With his consent, you can keep track of where your son is spending his time on Purim.
At some point in a boy’s teenage years, we moms have to let go and let him do the “group” thing on Purim. They dress up and go all around town singing, dancing, laughing, and raising money for good causes. (Whether or not they’re drinking is a completely different topic.)
B”H things have gotten better when it comes to responsible drivers and well-organized arrangements. But it can still get stressful not knowing where and what your kid is up to. You don’t want to be the mom that’s holding her kid back, but by midnight on Purim with no sight or sound of him, the nerves might be getting frayed.
Last year, my son was heading out with his group of friends. They’re a really mature and responsible bunch – I had no reason to worry. There were two phones in the group, but not trackable smartphones. I asked my son if he’d be willing to put an AirTag in his pocket so I could just have a general idea of where they were. He had no problem with it at all. (Can I suggest that if your son doesn’t want you to know where he’s heading on Purim night, you might have a problem?)
That tag made my night a lot better. I was able to see which neighborhoods he was in. And then when the tag got stuck at BMG and couldn’t be located anymore, I knew that he was still in the yeshiva because there are not enough iPhones in there that can be used to ping an AirTag.
At about 2AM it started raining. I knew that would end the night for them, so I was able to head over to where he was even before he called.
Even if your son is going around with a phone, an AirTag can still be a good idea. You don’t want to be the killjoy who keeps calling. And he also might not even hear a ringer in some loud places.
This was a great solution for us and I figured it could work for some of you, too. Let me know your thoughts in the comments – track your kid (with permission) or no?
You can also read more about AirTags and why we love them for many more reasons.
We did this last year also and gave me such menuchas hanefesh!!! I probably got the idea from all of your air tag posts. Thank you!
Ok this is a mother’s dream!! Thanks for the idea!
I’m a bit confused. But if your son is responsible, etc., why have him tracked at all? Doesn’t that show him that you don’t think he’s responsible enough?
Do you have kids? How old are they?
Let’s say she doesn’t. Let’s say she wishes she did. I don’t know. But please comment with sensitivity.
Thinking and hoping he’s responsible doesn’t take away from the stress of not knowing where he is as the night goes on. Being able to track him may seem odd or stalker-ish but it will give piece of mind to worried parents. What’s the problem? Might as well use today’s technology in a helpful way.
Agreed. What kind of message are we sending? Big brother’s watching- we don’t trust them- or make all the mistakes want and not take responsibility-we will come revue them .Life is about educating our children to be independent and responsible for their actions.
Everyone has to do what works for them. I put emphasis on the consent, because I don’t think it’s right to track a teenager without his knowledge. Regarding trust, it’s not always about your child’s decisions. The people around him can be making the wrong decisions and he might not have a choice but to go along with it. Things happen, too, on Purim. A mature and responsible teenager will probably recognize that fact, too, and understand (and even want) a parent’s concern and watchful eye – from a distance. We can all mother in the way that works best for us and our children. Let’s be respectful of other people’s choices.
I think it shows that you care about there safety and love them every kid might react differently, but really it’s very scary especially when they get a little tipsy even if they say they won’t get drunk they don’t know how much they can handle
Do you need to have a smartphone in order to use an airtag? Is it possible to just use a computer somehow?
No, unfortunately. And it needs to be an iphone specifically. Perhaps there are other devices which work with Android phones or a computer.
Firstly, we should not be promoting smartphone use on any frum website. It’s destroying the generation! I am from the older generation, and I unfortunately I can see it so clearly.
Secondly, please go ahead and use these things, if you want your kids in therapy for trauma because they had helicopter parents.
Enough said. Purim Sameach!
Great smart idea. I have an AirTag on my spare keys for when my teens use the car, in my kids backpacks and tefillin bags. They know and are happy about it. They have freedom to stay out late and hang out with friends and I have peace of mind. Thanks BCP!
That is ridiculous! Talk about helicopter parents!
Purim night is one thing, on the keys that your teens use, backpacks, and tefillin bags, utter paranoia!
I think that’s its a really smart Idea!!! We r talking abit 2024 I know it’s a crazy world but that life
I don’t find AirTags work well for this purpose. They didn’t update frequently enough in our experience causing more frustration. I had better success with tile, and it’s way way cheaper.
I’m adding in here after Purim that my son’s van with the group left without him. Most bochurim do not have phones on them so he ended hitching on the side of the highway which is way more dangerous than anything. (Here an AirTag wouldn’t help) But when there is no way to reach your inebriated child and you have no idea where he is… it’s frightening. When you send your teenage child out knowing they are drinking or with people who are drinking- that’s a teen with a half functioning brain. An AirTag (with consent) is smart parenting.
I totally agree better to be safe than sorry, you want to do whatever you can in a smart way to know we’re your child is at midnight and sometimes they stay out till morning!! That’s what parents are for and it’s are job to know we’re our kids are Purim or not
I, for one, absolutely love this idea. With BH a bunch of teenage boys, it would be amazingly reassuring to be able to keep tabs without needing to check up multiple times throughout Purim day, especially when they are so much harder to reach than usual. I trust my boys and BH they know it — but it’s less about them, and more about the crazy atmosphere that accompanies the day. To each their own, and if one feels this method is too “big brother” for their liking, that’s fine. But I think it can be potentially very helpful.