Why arent we all tagging our kids?

[COL1N]

Just reading up on buying an airtag as always losing stuff & started thought process of getting one to sew into DDs coat. She is only 2 so not a privacy/ stalking type issue I dont think- just if the worst happened and she was snatched or lost I could find her easily. Why doesn't everyone just do this as standard?!

@oakleaffy

''How would a Two year old wander off''?

Does anyone remember poor baby Jamie Buller and other youngsters snatched away in a blink of an eye?
It can happen.

No one has forgotten Jamie Bulger, I'm sure. But one tragic case doesn't mean that it can easily happen again. Although I do think that his terrible case has caused a lot of parental anxiety. (Not just Jamie Bulger, of course. There have been others, but even so, it's very, very rare). Think of all the millions of children who have not been abducted.

Weren’t you ever 16 and off places you didn’t want your parents to know? Down the park with your mates instead of at someone’s house watching tele?

Pushing boundaries is Normal. So is teenagers having a degree of privacy we don’t give a 2 year old.

How will they learn if you’re always tracking them and ringing them to come home?

I hope you don't mind me saying, he was James. It's a one in 14 million chance statistically, I have read, being taken by a stranger, thankfully. The wandering off or getting separated more likely. I think at one stage, very briefly, I had a little note with my number in it if at a crowded fair or something. Later they learned my number or we had a meet back point. Never happened but good to cover all bases in certain scenarios (without undue worry or anxiety about it).

Kids do get lost. Often. Mainly in big shopping centres and at school fairs and other crowds. They’re hardly ever “snatched” they just slip away in a moment. I think a tag is a reasonable idea until they’re old enough to have an emergency meeting point or identify a secure guard or whatever your own family plan is.
My oldest is 8 and I’d easily trust him now to follow the emergency meet up plan (whatever that is).

Exactly AchillesPoirot I don't even think dawdling sounded like the child was doing anything wrong, sounded more like a control thing on parent's behalf - come straight home or else - apologies to pp friend if I'm wrong!

All mine have wandered off at points. DS I turned my head to pick up a couple of cards for him to choose and he was gone, literally a few seconds. Thankfully someone saw me panicking and pointed me in the right direction. He also disappeared at the beach, I was just doing as missing child report with the lifeguards when he appeared.

I'm not sure I would go as far as tagging though,

I do always 'watch' a sole child though, one today when I was in the pub having lunch, he suddenly bolted past us so I clocked where he went as Dad came running by too. If the parent sees me I just give them a smile and hope they don't think I'm judging them.

@GlacindaTheTroll

Chip them like an animal?

It's nothing like that.

A pet microchip is a passive RFID device that is read only when you pass a scanner closely over it. It's entirely passive. It cannot transmit location to be found. Not only because it's a different type of tech, but because of battery life. Something which is going to transmit (so it can be detected remotely) needs to have a battery, which will periodically be replaced or re-charged. You can't do that with a subcutaneous chip

Phones/watches can be recharged, airtags can't be, but the battery life is estimated to be a year after which they mucpst be replaced

Ok, perhaps it's not a chip. I meant the kind of thing they use to track wild animals in nature documentaries.

I will be the 1st to admit I dont really know how the different types of devices work but I would be concerned about info others ( with evil in their minds ) could pick up .
We know all know that the older style of remote control car keys could be easily hacked and you car stolen .
Can the tags somehow be intercepted ? what info do they carry ? your name / childs name

"hi jonny your daddy said you are lost come with me and I will take you to him "

Happy to be told I am talking rubbish !

@TyrannosaurusRegina

Has no one here lost sight of the little one in a supermarket or somewhere similar? Where nothing bad has happened to the child, they've just wandered off. Surely the tag would be useful in such a situation, you'd see they are still in the vicinity, just elsewhere in the shop.

But realistically in that situation you would have to get your phone out, open the app, probably wait a bit for it to log in to the shop wifi, or if it's a big shop you might not be able to connect to data (or whatevee it's called!) . That would waste valuable time when you could be looking for your child instead.

@COL1N My kids are older and we have them on long necklaces under their shirts.

Neither child has ever got lost/missing/injured, but knowing I could find them quickly/easily if they do has been a great comfort.

As mine move toward the walking home from school age, I’m so glad we have them and I couldn’t give two hoots if any other parent disagrees.

Don’t be put off, we’ve never regretted buying them.

Tags in case of abduction could indeed be very useful, in finding the child fast, in those terrifying first seconds.
@COL1N
I see your point of view.

People put them on valuable bikes and antiques, why not a toddler, especially if it buys you crucial minutes.
I too have found wandering toddlers, luckily re-united with their frantic parents.

Ok, perhaps it's not a chip. I meant the kind of thing they use to track wild animals in nature documentaries

They're still passive transponders (no batteries) and work by 'pinging' the animal when it passes by the antennae. They don't give constant real-time info on exactly where the animal is at any given time, but tracks movement patterns between the antennae over time, showing things like migration patterns.

btw to those that say watch your kid. Lots of kids are kidnapped right out of there parents hands. ever watched that video where the kid was standing by her mum and got dragged out the shop by the man? Yeaaah

I have GPS trackers and AirTags on both of my cats. It gives me a lot of peace of mind, especially as one went missing for 2 weeks before. We have tradespeople in and yesterday one of the cats climbed in their van, I dread to think what would have happened if they'd driven off with her, but at least I'd have been able to locate her! (They actually said they had driven off with someone's cat before too!)

I don’t think it’s necessary as at 2yrs old they won’t be out of your sight or shouldn’t be anyway. I have 2 teens. 17 and 14. Unlike many Parents it seems these days I don’t track them on live 360 etc. If my daughter is going out for more than a couple of hours she usually sends me her location on what’s app which is for 8hrs. That’s always her choice.

We’ve put airtag style things on our DCs clothes occasionally when we’ve been out somewhere v busy (festivals, London museums etc) and they were toddler/preschool age so prone to wander. I also have phone number bracelets for them. Never had to use them but it’s been reassuring on those occasional moments that you lose sight of a child when you are out and about.

Thing is, if you track your toddler, what actual harm can it do? I know lots of people on this thread think they are invincible and anyone who loses a child just wasn’t watching them properly, but the reality is that children do get separated from their parents and anything that allows them to be reunited quicker is surely helpful.

As children get older, yes privacy issues come into play. Our nine year old knows he’s being tracked and finds it comforting. He’s unlikely to run off but knows that it he did accidentally lose us, we’d find him quickly. He knows the back up plan and that he should alert a trustworthy adult, knows my mobile number etc but this is a comfort blanket for him and us. I’m sure at some point that will change but for now he appreciates it as much as we do.

They’ve got quite a bad rap. People hacking them etc.

Because it's super creepy to give Apple a database of where your child is at all times.

And since you are presumably with your child it is also a database of your locations. Which I'm assuming you have registered to the same account you use for other devices, which they will then cross reference your data with in order to keeping building up the detailed profile of you which they sell to marketers etc.

These devices aren't private, and you really need to think more about what data you're handing over.

A friend used to put a GPS tracker on her son when he was young and at nursery. I thought that was a bit OTT tbh.

@nosyupnorth

Because it's super creepy to give Apple a database of where your child is at all times.

And since you are presumably with your child it is also a database of your locations. Which I'm assuming you have registered to the same account you use for other devices, which they will then cross reference your data with in order to keeping building up the detailed profile of you which they sell to marketers etc.

These devices aren't private, and you really need to think more about what data you're handing over.

Damn right!!!

100%.

@nosyupnorth

Because it's super creepy to give Apple a database of where your child is at all times.

And since you are presumably with your child it is also a database of your locations. Which I'm assuming you have registered to the same account you use for other devices, which they will then cross reference your data with in order to keeping building up the detailed profile of you which they sell to marketers etc.

These devices aren't private, and you really need to think more about what data you're handing over.

Also this.

@nosyupnorth

Because it's super creepy to give Apple a database of where your child is at all times.

And since you are presumably with your child it is also a database of your locations. Which I'm assuming you have registered to the same account you use for other devices, which they will then cross reference your data with in order to keeping building up the detailed profile of you which they sell to marketers etc.

These devices aren't private, and you really need to think more about what data you're handing over.

Data has surpassed oil in value

This thread is actually making me think I might get one for skiing next year. My ds is getting better and there can be a moment when someone cuts between you or one of you is crashed into and suddenly you’re not sure if they’re ahead or behind or you get distracted by another child in the same jacket / helmet. The more I think of it the more I am deciding that for skiing it’s a great idea.

I put a sticker in my DC's shoes that has my mobile number on it. They know if they get lost to go to another mum or a shop keeper and show them their shoes. I think that's enough for me.