A step too far?
Since I’ve been blogging I have received hundreds of press releases – some with great information, and others which are just so irrelevant to me they go straight in the bin.
However, last week I got one that really made me sit back and think.
It was about some new gadgets coming on to the market to spy on your children (though I’m sure it won’t be sold like that!). They included a listening in device on a mobile phone you can buy and also a GPS tracker that can be added to a phone, bag etc.
Now I’m not stupid, I know the world isn’t what it used to be and it’s not as safe as it used to be but I couldn’t help but feel this was the wrong way of going about things. The funny thing is I asked a few ladies I work with for their opinions. One of these ladies has a child and the other does not but both said they’d agree with the GPS but not the listening device.
Me? I don’t agree with either.
For me, the most important basis for my relationship with my children is trust. I want them to grow up able to talk to me about anything, trust my decisions as a parent and most importantly respect me. After all, I’m their mum. I think that being sneaky and going to the extremes about hiding a tracker doesn’t bode well for a trusting relationship and could in hindsight cause a few more issues than its worth.
Maybe I’m just naive.
My mum never kept tabs on me like this but I knew if I was running late or wanted to stay out late just a quick call home to ask was all it needed. We had that trust that she knew I would keep safe and not do something silly but I had respect for my mum to keep her in the loop.
Do you think the world is such a dangerous place that we need to track our children’s every step or do you think this is just a step too far?
I agree with the GPS incase my child was stolen but I would only do it if I my child knew of it, that way I wouldn’t feel like it was spying.
I agree with the gps tracker, but purely for my own peace of mind not to spy on them . Id also tel them it was there for their safety , and trust them enough to not take it off . Its so much easier than stressing about them and at the end of the day it aids in keeping them safe. The listening thing ? NO thats to far imo, id like to think my kids would tell me anything important anyway. I do think it depends where you come from though, I’m from a rough area and therefore need to be extra vigilant when it comes to my children
I think gps could be useful, especially on a younger child, if they got lost or as above got stolen it could really help. I would be honest about it though and not use it to check up on my child. I think things like this need to be used with caution and not take the place of trust and respect
I have an 18-month-old and a 3-year-old. We went shopping one day and the older boy was on the buggy board. He saw the Disney shop, jumped off and disappeared in the crowd. I couldn’t find him for a good 10 minutes. Found him in the shop finally but was worried sick by then.
I’ve never thought of tracking my kids until that moment. When I think back about it, he could have easily been abducted in that 10 mins. So yes, I think I would attach a GPS to my children when they’re young. But when they’re older, it’s probably a bit of an invasion of privacy. I suppose it depends on whether they’re happy to have the GPS with them then.
As for listening device? I don’t think I agree with that. I can’t see a reason why I should want to eavesdrop on my kids.
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