To be seriously considering getting a child GPS tracker?

[Boomingmarvellous]

Part of me is saying it's crazy over protective parenting, but the other part is remembering a couple of occasions of sheer sick terror when DS1 wandered off and DS2 is coming up to that stage.

Give me a reality check please.

www.child-angel.com

[DD (33) and me have some phone app thing that tells me where she is and tells her where I am. it also tells me where I am, which I find useful.] Crikey!

Obviously not a popular opinion on here, but I'd microchip them for the primary school years!

And get them neutered, so they don't wander too far

We used a backpack with a strap attached to it. It was safer than chancing him running into the road.

Definitely neutered! And give them that tablet that makes alcohol taste bad etc etc.

Them being on reins doesn't mean they can't explore. It just means you explore with them. Surely you'd rather teach him to say 'mummy can we go and see what's over there?' Rather than legging it because you want to give him 'freedom' and then you scrabbling around on a device to try and find him.

I hold his hand near the road, but would be happy with a backpack option instead.

Of course we watched him at the festival and kept him within 5 metres of us playing with other children, but as I've said no one can watch 100% of the time, you can turn away to pour a drink and they can wander off.

I do all the right things and am as vigilant as other parents but I've still had a child drift away!

It's just peace of mind, nothing else. It wouldn't alter my parenting style.

In a museum you just have to scoot along behind them OP...it's boring but that's what you do. All mine had reigns when walking outside.

Why are you asking us to give you a reality check then if you've decided you're going to get one anyway?

DS has never run off before and I have another child and often his little friend to also look out for, so just going where a 2 year old goes is a bit restricting. I can always see him, so the GPS would just be added safety and peace of mind, if he wants to wander.

I haven't decided to get one. They cost £100 so it's pretty steep.

I am just mindfully meandering

These do look handy, say if he wandered off in a shop (but you should be watching closely to ensure that doesn't happen). However, if you're worried about him getting snatched by a stranger, obviously said stranger would just break it off and throw it in the bin!

£100? Jeez these companies must see people coming on the GPS screen

But just imagine if all the GPS signals got mixed up, and you started tracking someone else's kid and someone else knew where your kids was and started stalking them etc etc etc - sound ridiculous? So is GPS on a 2 year old, seriously get a grip!!!

I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 4 month old. My 4 year old has always had a pretty sensible head on him, he sticks right close by and when we go somewhere like a fair or shopping centre we discuss where to go if we are separated. My 2 year old however went through a very stressful phase of legging it off whenever he got the opportunity. I ended up getting a wrist strap which helped when in busy places like bonfire night etc but other than that I just kept a super tight grip on him, always telling him to stay with mummy. When he seemed to stop legging it off so much I asked him to hold the pram and then praise praise praise for being a good boy. That has worked pretty well for us. I think it is all a phase but I think the key is teaching them about staying with mummy, dangers of the road etc - I don't think a GPS type device teaches them anything.

If they are taken off they alarm immediately and they are not visible under a coat. It would at least give someone a heads up anyway that something was wrong.

I'm not really concerned about paedophiles generally speaking as they are rare, but that awful feeling when you can't see them. Even though it's usually no more than a minute or two.

I probably won't get one as DS is usually very obedient anyway. Just wondered if anyone else felt the need

Olivia. The device is set to pair only with your smartphone.

DS is is very well behaved (luck) generally but that extra peace of mind would be nice. It's not designed to teach them anything just avoid that minutes panic when you can't see them.

I can't be the only mum who has lost sight of their child for a couple of minutes?

I can't see my teenager wearing one. The mobile phone thing doesn't work either as the sod switches his phone off. I don't think there is any subsidute for close super vision with littlest. The GPS system might be useful if your toddler is called Houdini, but then they would take off the bracelet.

Really. It alarms if removed so that's not an option. I'd buy at a quarter of the price but otherwise not.

Definitely not for a teen

It's ok. The government will probably make GPS mandatory for everyone the rate things are going!

Oh and you complain about a wrist strap being like tethering a dog with a lead - then describe your DS as "obedient"!!!

"Really. It alarms if removed so that's not an option. I'd buy at a quarter of the price but otherwise not."

Chucking the device in the canal would quickly sort out an annoying alarm.

I was being flippent about suggesting putting it on a teen. Seriously I can't see why such a device is needed for young child. Maybe there is some justification for a year 5 who is walking home from school to have one, but would many schools allow kids to wear one?

My thirteen year old could do with being tracked by GPS. He might windge about his "rights". I would like GPS tracking for his PE kit. :)

Please don't compare reins to dog leads. It's offensive and a poster on here (I can't remember her name) lost her child when they ran out under a car.

Ds2 was a bolter, he ran off and hid in a display cupboard in a b&q superstore once but thankfully I had seen him otherwise I imagine one of those things may have been useful.

I'm glad it's not just me - I've wanted something like this for ages and DS is only just two! This sounds great and I'm going to look into getting it. Honestly, I would get DCs microchipped with gps trackers if I could.

Obedient means he usually does what's asked of him. The word isn't restricted to dogs last time I looked

I'm sure if DS was a bolter I would look at getting one though.