Kids GPS - Should We Use It?

Asking this question is an important one. We don't want people thinking that because we use GPS devices for our children that we are somehow crazy or overbearing, but we certainly do want our children to be safe in case of an emergency. So the question becomes, should we ask our children to wear a GPS device?

I have to say that I am very torn on this topic and see pros and cons to both arguments. On the one hand there is just something useful about having that type of information at your fingertips. Imagine the peace of mind that you will have been scared out of your whits that you can't find your child and then being able to go to a computer and find their exact location. Heck, you probably don't even need a computer these days - a cell phone will probably do just as well. You could get real-time information on their whereabouts until you find their exact location.

That would be pretty significant peace of mind.

But then I can see that someone who might take and harm your child is just as likely to ditch any type of tracking device you might have given your child. That is, of course, unless it is well hidden in a tracking watch or other type of covert device. Something like a watch or cell phone will probably be removed by any abductor or family member (most missing child cases involve one of the child's parents) but something in the shoe or jacket of a child will probably go undetected.

Then there is the question of putting it on teens. Again, the safety issues remain. But the temptation to snoop on their whereabouts for discipline reasons might be very high for a suspicious parent. You might even be fully justified in doing so because your teen has lost your trust by repeatedly lying to you. But does that make it the best way to ensure the safety of your child and promote the behavior that you are seeking? It is probably the easiest, but it is also probably the kind that might create the most friction between you and your teen.

You certainly don't need that. Instead it might be better to employ other behavior modification tactics other than installing a GPS tracking device in your car or in their back pack. This could only lead to trouble.

But if your teen appreciates some of the risks out there then you might be able to get them to use the GPS device willingly. This could take a huge burden off of your shoulders and help you have more peace of mind when they ask to go out with friends in the evening on the weekends.

What do you think? Should we use GPS technology on our kids? Is it right to snoop on them when we think they are lying to use and using GPS technology to do that? Where do our rights and the rights of our children intersect?