“You Can’t Ever Be Too Protective”—Mom Defends Tracking Her Kids With Apple AirTags

Tech tags like Apple AirTags and Tile are all the rage. I mean, how great is it to beep your keys or wallet if you can’t find them? (Ask me how I know about the keys. Oy!) But one mom has a rather unique use for these tech tags that’s causing a bit of a dustup on TikTok: she puts them on bracelets on her two and four-year-old children and has “trained” — what does it mean when the AirTag beeps? They knew the answer.

The Kids Had to Learn What Does It Mean When the AirTag Beeps?

North Carolina mom Vada Stevens, 24, took to TikTok to share how she’s using Apple AirTags on bracelets for her little girls. She jokingly captured the video “Today we are dog training,” but some TikTok viewers don’t find it all that funny. Negative comments have ranged from “It’s giving shock collar vibes.” “to I love that she said ‘train’ instead of ‘teach,'” and “They’re not dogs, WTF.”

But Stevens doesn’t really care about the criticism: she cares about knowing where her kids are at all times. When she beeps the AirTag bracelets, her kids come running, and the peace of mind far outweighs the negatives for her.

@stevensfam Today we are dog training Outfits: @Kailani Kids Mom genius: @Lacey Johnson ♬ Funny Music Background – original_soundtrack

“I am extremely paranoid about everything (related to) safety,” she told TODAY. “I thought the bracelets were genius.” She goes on to explain that her 2-year-old can take off in a hot second if she turns her head, and that the bracelets give her confidence that she can get her back to safety if she wanders off. If the toddler doesn’t respond the the bracelet’s beep, she can quickly locate her using the “Find My” app on her iPhone.

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Stevens also says she really doesn’t care if other parents think she’s crazy.

“In this day and age, you can’t ever be too protective,” she says. “People think I’m a crazy mom — one even said I needed to sign my child up for therapy…I’m doing this to prevent my children from ever being taken or lost. I’m going to do my best to know exactly where they are.”

As a mom to older kids, I have mixed feelings on this. I was always anxious when my kids were little if I lost sight of them at a playground. I remember that feeling and I do not miss it at all. I strongly believe that kids need to be taught about safety and what to do if they can’t find mom or dad at a young age. However, I think that an electronic tether to mom and dad starting at toddlerhood might have ramifications that affect independence later on in life. I guess only time will tell.

On the other hand, the AirTag bracelets aren’t that different from the location app my family uses for every member of the family. Should my kids not answer a text or call, I can always find them through that, even “beeping” or messaging them. That app also has a way for them to contact help if they ever feel threatened. The main difference is that they are all old enough to decide on their own whether to respond to my communications. Heck, they can even turn their devices off if they don’t want me to know where they are!

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Right or wrong, I do feel a little bit weird about putting an electronic tracking device with a “call button” on toddlers and preschoolers. It just makes me feel a bit icky. I know parenting is hard, believe me, I’ve sprinted after a wayward (and fast!) toddler a time or two in my life. I guess this is the kind of technology you employ and hope you never actually need in a desperate situation. And you also hold out hope that it’s not going to have negative psychological effects on your kids. But the bottom line is, I’m kind of glad this tech wasn’t available when my kids were young, because I might have employed it in an unhealthy way.

What is your take on using tech to track your kids, little or otherwise?