Call me the Overprotective Mom, if you will. Yes, I tracked my teen’s cell phone, and I don’t feel the need to apologize for it.
While my son is generally a great kid, the transition from junior high to high school brought a wave of concerns. To add to that, he was about to trade in his role as a passenger for the thrill (and terror) of being behind the wheel. I found myself at a crossroads: either hire a private investigator to follow his every move (which would have drained his college fund) or utilize a more straightforward and budget-friendly option—cell phone tracking.
As much as I yearned to give him complete freedom, teenagers can be just as stubborn as toddlers when it comes to testing boundaries (the only real difference is their height). Left to their own devices, teens can encounter risks far worse than bumps and bruises. I realized that limits were just as essential for him now as they were when he was younger.
To achieve the necessary balance, I turned to GPS tracking. I bet when Steve Jobs, a father of four, created Apple’s Find My iPhone, he wasn’t envisioning it as a tool for parental surveillance.
During my son’s middle school years, I tapped into my inner detective and discreetly installed tracking software on his phone. My investigation unfolded through four distinct phases:
Phase 1: Safety
This could also be dubbed the “Just Ensuring You Can Be Found” phase. My initial focus was on preventing danger. If my son went hiking with friends, I wanted the assurance that he could be located swiftly in case of an emergency—be it a snake bite or getting lost in the wilderness. (Yes, I’m aware that Southern California lacks dangerous wildlife, but a parent’s imagination knows no bounds.) Being able to track his location offered me the peace of mind to let him explore.
Phase 2: Verification
Interestingly, I thought this would be the most crucial phase, helping me confirm that my son was indeed where he said he would be. However, I found myself relying on the tracking app less than I anticipated. In four years, I only caught him in a minor fib once.
The summer before his sophomore year, a few older girls, reminiscent of the Plastics from Mean Girls, began showing interest in my son and his younger friends—who were still too young to drive. Although I allowed him to spend time with them, I had strict rules against riding with teenage drivers. After not hearing from him for a while, my mom instincts kicked in, and I checked the tracking app. My heart sank when I realized he was five miles away from the beach I had dropped him off at, clearly violating the rules.
“Where are you?” I texted him.
“Beach,” he replied almost instantly.
Busted.
Twenty minutes later, he sat next to me in the car, head down as I laid out a lecture on trust and honesty, and the consequences of breaking family rules. I kept my tracking methods a secret, claiming a friend had spotted him. Fortunately, he wasn’t doing anything reckless, but he had crossed a line. Surprisingly, he never broke the rules again; he didn’t find out his phone was being tracked until nearly two years later.
Phase 3: Convenience
As I moved to this phase, I became more open about tracking my son. After letting him know that the Find My iPhone app was connected to my account, I began using it for everyday convenience.
Most parents stress that teens should never text and drive, but I took it further by insisting my son lock his phone in the glove compartment when the car was moving. This created communication hurdles when it came to planning dinners or activities. I could quickly check whether he was still at practice or on his way home, transforming the chaos of dinner prep into a more manageable task.
Phase 4: Reassurance
I recognize that I have a tendency to worry, and utilizing GPS tracking has been a cost-effective way to manage my anxiety. On those nights when I forgot to ask him to text me upon arrival, or when he was bouncing between friends’ houses, I could easily check his location. Instead of making frantic calls, I could simply verify he was safe without getting out of bed.
As my son approached high school graduation and prepared for college, I briefly considered asking him to install tracking software on his new phone so I could keep tabs on him 1,700 miles away. I was desperate for some peace of mind as he made plans to leave the nest, thinking it might ease my worries. But, of course, I never brought it up. After all, I still had my younger son to keep an eye on!
In summary, tracking my teen’s phone evolved from a safety measure to a tool for reassurance and convenience, ultimately allowing me to foster a greater sense of freedom for him. The balance between parental oversight and independence can be delicate, but modern technology offers solutions that can help bridge that gap.
Keyphrase: tracking teen cell phone
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