GPSing your kids...

[Alleycat72]

Years ago we set up GPS tracking on our Daughter. It was something she had to accept if she was driving. I felt there would come a time when dad shouldn't know everywhere his Daughter goes, so we set it up so only Mom could monitor. When she turned 18 I kinda felt like it should be turned off. I didn't want it off, but at some point I felt it would be an invasion of privacy. I brought this up to my Wife when my Daughter started MTSU. My Wife's response was "Hell no we're not turning it off". She explained that she'd already had that conversation with Regan and Regan wanted in on. She liked the idea that if anything happened, dad would be on the way. That's not exactly how it was worded, but she knows me. My Sister-in-law has been single her entire life and my Wife tracks her. My sister-in-law insisted on this. She lives 5 hours away and if she disappeared, it would be weeks before anyone really noticed. (Her work place would, but they'd assume she quit ". 

Now I'm in a position where we track the movements of multiple people. We get alerts when they leave the house or get home. We know when they get to work, church, or hit the gym. I kinda feel it's gotten weird and out of hand. Everyone wants this and asked for this. I don't understand, but I'm a guy. They've told me how much better they feel knowing someone is always looking out for them. 

How do  you guys feel about this? Do you track your kids? I hate "big brother", but I'm being told their life is better because of this. Granted I'm not big brother and they requested my Wife track them.

 

 

[10-Ring]

Yep. I track my wife and my 14 year old daughter. My wife also tracks her father and her single best friend. Everyone except my FIL, (and sometimes our 14 year old) is 100% on board and aware. I don't really see a downside, except when I'm at the gun store for "too long" and my wife starts asking questions. 

[phiferran]

We have had Life360 ever since the kids began driving. Kids moved out but still want included in the software cause they track my wife and I much more than we track them!!!!!

[MacGyver]

This is such a better situation to be in than the other way around.  When it’s not needed anymore - you can be sure they’ll let you know.

The world has gotten weird.  I can’t imagine how a single woman must feel a lot of the time these days. 

[TennesseeCamper]

I only track my wife.  She is fully aware and has no problem with it. She has no sense of direction and has been lost several times even with gps.

I get her on the right track or turned around by looking at her location on the map and giving her directions on the phone. 
 

Another thing to consider for family members is have them set up next of kin notifications on their phone.  Specifically iPhones have crash notifications that can be set up so you will know if your loved one have been in accident. 

[Smith]

All my family is on Life360. We don't use it to watch people but to let us know where we are. Its been very helpful. Me and the wife do have to intentionally not invade the kids space, but they can see us too. It works for us. My kids are 21, 19, 17, and 14. 

I think it helped that we started it as a way for them to know where me and my wife were, when they were younger and they couldn't drive. It's good accountability if nothing else. 

[Chucktshoes]

Our kids aren’t old enough to venture out any further than the neighborhood independently, but we do not utilize any sort of personal tracking software at all. Of course the kids (12&7) don’t have any personal electronic devices either.) Have no plans to as of now. I have a pretty immediate and intense visceral repulsion to the idea to be honest. 

[Links2k]

We tracked the kids in high school.  From the stories the girls tell on him now, it didn’t stop my son from being a sneaky hell raiser. 

Now, every family member shares their location if traveling out of town alone.  My son had a crazy flight this morning from Gainesville to Miami to New Jersey. He checked in each step of the way, and is currently sharing his location until he arrives back in Gainesville next week. 

There is no daily tracking. That reeks of insecurity.  A complimentary notification of destination is all that’s required between me and the wife when leaving home. 

[Alleycat72]

5 hours ago, Links2k said:

We tracked the kids in high school.  From the stories the girls tell on him now, it didn’t stop my son from being a sneaky hell raiser. 

Now, every family member shares their location if traveling out of town alone.  My son had a crazy flight this morning from Gainesville to Miami to New Jersey. He checked in each step of the way, and is currently sharing his location until he arrives back in Gainesville next week. 

There is no daily tracking. That reeks of insecurity.  A complimentary notification of destination is all that’s required between me and the wife when leaving home. 

We get a notifications when they get home or are leaving home. We can find their location anytime, but I have issues doing that. If I need to know, I'll just call. 

[RED333]

56 minutes ago, Alleycat72 said:

If I need to know, I'll just call. 

This is how we did it. If the kids did not answer a message was left with the warning, "CALL ME, NOW". When they turned 18 we had the talk, "Yall are 18 now, cops do not call me, you have to". Things have gone well, son just turned 33, daughter is 31.

[MacGyver]

My oldest daughter is the tracker in our family.  She likes to know where everyone is - and people knowing where she is.

I have a deal with my children that goes in the reverse as well.  Any of them can text a single letter to me, and they’ll get a phone call a couple of minutes later stating that there is a family emergency at home and that I need to come get them from where they are right now.

This gives them an immediate out that’s not on them if they ever find themselves in a situation where they’re uncomfortable - or see it going that way.

There are some other adults in my kids lives - and some of other kids in mine who can do this and get a similar immediate response.

I’m thankful for the community in my life. 

[Alleycat72]

It's good to know we're not the only ones.  LOL

[Smith]

Reading through this, I don't like the idea of "tracking" my family. While we use Life360 for practical purposes any of my kids can remove the app or turn it off. Like anything, it can be useful or abused. 

[NoBanStan]

Just make sure you have that "don't sell my data" privacy option turned on in life360. That's not foolproof like any other privacy setting. Companies only add options like that when they are legally obligated...but at least that part is obvious if you go look.

[analog_kidd]

The wife and I have our phone locations shared with each other. To be honest, I had forgotten that we did it, and I have never used it to snoop on her whereabouts, and I'm sure she never has either. BUT, if she is extra late coming home, and not responding to a text or call, I would not hesitate to look her up, and she would do the same. 

Our kids are grown and living in remote parts of the country, and we don't share location. But if they were still living at home and 20-something, I think i would ask them to share their location and respect their answer. Or ask them to at least share on special occasions, like going out on a date with a new person or something like that. 

[Alleycat72]

My Wife and I don't track one another. If I'm doing something that can go sideways, I'll give her a time limit and a Google maps pin. If she doesn't hear from me by that time, she'll call at least 3 times. If I don't answer then she'll send the police to the pin. 

Tracking someone without their consent is a whole different matter. It would have to be a family member that was being self-destructive or worse. 

[peejman]

I don't track anyone. My wife and boys (13, 16) all have iPhones while I have android so the "find my phone" is available for her. We also use quistodio to filter their data and limit their screen time. I think it's got a tracking feature, but I don't have it on my phone. I guess I should.  

I agree that active tracking sounds like insecurity issues on one or both sides, but I also don't have daughters or live in a big city. Even though they make me mad sometimes, I want to raise independent people. 

The one letter text is a good idea. I'll present that to my family. 

[Defender]

we use 360.  Got when the girls were teenagers and venturing out with friends.  Still have it, but don't really track much, never the girls unless they're on the way here or something and I'm looking for an arrival time maybe.  Same with wife, she is notorious for listening to youtube crime programs and dont hear if anyone calls. So if she running late, i may look to see how close she is, but really thats rare.  I dont re4ckon we really need 360 anymore,