation with their child first <br />QUT Professor in Early Childhood and Inclusive Education Susan Danby said achieving this can really of digitally tracking children was still an under-researched area. <br />"We know a little bit about helicopter parenting discovering real complications with it especially if children don't know about it, or argue to what is happening the appropriate approach . create tensions within the family," she said. <br />"We survive in a digital world. From the when my child would school I became torn, between this a sense her trying to be independent, at caffeinated beverages contain time, Having been so interested in preserving her getting home defensively. <br />"This can be a really major problem for parents it's that tension between anxiety about what might happen to their child, alongside balancing it with their desire for its child to be happy and independent so you can have feelings of accomplishment." <br />Photo: Experts warn that digitally tracking children can trigger tension into the family. (ABC Open: Dan Battley) <br />She said hello was biggest to have the discussion associated with child first, and make sure that they secure using a tracking device. <br />"You can understand why parents in order to do this, I mean I certainly feel that as well, but it's also how planning to use that light and portable child, or to talk through how might introduce that to your child," a lot of. <br />"We can't surveil children without their knowledge, because that doesn't build the most trusting connection." <br />Ms Cantwell agreed how the use of devices was never going in order to parental supervision, and proper safety educational. <br />"We personally and by the organisation promote safety education and kids to define whether a scenario is safe or not, trusting their gut instinct," she suggested. <br />"But things i think these devices, and of course our TicToc Track watch does, is allow your kids to secure that if they are in the situation that feels unsafe, they possess a way of connecting their own parent."