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Original poster

Can anyone recommend a child friendly tracking device for a young child?

33 replies

Helpmeiiam · 14/04/2024 07:16

My 5 yo has a few school trips coming up and I'd like to have a little tracking device I can keep on him for reassurance. I only really know about the air tags but are these light enough and reliable? Any others which are better? And not too expensive!

OP posts:
KickHimInTheCrotch · 14/04/2024 07:20

Don't you trust the school to look after him properly?

The problem with things like this is that it doesn't really reduce your anxiety. You start checking it obsessively and then what happens if DC loses the coat or bag the device is attached to, or it goes out of range?

I think it's more important to have regular, relaxed conversations with your DC about safety eg staying with a friend, listening to the teachers, not running off.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 14/04/2024 07:21

Don’t tag your 5 year old going on a school trip! That’s unnecessary, and a bit strange.

Cupcakegirl13 · 14/04/2024 07:24

Completely OTT and I say that as a very anxious parent myself !

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

5 year olds Families
Landlubber2019 · 14/04/2024 07:24

Sorry noting to suggest but I remember wanting something. My kids are now older and I realise that tracking them full time is not healthy particularly at such a young age, they should be with a responsible adult. When they are older, they will have a mobile phone to track them. In the meantime send your kids on the trip and trust them and the school to learn and develop independently of you.

Sirzy · 14/04/2024 07:30

Please don’t track your child. Trust the school and let your child enjoy the day.

PineappleTime · 14/04/2024 07:30

You shouldn't do this. It will send you into madness.

LittleBearPad · 14/04/2024 07:32

This is really unhealthy. Don’t track your 5 year old.

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/04/2024 07:33

My friend considered an air tag in sole of shoe. Anything else likely to be taken off or uncomfortable. Don’t think she did it though! Agree it will just make things worse but I also do worry about school trips. School bus on the motorway for 5 year olds makes me feel quite sick!

PineappleTime · 14/04/2024 07:34

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/04/2024 07:33

My friend considered an air tag in sole of shoe. Anything else likely to be taken off or uncomfortable. Don’t think she did it though! Agree it will just make things worse but I also do worry about school trips. School bus on the motorway for 5 year olds makes me feel quite sick!

Edited

And how would tracking the child make any difference to anything? It's not going to prevent an accident if one was to happen. You can't live life giving in to all these fears.

StrongerFitter · 14/04/2024 07:34

AirTag will only work if near another Apple device. So if child is with a teacher who has an iPhone it will work. The teacher will also receive notification that they are being tracked if the same air tag is “following ” them all day

TheaBrandt · 14/04/2024 07:35

Really weird. We do track but only now they are teens whizzing round town.

LittleBearPad · 14/04/2024 07:36

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/04/2024 07:33

My friend considered an air tag in sole of shoe. Anything else likely to be taken off or uncomfortable. Don’t think she did it though! Agree it will just make things worse but I also do worry about school trips. School bus on the motorway for 5 year olds makes me feel quite sick!

Edited

They’d have seatbelts on. The chances of an accident happening is remote.

Having a tracking device will make absolutely no difference unless OP is gong to stalk them and follow them round all day.

mmgirish · 14/04/2024 07:37

I'm a teacher in an international school overseas. Children often wear AirTags on trips. Even on international trips. My kids wear AirTags when we travel. We bought them wristbands for them. You can buy them on Amazon.

Bearintheredhat · 14/04/2024 07:42

It’s often crossed my mind - but then I have to agree with all the PP.
It won’t help your anxiety, you’ll look very odd to the teacher, and it’s just not reliable.

Mylobsterteapot · 14/04/2024 07:49

M school has a policy forbidding their use. Just as well.

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/04/2024 07:54

LittleBearPad · 14/04/2024 07:36

They’d have seatbelts on. The chances of an accident happening is remote.

Having a tracking device will make absolutely no difference unless OP is gong to stalk them and follow them round all day.

Show quote history

I’m aware of all of that. That’s why anxiety is a problem 😄 feeling anxious is normal. Having an anxiety disorder is a different thing. Can’t rationalise your way out of it! Hence the problem.

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/04/2024 07:56

PineappleTime · 14/04/2024 07:34

And how would tracking the child make any difference to anything? It's not going to prevent an accident if one was to happen. You can't live life giving in to all these fears.

Show quote history

Where did I say it would make any difference?

hendoop · 14/04/2024 07:58

Completely natural to be worries about your child going on a trip, often with those we love most we fear the worst.

The best thing you can do for him is to teach him what to do if he is ever lost, make it into a game- along with other things.

Get him to learn your name and address or if you have a particular specific job what you do and who t go to if he ever gets lost- a person in uniform, so for example I would tell my daughter to go to a person in uniform / cafe and tell them they are lost and their mummy is a (for example a doctor in frodsham)

I would teach them to stay with the group and that we had a secret spy code that I would give anyone to pick them up and if they didn't know it not to go with them as it was a test. That if the person forgot the code they had to call me and ask me for it.

The trip will be safe and it's better to equip with skills for life

Sadly your child is at more risk of being abused or hurt by someone within the family than outside it so clear communication is key without traumatising them- so teaching boundaries and communicating openly from a young age.

The trip will be literally risk assessed and everyone will be on high alert which makes the chances really low of something happening.

Hope that helps

mitogoshi · 14/04/2024 07:59

I recommend a responsible adult. I suggest getting help for your anxiety

Original poster
Helpmeiiam · 14/04/2024 08:09

This thread has taken me by surprise actually, it's true I have some anxiety about it but I didn't think I was being 'strange' or stalkerish as pp have suggested 🤦🏻‍♀️😂
Actually thought it was the done thing these days with all this modern technology. It's other mums that have told me in the past they do it with their kids but maybe that's when they are older thinking about it 🤷🏻‍♀️
I'm happy and excited for him going on the trips, maybe I'll leave the idea of tracking until he's older

OP posts:
PineappleTime · 14/04/2024 08:11

What do you think you need to track the child for? Do you think the school are likely to lose him?

PuttingDownRoots · 14/04/2024 08:13

DD was on a school trip that went slightly pear shaped due to a big accident on the motorway.

Tracking would have just shown them stationary, on the motorway, at the the site. The school bus was a hundred metres or so behind the accident. The children were completely fine... just very bored as they couldn't go anywhere. They then went to a completely different place then they were aiming for, as they wouldn't have had time to get there. The children had a great day out... and all the parents received an email explaining all the events before the children were even home.

They often leave their bags, and maybe coats, in a central location, so tracker in those would be pointless.

PuttingDownRoots · 14/04/2024 08:16

Helpmeiiam · 14/04/2024 08:09

This thread has taken me by surprise actually, it's true I have some anxiety about it but I didn't think I was being 'strange' or stalkerish as pp have suggested 🤦🏻‍♀️😂
Actually thought it was the done thing these days with all this modern technology. It's other mums that have told me in the past they do it with their kids but maybe that's when they are older thinking about it 🤷🏻‍♀️
I'm happy and excited for him going on the trips, maybe I'll leave the idea of tracking until he's older

Yes lots of people put trackers on older kids phones. Lots don't, as they see it as an invasion of privacy unless there's a specific need. And yes, people do put ttackers on younger kids... but the majority don't.

Sprogonthetyne · 14/04/2024 08:16

Don't track your 5yo. They will have risk assessed and probably have far more safety steps in place then any normal day out your kid goes on. If your really worried, write your phone number in the inside of a coat pocket, and teach your kid to go into a shop/cafe and ask staff to call you if they get lost.

Sirzy · 14/04/2024 08:20

Helpmeiiam · 14/04/2024 08:09

This thread has taken me by surprise actually, it's true I have some anxiety about it but I didn't think I was being 'strange' or stalkerish as pp have suggested 🤦🏻‍♀️😂
Actually thought it was the done thing these days with all this modern technology. It's other mums that have told me in the past they do it with their kids but maybe that's when they are older thinking about it 🤷🏻‍♀️
I'm happy and excited for him going on the trips, maybe I'll leave the idea of tracking until he's older

Schools risk assess every element of the trip. They will have a high staff to pupil ratio (we do 1:4 at most for school trips)

Many schools now give the children a wrist band or similar with contact details for the school on as a “just in case” and use Hi vis for the kids so they are spotted. You could ask if your school do similar and if not give him one with your contact details if that would reassure you.

The use of school apps now makes it easy for school to communicate with parents if there is a delay or anything along the way.

On school trips staff spend a massive amount of time counting heads.

It is usual to be worried but honestly schools know what they are doing, you will be able to look forward to hearing all about it when he gets home.