Child GPS tracker?

[surreygirl1987]

Hello,
I'm seeking some sort of GPS tracker for my 2 year old, in case he gets lost in a crowd etc. I was hoping to find a simple rubber wristband type thing with a GPS tracker in that I can link to an app on my phone. However, I'm struggling to find the sort of thing I want, which is surprising as I thought there'd be quite a market for it.

Has anybody got any recommendations of these products? Many thanks!

[mindutopia]

No idea, but I think if you think your 2 year old might get lost in a crowd, you aren't paying enough attention to them. I have a 2 year old and I cannot imagine a scenario when they might get lost in a crowd! A 10 year old, maybe. But a 2 year old should either be clearly close to you in sight, or if there is an actual crowd, they should be in a buggy or carrier, not wandering freely.

[NaturalStudy]

Whats your specific concern OP? As in, why do you think its likely you'd lose your 2 year old in a crowd? I'm not sure GPS would be accurate enough for a small crowd situation.

[skankingpiglet]

The only time I was ever worried about this has been at music festivals. I agree that DCs that small should have no opportunity to get lost, but it can happen especially when the opportunity lasts 4 days and it's best to plan for the worst. I just wrote our phone numbers onto their wrist bands with a Sharpie, but you can also get personalised temporary tattoos with your phone number on (the ones you wet and press on). It obviously doesn't track them, but would allow them to be returned more quickly if lost.

[Ohalrightthen]

I call troll. You don't need a GPS tracker, you need to pay attention to your child.

[FannysSteadiedBuffs]

Tractive or similar pet tracker.
Easy to find second hand on ebay - the expense is the monthly/yearly GPS fee.

[Phillipa12]

Not lost one of my four dc yet but if you are worried write your surname and phone number on a label sticker and put it on the back of their top in-between the shoulder blades.

[WellTidy]

Following. My DS is older but has SEN/SN and has walked out of the house before. It isn’t uncommon in children with SEN. I am hoping to find one that DS would be 109% unaware of (or he will take it off) and can tolerate from a sensory perspective.

[surreygirl1987]

Thanks for the very few who have actually tried to answer my question, including the suggestion of writing details somewhere about him. For those of you who are saying if my son gets lost it's my own fault... That really isn't constructive and it wasn't what I asked 🙄 Anyone with half a brain can realise that a child can disappear in the blink of an eye - especially when taking multiple kids out, each of whom require attention simultaneously 🤦 I'm a very careful parent which is WHY I would love something like this for extra reassurance. If the technology is there, I see no reason not to use it as an extra layer of safety. It's also not just me taking my child out - the in-laws, my brother and my husband also take him out and about and while I'm sure they are very good at looking after him, I can't personally oversee that. Excuse me for being cautious... I also don't trust everyone in the world and a child can get snatched very quickly, even in a crowded playground. My local nursery also takes the children on mini trips ... I think they're fab and trust them with my child BUT I do know things can happen in seconds. I don't judge any parent who would choose not to use technology like this but I don't expect to be judged for wanting my child to be as safe as possible, and preparing for worst case scenario.

Anyway, I go back to my question... does anyone know of anything like this? Thanks in advance for any actually useful answers!

[GintyMarlow2]

I think you are being a little over anxious here. You say things can happen in seconds and preparing for worst case scenario. These things are true, but very very rare. The world isn't full of bad people just waiting to snatch your child.
We hear about the cases when they happen, because they are rare. Tragic, but still rare. The vast majority of people, if they came across a lost toddler, would seek out a security guard, call the police, and try to help get him/her back to the parents.

[surreygirl1987]

I don't mind you thinking that and perhaps you are correct. But again, that's not my question. Do you have any recommendations for a GPS strap type thing?

[surreygirl1987]

@WellTidy yes... I totally get it. My 2 year old knows how to let himself out of the front door if it's unlocked. We lock it now but he has learned how to use the key so I think we'll have to get a door chain 🙄 He certainly keeps us on our toes! I'll let you know if I find something anyway!

[WellTidy]

We have a bolt and a chain, at a high level. Of course that doesn’t stop a determined child dragging a chair or a stool or whatever to be able to reach! But I would hope that I would hear that and intercept. I hope!

[Eileithyiaa]

What about one of those Tile things and pop it in his coat pocket?

Disclaimer: I agree that 2 year olds should be watched at all times and a Tile should in no way be an alternative for proper parenting - I'm just offering up a solution to the question asked by OP 😂

[Eileithyiaa]

https://www.thetileapp.com/en-gb/?utmcampaign=11363071643&utmmsource=google&utmmedium=cpc&utmmcontent=472744208779&utmterm=tile-e&adgroup=110205685126&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-PSJooqG7QIVAfuyCh2FIAPwEAAYASAAEgJK3fDBwE

[GintyMarlow2]

I would probably go for this one:

www.amazon.co.uk/Anti-Theft-Tracking-Vehicles-Motorcycle-Included/dp/B00AKPX412/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?dchild=1&quartzVehicle=831-564&keywords=child%20gps%20tracker&sprefix=child%20gps%20&replacementKeywords=child%20gps&qid=1605526237&sr=8-13&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[fitzbilly]

The problem with GPS trackers at the moment is that they are quite big (for the battery), so not really what you want. You could put a simple phone in his pocket maybe with an app for you to track it on your phone? Can't you track someone else on Snapchat? I've also shared my location via Google maps with friends before so that might work?

You can get wristbands that you write a name and phone number on that I have for mine when we go to crowded places (three little ones so it adds an element of calm for me).

[Jijithecat]

If you're concerned about tracking your child you equally need to consider the safety aspect of leaving a 2 year with something with a battery in it on a regular basis. There have sadly been a number of instances where infants have died having swallowed batteries.

[FannysSteadiedBuffs]

You can't get to the battery of a Tractive, and its the size of two adult thumbs so would fit in a pocket, but also would attach to a strap or hood.

[surreygirl1987]

Thanks - some of these are genuinely good ideas and I'll have a good look at the suggestions.

@Eileithyiaa indeed... I'm the kind of parent who follows all the safe sleep guidance to a T, but still has a breathing monitor (this is for my baby) just for an extra layer of safety. Likewise, this isn't about an alternative to 'proper parenting'. This is about taking extra precautions and I really can't see any harm in it; only benefit! 🤷

[surreygirl1987]

@fitzbilly thanks... I think I will do the phone number wristband for the time being - that's a great idea. Good point about battery size. I expect technology will advance over the next few years to combat this issue

[DreadingSeason2020sFinale]

You can buy phone watches where you have to pay monthly for a SIM card or pet trackers where you pay a subscription but both need regular charging and unless you're paying mega bucks there's no chance of you being able to get a real time tracker that is accurate enough to find someone in a busy area. Two year olds should have their hands held or if that's not going to work then safety reins.

[DreadingSeason2020sFinale]

That said, I did buy my son a GPS phone watch because he's been playing out unsupervised form about 6 years old as is normal (if not a little older) for the place we live. I like to be able to phone him instead of yelling out of the front door like we did in the 80's.

The GPS tracker on the watch however has had him placed at a farm over a mile away. And the other day I tried to locate his iPhone which showed him as being at the doctor's surgery at the other end of our village. The phone was, in fact, in my living room. Trackers just are not very good yet.

[LilaButterfly]

We got a weenect tracker for DS when he started kindy, because kids here walk to school themselves and he would take ages coming home, which worried me sometimes.
I put it in his backpack or pants.
Its not accurate enough to let you find him in a crowd though. It worked well and alerted me on my phone when he got to the school grounds and also when he left the school grounds, but it doesnt show an exact location, just a radius.

[Happyheartlovelife]

We had a Vodafone watxh type thing. But for an older child. Bloody awful. I went through 3 before Vodafone refunded me. The battery didn’t even last 4 hrs

So don’t get that one. We never found a good substitute

[surreygirl1987]

Thanks very much - so many ideas to look into. I appreciate the genuinely helpful comments.

@DreadingSeason2020sFinale I'm not a fan of safety reins every single time we step outside as I don't want my son to go through childhood chained up... though I have used them on occasion. Unfortunately while looking after more than one child it's not always possible to hold each child's hand at every single moment either... But thanks for the suggestion anyway 🙄 As I said, I was looking for an answer to my question, not parenting advice/judgement.