'Paranoid' Mom Puts Tracking Devices On Her Children Because Her Toddler Likes To Run Away
You can never be too safe but some viewers questioned why she isn't teaching her kids to stay nearby.
TikTok A mom told TikTok her hack for keeping track of her kids and it involves strapping tracking devices to them at all times.
Vada Stevens is the mom to two young daughters, Stella, 4, and Serena, 2. She recently posted a TikTok about how she “trains” her kids while tracking their location, a parenting decision inspired by another mom’s TikTok on the same issue.
The mom tracks her kids’ location using Apple AirTags but her hack has been divisive.
Stevens explained, “I saw a TikTok about a mom who puts Apple AirTags in bracelets on her kids and I thought it was the coolest thing.”
She advertised where she bought them, then went on to say “You can track them and make a beeping noise and you can train your kids to come when they hear the beeping noise.”
“Watch these,” Stevens exclaimed while filming her empty foyer. Her two young children then ran towards the camera, checking on their bracelets. “You beeped for us, what did you need?” One of her daughters asked.
Many of Steven’s followers disagreed with her parenting tactics, calling out her choice to track her kids.
“I love that she said ‘train’ instead of ‘teach,’ stated the first comment. “Like a Black Mirror episode,” someone else said.
But some people found value in Stevens’ approach and even came to the comments to say that they practice the same technique with their own children. “I use them at the park,” one parent said. “Exactly what we are doing for our Disney trip!” Said another.
One person spoke to the overarching state of the world, saying, "Genius! With everything that's going on in the world and the uncertainty of everything."
Even if a parent decides to track their kids, it’s still important to teach them how to stay safe in crowded places, so that they learn the much-needed skill sets of taking care of themselves as they grow up.
Stevens spoke to Today.com about her reasoning behind tracking her kids, and her concerns are mostly safety-related. "I am extremely paranoid about everything [related to] safety," she said. "I thought the bracelets were genius… "I want to make sure that if anything were to happen, I can track my kids immediately."
Her specific concerns revolve around her younger daughter, who has a tendency to run off, she explained. “It just takes one second to look away from your kid and they’re off in a crowd somewhere."
While using tracking devices on children might not be every parent’s first choice, it’s a tactic that works for Stevens and her family. We live in a world full of situations we can’t control, and that concept on its own is anxiety-provoking. If knowing her kids’ location eases Stevens’ mind, that should be enough justification for why she uses them.
Every family functions differently. We're unable to live through anyone else's experience but our own version of the world. It's for that reason that we should maintain compassion, especially regarding how people choose to parent. Everyone's values are different, yet that doesn't make them any less valid.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. As a former postpartum doula, she covers parenting issues, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.