Do you use trackers with your college kids?

[Anonymous]

I have them on "find my phone" which was helpful when they were in Europe over spring break, but I do not like having access to that information because I do tend to pay too much attention to it. My kids are older in college now with SOs so they do not go anywhere scandalous but I know if i had tracked my DD freshman year I would have been driven to anxiety attacks LOL.

[Anonymous]

No, we don't. But I have never used the trackers. My kids are 16 and 18 (one in HS and one in college).

[Anonymous]

I don't use them, but I have been glad my husband and daughter have phones when either one of them misplaced their phone! Nice to be able to track. My older D and I talked about enabling something on her Android just for emergencies.

I think your family's relationship with tracking is fine, OP. But, there are some here to use it to monitor, and that's when it gets a bit dodgy.

[Anonymous]

Can they tell when you are actively “tracking” them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like overkill for me - I track my teens now and figured I would stop by college. But my college age nieces are fine with being tracked. All the friends track each other.

I started tracking one niece because we were meeting up in an unfamiliar city, and I assured her I would remove it after the trip. She told me to keep it on, it's fine.

Their generation doesn't seem to care, and it's just another way of connectivity for them.

Super creepy. You not only track your own nearly grown children, but you're also stalking an adult who isn't your child?

[Anonymous]

Ha, there have been so many threads on this.

We've got good dynamics with our kids.
We do what's best for our family. Period.

[Anonymous]

Have never used trackers on kids, and I have a HS’er who goes to school in Baltimore city. We weren’t tracked as kids, so I guess I don’t feel the need. Also, I’d probably be way too stalkerish.

[Anonymous]

No, never have.
I have several kids ranging from 18 (just graduated high school last week) to 24 (out of college and living on his own) and have never tracked any of them.

[Anonymous]

Best for your family, in what way? Genuine question ~ unless we're talking about a small child ...

[Anonymous]

I have never tracked my kids - HS, college, and young adult. I prefer to parent, not stalk. I disagree with the posters saying tracking is not stalking. I've been with so many friends who pull out their phones to see where their kids are. It's creepy. Have some trust in your relationship with your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never tracked my kids - HS, college, and young adult. I prefer to parent, not stalk. I disagree with the posters saying tracking is not stalking. I've been with so many friends who pull out their phones to see where their kids are. It's creepy. Have some trust in your relationship with your kids.

I have friends whose kids are required to say (in 11th and 12th grade) "I'm going to xx's house" every time they leave their own home. To me that is FAR more controlling and creepy than having an in-case-of-emergency way of locating them.

[Anonymous]

Passively I guess. Dd “shared location” with me a few years ago when I was picking her up and never unshared. Recently she was trying to figure out if she had left phone at home and grabbed mine, clicked on herself, and saw where it was. I figured she’d turn that feature off but she didn’t. Remember these kids are so accustomed to location sharing, snap mapping etc I don’t think it’s a big deal to them. But obviously I’m against using this info to control your kid in any way at that age

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never tracked my kids - HS, college, and young adult. I prefer to parent, not stalk. I disagree with the posters saying tracking is not stalking. I've been with so many friends who pull out their phones to see where their kids are. It's creepy. Have some trust in your relationship with your kids.

I have friends whose kids are required to say (in 11th and 12th grade) "I'm going to xx's house" every time they leave their own home. To me that is FAR more controlling and creepy than having an in-case-of-emergency way of locating them.

You're literally following around 24/7 people who either are, or will very soon be, adults. That's pretty much the definition of being a creep. Get your own life.

[Anonymous]

College kid 1 in College, no. Child number 2 in HS, we track however that can be difficult because phone is regularly being taken away as punishment for various malfeasance.

[Anonymous]

No way. I do not use them with my high school kids either.