Tracking my sons location....what do you think?

[user1478639298]

Hey everyone I'm a newbie to all this to please excuse any errors I may make lol. I recently had a scare with my son he's currently in primary school (11 years old) and all his friends are going to school by them selves I personally haven't come to grips with this yet and it's been very hard for me to accept he's growing up and needs to experience independence at first hand. One day he was supposed to meet me at the bus stop that he'd usually get off at anyways as I wanted to go to the shops to get some bits. He was taking longer than usual so I called him and his phone was off!! Bare in mind I wasn't comfortable with this situation in the first place and now his phone wasn't ringing! I panicked and felt so helpless I didn't know what to do especially with the fact that I could of made the journey there and back in the time that his phone was off! It turns out his phone died when he finally made it but since then I've not been comfortable to send him to school alone so I bought a tracker that I can request for his location in an event of an emergency. Do you I'm crazy? Everyone I know hasn't been supportive of the decision and thinks I'm crazy. I feel really upset and have been made out that I'm weird because of it which makes me feel quite abnormal. What I'm trying to figure out is if I should consider getting new friends! I think it's absurd that people would put a tracker on a vehicle but would call someone crazy for putting one on their child. Please let me know your views on this. Many thanks :-)

[TimetohittheroadJack]

Why not make sure his phone in charged and using find my iPhone or android equivalent?

[Maudlinmaud]

Sounds like your anxiety has hit you hard. Could you perhaps speak to your gp.

[reallyanotherone]

What does your son think?

If he knows and consents I would have no problem with it.

Just as easy to make sure his phone is charged and use that though?

[NerrSnerr]

I think you sound very anxious. Talk to him about keeping his phone charged but I would t go as far as a tracker.

[ShowMeTheElf]

Is this tracker in his pocket or have you had it implanted into him like the mother in Bad Education the movie? Apparently that is really possible. If the latter than yes, you have gone too far.

Either way OP, the fact that he was on a late bus but still got to the bus stop should surely be putting your mind at rest that he is where he should be? Make sure his phone is charged but honestly, he's 11 and should be able to travel to school without you worrying so much.

[H1ghw4y61revisited]

I'm almost 30 and my mother had me on a Tracker app right up until her death last year. She worried about me driving back and forth to see her on weekends (2hour drive each way) so she liked to check my progress on the road. It gave her piece of mind and I found it more amusing than anything else. It also meant she wasn't stressed out if I forgot to call or text to say I had got home. You sound a little anxious but I honestly don't think a little tracker app would be all that bad if he agrees with it. Probably having him charge his phone or getting an emergency power brick might be seen as more reasonable, but I don't think it's the loopiest thing I've ever heard.

[Mummytojane]

I think using a tracker on a child is very strange and not something I'd do.

I think you need to deal with your anxiety and this isn't the way to do it.

[EatTheCake]

I wouldn't and never had tracked my DC. It just doesn't sit right with me TBH

I understand you have anxiety and that needs to be dealt with but I'm not sure tracking your DC will help. When will you stop tracking them? In a year? Two? Once they leave school?

Children need a certain amount of freedom and to be trusted. An awful lot of DC at age 11 walk to and from school

[Manumission]

No I wouldn't.

The downsides outweigh the reassurance.

[Sparlklesilverglitter]

No I wouldn't track my child

A lot of children age 11 walk themselves to school and should be able to do so without such anxiety and worry from you.

[NarcsBegone]

My Ds has a tracker on his phone. This was put on due to some concerns with his father taking him and when he started walking to school I used it to check his progress. There are complicated reasons behind all of this but even if there weren't I don't think that it's a bad thing to do up to a certain point. I now don't check the tracker but know that if there is a concern that I can and Ds is happy with that ... other kids might not be happy with it and at that point it's a question of finding a balance.

[lovelyupnorth]

Crazy...... come on give the lad some freedom, most y5/6 should be walking to and from school by themselves never mind 2ndry school

[Atenco]

You have all my sympathy. I think you should only put a tracker on your son if he freely gives you his consent, but I understand that horrible feeling when they don't come home and minutes feel like hours.