Wondering about trying a GPS device for dd (12)

[yanny]

Just as the title says really. Dd is due to start high school after summer and still gets lost outside so never goes out alone. I really want to encourage some independence and I know she would love to go out sometimes with her friends. At present she wears an ID band just incase she gets lost while we're out.

Any thoughts/recommendations would be appreciated

I can't see why you shouldn't try one. We take our Sat Nav out of the car sometimes if we are walking around an unfamiliar area of a town rather than take a map.

There are probably special walking ones that are better than car ones and I know a friend's son has a bike one that looks for the best bike routes.

If you get one from QVC shopping channel you have 30 days to try it out and can send it back if no good.

Best thing ever invented for DS. He still has his satnav on when he's travelling to very familiar places in case he gets lost or there'a a diversion i.e. roadworks etc.

He has a smartphone with internet connection and brings up google maps when he is walking about. It's brilliant. My only worry is with him having a very expensive phone and being mugged as it's so visible when he's using it for guiding.

Thanks for the replies. I looked at some that offer an alert/sos button on the device so dd can let us know if she needs help. I'd also like to be able to set up boundaries so I know when she is where she isn't meant to be. As I write this it makes me feel sad that it reads as rather controlling. Really, I want my dd to have as much independence as possible..

I can see this will be more expensive than I first thought as there is either a monthly fee or the need to buy credits as well as the cost of the unit...

Can anyone recommend a particular one? Or have any ideas on what else to look for?

Thanks

Can you not buy a cheap mobile so that she can report in every 30 mins or so or you can ring her? Nothing too expensive but that way she does look in with the crowd so to speak as most kids have mobiles nowadays :)

Thanks coff33pot

We have had some success with a cheap mobile for things like going to the cinema with a friend. I drop them off and dd texts when they are ready to leave. This works well.

We did a bit of practise using the mobile for going out with friends. These usually end up with conversations like this:

Me - where are you?

Dd - I don't know....

and so the detective work begins. The ability to pinpoint her location would be save much stress over the phone for us both which a GPS would do. I really like the idea of setting up areas and being alerted when out of bounds too. Just don't like the cost

ah bless her! I see what you mean.

I was watching a programme last week with eldest DD it was something like Bizare Crimes? On it was a man who had his iphone stolen. He knew who had taken it but obviously the theif wasnt going to admit it.

He went on his computer as the iphone had a GPS built in? He used google street maps for it? on the computer it showed a big red dot moving along the areas and stopped when the theif stopped.

Did anyone else see it?

Location apps are available for android phones too. Just Google ' find my phone '. :).