When I became a mom, I became a safety patrol officer. Like kids canvassing crosswalks outside of schools, I policed my neighborhood and reported speeding drivers and one shady individual lurking around my apartment building. Instead of a bright yellow belt and a shiny silver badge, I wore a baby carrier and carried a diaper bag stuffed with germ killer. I looked both ways before I crossed the street, triple checked the car seat installation before pulling off and actually stopped at yellow lights versus pushing the pedal.  Even with my extra precautions, I still worried if  I was really protecting my most precious gift.

Last week, I had a scare.  I thought I lost my little girl. She slipped out of my sight (in my apartment) and my heart dropped.  I quickly located her.  When I shared with story with a few friends, they told me something similar happened to them.  My neighbor’s son sat under the sink, eating candy and not answering when his name was called. My coworkers daughter fell asleep in her closet.  My friend’s daughter hid in a clothing rack at a department store.  Their experience made me feel like I wasn’t a bad mom after all–as a first timer, I tend to be hard on myself!  It also made me wonder what I could do to stop stressing over the “what if” factor.

So I signed up for Street Safe–a personal security service for phones. Here’s why I would recommend the service to moms (and dads–testosterone doesn’t make a dark, empty parking lot less scary!)

1. It’s Affordable.

For as little as $12.50 a month, you can subscribe to a service plan. If you spring for a year, you save money.  That’s a lot cheaper than my building’s indoor parking garage, which is $75.  Safe to say that I do not park in the garage!

2.  It’s Easy 

It only took me a few minutes to sign up for the service and download it onto my smart phone.  I’m not too tech savvy, so I like to keep safety simple.

3. It’s Dependable

The Walk With Me feature enables you to walk in confidence, not in fear. By sliding the green button, you request for a Safety Advisor to call you back. As soon as I hung up, my phone rang. Darlene greeted me by name and asked for my current address.  She told me she would plug it into her system to see my street view.  (Make sure you activate the GPS feature on your phone.) She then asked me if I had a concern.  I didn’t, but asked about the type of concerns she received. Darlene informed me that some people call if they’re walking in an empty, poorly lit parking lot. Or, perhaps they are coming home from a friend’s house. Darlene stays on the phone until they safely reach their destinations.

If I was in danger, instead of sliding the green button, I would slide the red one, which would immediately contact the closet 911 center with my location.

4. It’s Better Than Phoning Home

Since Darlene knew my location, if something were to happen to my daughter and I, she could immediately call for help.  In my profile, I uploaded out photos, so she could describe us to police if need be.

5. It’s Like the Medic Alert Necklaces I Always Wanted But Was Too Young To Buy

We all are familiar with the commercials about a senior citizen falling down and calling for help by pushing a button around her neck.  Well, Street Smart is that button. It’s designed to keep you safe on the street, but you can also call for help from your home. If I can’t dial 911 in the event of a burglary, I can contact the Street Safe team.

Hey DFTM Fam–How do you stay safe when walking with your little ones?