When my eldest started driving, like any concerned and modern mom, I decided to install a GPS tracking app on his phone. Given that many family cell plans come with tracking apps, it seemed like a no-brainer. I justified it as a safety measure; knowing where he was at all times would make it easier for me to relax about his journeys. I wasn’t alone in this thought process—there are countless apps designed for tracking teen drivers. Some even alert you if your child unlocks their phone while driving, monitor their speed, and log every trip they take. You could even discreetly add a GPS device to their car if needed.
So, I eagerly loaded multiple driving and location tracking apps on both our phones and sent him off, thinking that monitoring his every move would make parenting an independent teenager much easier. Thanks to technology, I felt I could manage my anxiousness as he explored his newfound freedom. However, just two weeks later, I decided to remove all those tracking apps.
While the concept of GPS trackers and speed monitors seems fantastic in theory—helping to ensure our kids’ safety—the reality was different. I found myself spending countless hours fixated on a blinking icon moving across a map, constantly checking and rechecking to confirm my teen was where he said he was. In my misguided attempt to protect him, I sacrificed trust and inadvertently placed a kind of electronic leash on my son. He hadn’t done anything wrong; he was merely a product of a tech-savvy generation. At first, I craved that reassurance, but soon I realized it was doing more harm than good.
I decided it was time to embrace a more “free-range” parenting style and trust my teenager, so I cut out the GPS tracking cold turkey. It was a tough decision, especially since many other parents I knew were still happily using their apps to track their kids’ locations. Meanwhile, I resorted to the old-fashioned waiting game, trusting that my son would make it home from practice without me checking his progress. I was placing my faith in a 17-year-old boy whose brain wasn’t fully developed yet. But for me, it was the right choice. I needed to start letting him go, and this was my first step.
Now that my son is in college, four hours away, the urge to reactivate the tracker has been strong, but I’ve resisted. I’m one of the few college moms who doesn’t know my child’s exact location 24/7, choosing instead to allow him to navigate his own path. This constant connectivity can often complicate the transition to college life, as the temptation to stay connected is so strong. While some parents find comfort in tracking their children, I realized I needed to sever that reliance. I couldn’t envision spending four years monitoring a blinking dot on a map as he went from one social event to another, especially if a dead phone battery or poor service was all it took to send me into a panic.
Every parent who has dropped their child off at college can relate to the overwhelming desire to stay connected. It’s a natural instinct to want to know what they’re doing and where they are. But equally important is the need to let them grow, to learn how to manage their own lives, and to face challenges without their parents watching every step. I’ll always be there for my kids and provide unconditional support, but from now on, I’ll do so from a distance, allowing them to navigate their own lives without constant oversight.
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In summary, while GPS tracking might seem like a sensible solution for keeping tabs on your teen, sometimes the best approach is to foster trust and independence instead of constant monitoring.