In this era of 24/7 news about school shootings, fentanyl poisoning and other dangers paired with pervasive smartphone technology, it feels like a no-brainer for many worried parents to track their child and keep tabs on their safety. No matter where you stand on the kids and smartphones debate, every parent wants to ensure that their child is safe and secure wherever they are.
But how much is too much? It’s probably not a surprise that around half of parents in the U.S. say they monitor their tween or teen’s movements via location-tracking apps, according to a recent study. Additionally, 14 percent of the parents who participated in the study admitted to using a tracking app without their child’s knowledge.
While tracking is usually done in the name of parental concern and safety, it can also cause strain and trust issues between parent and child. Luckily, there are ways to keep a watchful eye on your child in a way that still respects their privacy and boundaries. Read on for five ways to strike a healthy balance —
Open the lines of communication.
If you’re going to give your child a device with the intention of keeping tabs on them, be clear and upfront from the get-go that it will be used partly for that purpose. Having a conversation with your child that their phone or smartwatch will be used to track their location will remove the sense of intrusiveness that they will feel if they discover later that you were “spying” on them without their knowledge.
Building and keeping trust in your relationship with your teen/tween is already a tightrope walk — why make it that much harder? Here are some points to cover in your convo with your child:
- Reiterate that tracking their location doesn’t mean you don’t trust them
- A device can be a line of communication with you and a way to help keep them safe
- Knowing where they are can give you both peace of mind
Be open to compromise.
Once you’ve started a discussion about why you feel tracking your child is important, take the opportunity to include them in how you’ll go about tracking their location, and to what extent. Maybe you’ll agree to actively track them only while they’re en route somewhere without you. Once you’ve confirmed they are where they’re supposed to be, refrain from checking in constantly. You want their device to serve as an extra layer of security, not a source of compulsion or anxiety for you.
Create a family tracking group.
Once you’ve cleared the air, consider using an app like Life360 to track the entire family, so that you’re all on equal footing. If your child can see where you are just as easily as you can see them, they may better understand the benefits of location tracking that much more, as well as how it can help keep everyone in the family safer.
Know when enough is enough.
Falling down the rabbit hole of excessive tracking is easy enough, and many parents can find it difficult to cut the ties and let their child navigate the world untethered once they leave home. Constantly tracking your child when they are going from class to college parties does no one any favors — your young adult needs to learn independence.
Demonstrate how to share location info safely.
When tracking each other’s location, make sure you are using a reputable app or service, and that you all have secure passwords. Location info getting into the wrong hands can become a serious safety and privacy concern.
Many different sites, apps, and platforms (social media, gaming, etc.) ask for location. Teach teens to check their privacy settings and to share cautiously to make sure their location is never being broadcast to anyone they don’t absolutely need to share it with.
Find out more about navigating parenthood in a tech-heavy world: