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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Should we really be tracking adult children even if it is not to micromanage them? AIBU for still doing so?

263 replies

AmusedGreenPanda · 23/01/2025 14:37

So basically, I do not mind my 18 year old only-son having freedom doing what his heart desires while out and about, even if I happen to hate the shit he is doing or think the place is sketchy, his call after all so long as he is mature, but however I request that he tells me when moving from one destination to another in a change of plan, I really could care less about him giving me detail, but at least a message along the lines of “hey mom, me and [some random acquaintance of his’ name] are now heading off to [address of second destination]”. As well as share a live location with me incase of an emergency (not to micromanage him, but just so needed references are there in case of a dire emergency). As such I tell him “yes go ahead if you really want to take your scary looking date to the graveyard to chill, and go club your ass off or whatever afterwards, like you always say, but let me know when you change locations, it is respect”. However later he started asking but what if he ends up only letting me know he is on the way from place one to place two, or also says he really does not feel the need to be going “letting my mom know real quick” a billion times and how inconvenient that would be if he is according to him, going urban exploring in a large area for example, despite the fact I told him I won’t stop him going wherever he wants to go, just requesting a heads up. I tell him in response if he is mature enough he would automatically tell me and that in second sense, it is basic respect and politeness, and if he constantly shows disrespect then no going out. He tends to get defensive and slightly angered over this, thinking I am unfair and controlling over him, and saying parents of some peers are not like this and that he wants to be that way too, and we have had fights about this and it has been getting me to wits end, when I legit told him, he can go out and about wherever his heart desires, but just show a little basic respect ykyk?

OP posts:
Cynic17 · 23/01/2025 15:06

No! With the exception of learning difficulties etc, it's absolutely barbaric to track any adult. What self-respecting 18 year old would want their parents following their every move? Let them go and make their mistakes. You do not need to "know his location".

madamweb · 23/01/2025 15:06

Would you be happy for his girlfriend/partner to track his every move.

This certainly used to be seen as abusive behaviour

EmmaOvary · 23/01/2025 15:07

Your behaviour is controlling and weird. Get yourself to some therapy pronto.

Bobbie12345 · 23/01/2025 15:07

You are extremely controlling.
Stop.

AgnesX · 23/01/2025 15:08

Sorry, but you're bonkers. Chill!

EmmaMaria · 23/01/2025 15:08

I think it is you who needs to show (quite a lot of) respect. You are stalking your adult son.

FiveTreeHill · 23/01/2025 15:10

No, this is madness. Who has led you to believe this is reasonable

I think when living at home its reasonable for any adult to let the other adults they live with know if they are going to be out in the evening and roughly when they're expected back.

Personally I would always let someone know where I'm going for my own safety, but I wouldnt ever tell someone if I'm going to a different bar for example, just I'm going to town or I'm going to so and sos. And this is a personal decision, not an expectation, the person I tell will often be a friend or partner, not a parent. The same with live location, if he wants you to have his live location fine but you cannot insist on access to another adults live location and block them from going out if they don't share.

This is control not respect or politness

Tittat50 · 23/01/2025 15:10

I'm not comfortable tracking my young teen even. I don't but dad does which I'm ok with. It definitely has a place to allow greater outdoor freedom.

By 18 it must stop. It's incredibly creepy and not healthy. I'd be very unhappy being 18 knowing this.

AllTheWatersTurnedToClouds · 23/01/2025 15:12

I'd have thrown my phone in the nearest river if i were him. Batshit.

museumum · 23/01/2025 15:13

I think messaging you is ridiculous at his age.

Life360 or 'find my iphone' WITH his consent can be useful. Either if he goes missing or (far more likely) if he loses his phone. we have find my iPhone in our family and I've used it to find the taxi DH left his phone in and get it back.

GreyAreas · 23/01/2025 15:15

I'd stop it or flip it.
If he's happy with you knowing where he is but doesn't want to bother updating you then use life 360 and be clear he can turn it off whenever he wants.
If he's not happy with you knowing where he is, then it's not ok.

museumum · 23/01/2025 15:16

Also, there's a difference between actively 'tracking' and just having the facility to log in somewhere and find him if required. I don't actively 'track' dh at all, but I know i could log in and find him or his phone or airpods if he or they went missing.

AuntieMarys · 23/01/2025 15:17

You are being ridiculously controlling. I'm surprised he complies

Notgivenuphope · 23/01/2025 15:19

Tracking is invasive and ridiculous
But even at 30+ I always tell someone where I am going (unless something small like the shops)

NewBootsWeather · 23/01/2025 15:20

museumum · 23/01/2025 15:13

I think messaging you is ridiculous at his age.

Life360 or 'find my iphone' WITH his consent can be useful. Either if he goes missing or (far more likely) if he loses his phone. we have find my iPhone in our family and I've used it to find the taxi DH left his phone in and get it back.

We have only got Life360 because he travels abroad a lot and hasn't got a partner so it is useful at times. He switches his location off whenever he wants though.

MrsMagoooo · 23/01/2025 15:21

I've seen a real trend among my kids peer group in moving to dumb phones, I think for this very reason. Their parents are intent on tracking their every move and it's suffocating!

Both my kids have dumb phones, how can you expect young adults to have these awful restrictions on their lives? You might as well chain them to your waist.

Truetoself · 23/01/2025 15:22

My adult and young adult kids are still on our life 360 as are our two mums. The kids don't mind and feels somewhat reassured by us knowing where they are. I would ideally like to get our mothers off it but ultimately don't mind. Everyone just carries on with their lives and we don't hide anything

Apollo365 · 23/01/2025 15:23

YABVU

Aworldofmyown · 23/01/2025 15:24

We have Life360 with the our family on it, when DS turned 18 I asked him if he was happy to stay on it. I explained why I thought it was a good idea and made it clear it wasn't to track him or check up on him, but a useful safety tool. He stayed on it, we never question him and he knows if I wake up at 4am and he's not home I'll give it a check to see where he is for my own piece of mind!
I think its quite sensible for a household.

Squirrelsnut · 23/01/2025 15:25

Do you mean couldn't care less?

BeaAndBen · 23/01/2025 15:25

You are bananas, and if I were him I'd "forget" my phone.

Schoolchoicesucks · 23/01/2025 15:26

If he lives with you, then he should be letting you know any changes of plan like will or won't be home for dinner, will or won't be staying over elsewhere.

But not every time he moves from, say one pub to another on a night out.

If he is OK with location sharing then he can choose to do that. But sending you a message every time he moves is too much.

Mauro711 · 23/01/2025 15:26

Nope, not OK. I have two older teens/early 20s and I wouldn't track them or ask them to tell me exactly where they are at all times. I just want to know if they aren't going to come home and I usually ask what they are up to as they leave the house. If they just say, going out with Jess, then fine that's all the information I get. I don't need to know their precise location, neither did my parents at that age.

Ohnonotmeagain · 23/01/2025 15:27

My adult kids and I share locations.

it is their choice. They know they can switch it off at any time, but they choose not to.

in some ways it means they have more freedom. When they were younger and living at home the rule was they could switch it off but they’d need to ring me if they were staying at a friends, or going to be late etc. they chose the tracking. Although they’ll quite often send a quick text too.

youngest in particular likes it as they can just send a text asking me to pick them up without having to worry about directions or where they are.

exLtEveDallas · 23/01/2025 15:30

DD can track me and I can track her via find my iPhone, but we don't. She might click on to check if I am at work or home if she wants to talk, but that's the extent really.

She does however send me the notification when she gets an uber home after a night on the piss! That I appreciate (and it tends to come through at 5am just as I'm getting up!)

anything more would be intrusive