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Guy at work told us this morning he puts a wrist tag on his son when they go out - an alarm goes off when the kid walks a given distance away from his parent.
I'm not a parent myself so hard to judge how I'd feel but I am a godfather and uncle and have been in situations where the safety of a child has been in my hands. But frankly this strikes me as deeply unhealthy behaviour,and slightly scary, for both the child and the parents. Walking ourselves into the world of George Orwell comes to mind.
Or would I feel differently if I was a father?
Loads of kids round my way wear ankle tags.
not really a substitute for 'keeping an eye on your child' as far as I can see.
Does the alarm go off on the kid or the parent (or both)? I could see my two having hours of fun with that game!
I'd just use my eyes to figure out where they are
At that age you don't let them out of your sight or you keep hold of them
"won't someone please think of the children"
A useful safeguard for parents who are concerned about the one rare moment when the child suddenly disappears. I don't think any sane parent would ever substitute technology for their own childminding duties.
Orwellian?? Please!
Like what uplink says. Sounds like parental laziness to me.
Will not stop them getting into trouble, or hurting themselves will it?
Agree with uplink - the tag thing seems wrong on so many levels to me, FFS do what youre supposed to do and keep an eye on your kids. Also, I know that horrible things do happen, but dont allow yourself to believe everything the media tells you, give your kids at least some chance of a 'normal' life.
does it point out where they are? if they're almost out of sight in a lot of situations it could be kinda hard working out where they are. seems like marketing based on daily mail fear in gullible lazy ****s.
Loads of kids round my way wear ankle tags.
They're probably on ASBO's
A wrist tag sounds like luxury to me. When I was that age my Mother used to have me on 'reins' ie. a harness with about 10 ft of slack, as I had a habit of running the moment I saw anything of interest
Seved me being hit by cars several times apparently 😯
well woody, this doesn't stop your child being hit by a car but an alarm goes off if the vehicle drags them too far away before it stops.
PML @ jon1973
yep me too i used to have a harness/reins for my son when he was little, its so easy for the child to get distracted whilst out shopping ..then if you dont have proper hold of them -they are gone out of your sight within a blink of a second... does mothercare not do body harness these days ? its the right way to go !!!!! then you have control at all times !
But frankly this strikes me as deeply unhealthy behaviour,and slightly scary, for both the child and the parents. Walking ourselves into the world of George Orwell comes to mind.Or would I feel differently if I was a father?
Totally agree - you might feel differently if you were a father, but only because then the constant fear-mongering we are exposed to might have more effective hooks to grab you with.
How sad.
The way my boy was this morning I would rather a warning when he is within a certain distance. 😈
if you need a tag and alarm to tell you where you three year old child is that is a serious fail in your parental duties - can you not just look after them yourself?
Father of a three year old
I cant decide if the other parent is lazy or paranoid.
Lol @ Roper - I think I know what you mean.
The wrist tag sounds bit like lazy parenting insofar as, pointed out above, it won't stop any incidents happening - you have to be pretty proactive with little ones, not reactive...
i always think of those that have their kids on a leash as being better off with a dog.
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it just strikes me as shit parenting.
They're probably on ASBO's
I think that was what he meant.
To the OP - I wouldn't get one of these myself, but in the future kids will probably all be fitted with GPS chips when they're born.
Mark my words.
oh, and....
🙄 @ jon1973
@ junkyard. With this guy I think it's more a fear of not being a good enough parent. Using technology to achieve something he's scared he'll fail to do on his own. Bit like us insisting on thinking we need full suss to ride anything technical I guess 😉
I don't think it's lazy in itself but there is a big risk that you would start to rely on it rather than keeping an eye on your son and then when it goes off you wouldn't have a clue which direction to head in. I wouldn't
It's a bit like going faster on a bike than you can handle because you are wearing body armor and helmet(leaves can of worms open and runs...)
(edit - took too long writing that I see)
Another use for the kid leash:
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😉
Is it possible to have a wrist tag with alarm if one of the things comes within a certain distance of me? I'd be the first in the queue for one.
I'm very aware that I was once one of them but happily I grew out of it.
does the alarm go off when the infant starts playing with knives, kettle, moving cars, etc...
makes a change from trying to pick them up and they do that
'make my shoulders narrower than my rib cage'
thing by sticking their arms in the air so you can't carry them.
I don't think it's lazy in itself
I think it's lazy
but there is a big risk that you would start to rely on it rather than keeping an eye on your son
So what's the point of it if you still need to keep an eye on them?
Isn't that what it supposed to do - allow you to not keep them 100% in sight?
A different view point:
If the father is separated from his partner and had a badly fractured relationship with her, if she's all-controlling and has questioned his suitability to look after their child on more than one occation, with a view to probably ceasing visits based on him having a lassie fair approach to his parental style, then I applaud his actions.
Too many malicious, poisonous ex-partners out there (in the UK, mothers typically have custody of the children) trying to find ways of denying fathers from spending loving time with their children.
Sometimes things are not always as they might at first seem.
@To29er. Actually he's married 🙁
visits based on him having a lassie fair approach to his parental style, then I applaud his actions.
To me - putting a tag on the kid would make him less suitable to look after it not more.
OK.
It was worth pointing it out - even if it's not the case here.
It's very easy to draw conclusions when you only have part of the bigger picture, as I'm sure you'll appreciate.
Uplink's clearly never been in this situation, where if you're seen to stuff up, you might as well kiss goodbye to seeing your child (not kid) for 18 months as a bare minimum. The backlog that Derbyshire CAFCAS are experiencing, for example, and as a direct fallout from Baby P, is 9 months to get a report compiled on a child. I know as a pal is having to endure just this.
I'll get my coat.... 😉
i've just wasted another 30 minutes of my life on youtube.
the mother doesn't check the irony of her saying "oh look! a doggy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO3uheLW85w&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B62G6yDkHD8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBnsc-SGUk&feature=related
alpin - what's the problem with reigns?
I can imagine if you were, for example, in a supermarket with your kid trying to do some shopping, they might be pretty useful. My little sister was insane/hyper and would do a runner at the first opportunity...
probably because she was on a leash. she was running for freedom.
She wasn't. I'm just asking....
I'm betting alpin doesn't have kids here - just a long shot 😉
I've got a 3 year old boy and a very fast 18 month old daughter, never has it crossed my mind to put them on leads, or tag them.
I happily go round the shops with them both walking with me, it's bloody hard work, but by paying attention to them I can stop them getting too far rom me when they are in a 'lively' frame of mind. (Mind you when they use team work and leg it in opposite directions, it's a different story!)
Some parents don't seem to care about their kids and this tag thing is just another way for them to pretend they are caring when they are just not interested or responsible enough to have mated with another human.
Just watch cars leaving a primary school carpark round here and see how many kids aren't strapped in but will go to casualty wearing Diesel clothes if they are in an accident.
Does my head in.
you're right, i don't.
and you know i'm right re. the leash......
"here boy!"
Just technology giving another answer to a problem faced. I see no issue with it at all. Perhaps it adds to the parental arsenal rather than being lazy etc. A bit like a map and compass being quite excellent but using a GPS instead?
I know far more mountain bikers who should have a frikkin alarm sound the minute they leave the end of their street!
Would be more useful if it zapped the kiddy when he got out of range - that would soon learn him.
So we're all agreed it's a parental skill compensator?
Apart from Ti29er, who's off to join Fathers 4 Justice.
Is there anythign you lot [i]don't[/i] get wound up about?
little P's appearing next to peoples names?
ah, hang on.
chakaping - Member
So we're all agreed it's a parental skill compensator?Is there anythign you lot don't get wound up about
Premiere Members who don't read all the posts?
Having experienced (last weekend) my 18 month old disappearing between the legs of a small crowd in one direction and my 3 year old going in the other - I don't think that a bleeper would have served much other than to cover my swearing. And cherub #1 has a good voice so wandering round (the aquarium, so I knew 'roughly' where she was) shouting "Daaaaaddddyyyyyy" full bore served as a useful location device.
Did/do feel like a bad parent for that episode though, and interesting to start to get that mega worried feeling when you realise that you've lost sight of your kid though, and that's a fact.
reigns are different they are to stop a toddler who has just learnt to walk from afalling over - or to prevent the parent from getting a bad back - I have no issue with these they are not some form of restraint/relinguishing parental responsibility theyar e to stop your child face planting. they will fall the only question is when
Premiere Members who don't read all the posts?
Okay, [i]mostly[/i], not all agreed.
alpin - what's the problem with reigns?
I had reigns as a child but only when we were walking in the alps and my parents didn't want me going over the edge of a cliff 🙂
Alarm sounds like a daft idea to me, bit like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.
I'm not into reigns myself but if you want to go ahead, although a held hand would be better.
Surely it's better to have the kids under control and aware of what they could be getting into. Admittedly not easy making an 18 month old aware of their surroundings but you've got to start somewhere.
I've got 3 all under 7 (+ another on the way) and haven't had reigns or anything else other my watchfull eye to keep them safe.
My pedants eye has had enough;
Reins! It's reins.
Monarchs have reigns.
[url] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/4286028/Parents-offered-electronic-tags-for-children-in-shopping-centre.html [/url]
in this case read "It gives parents added comfort to get on with the enjoyment of shopping"
as "parents will spend longer ignoring their kids and spend more money"
My pedants eye has had enough;Reins! It's reins.
Monarchs have reigns.
Rain it in mate it's a bike forum 😉
I can't believe it took almost two pages for someone to comment on the most persistent spelling mistake I've seen on here!
Anyway - it's not crap parenting, it's using technology to back yourself up just in case. Of course you need to keep an eye out for your kids since the beeper doesn't tell you which way they went, does it?
If any of you have looked after kids you'll know it's actually quite hard work to watch them 100% of the time - you have to be doing other stuff yourself, and it only takes a second for a 2 year old to scarper somewhere dangerous. A 3 year old should know better tho, no?
it only takes a second for a 2 year old to scarper somewhere dangerous. A 3 year old should know better tho, no?
You haven't got 3 year old kids yet, have you?
it only takes a second for a 2 year old to scarper somewhere dangerous. A 3 year old should know better tho, no?
You haven't got 3 year old kids yet, have you?
Try hanging on to 3 of them at the same time
No, hence the question mark. I do know quite a few 3 year olds tho.
My gut reaction - it's hideous. People need to exercise their personal responsibility muscles, not be given more excuses not to use them.
Added safety = hideous? Come off it.
Before judging, maybe ask someone who uses ones. If they say...
'oh well I can't be arsed to watch my kids, I get a machine to do it for me'
...then yeah, slag them off.
If on the other hand they say...
'Well, I love my kids and watch them very carefully but I am human and fallible, so I get this machine to back me up just in case'
...then don't.
i always think of those that have their kids on a leash as being better off with a dog
it just strikes me as shit parenting.
Load of tosh.
Was going to suggest you might find out if you ever become a parent, but with such a poor misguided viewpoint its probably best not offer encouragement.
I think the parent shouuld also wear a wrist tag.
When the child moves out of range because the parent is too lazy to keep an eye on said child, the parent's wristband administers a tazer like discharge.
move to Rotherham, your child will need a tag to fit in.
I think GPS owners who don't use a map and compass should be tasered for being lazy navigators.
Thats just as stupid a comment as most of the haters in this thread. There are some mighty tall bikes ridden around here just so people can peer down their noses at 'lesser mortals'.
takisawa2 - Memberi always think of those that have their kids on a leash as being better off with a dog
it just strikes me as shit parenting.
[b]Load of tosh.
Was going to suggest you might find out if you ever become a parent, but with such a poor misguided viewpoint its probably best not offer encouragement. [/b]
hit a nerve, haven't i?
i detect someone using similar methods to control his [s]pets[/s] child(ren).
after todays lesson with four 6-7 year olds i have no intention of inducing more suffering upon myself than i currently endure.
horrible little things.....
although i suppose kids learn how to clean their arse after a given time meaning you needn't pick it up and trow it into the bushes.
woof!
It's reassuring to know that your branch of evolution has reached it's demise
although i suppose kids learn how to clean their arse after a given time meaning you needn't pick it up and trow it into the bushes.
Your class had a communal trail crapping session ? Jeez what did you take them down 😯
no. talking from personal experience. although given the way one of the was stinking i think that he had shat himself. if so, he cleary isn't at the point of being self sufficient in looking after himself.
What kind of parent needs a tag to know where a 3 year old is? It should never be that far from sight or attention in the first place. When I had a dog I knew where it was when we were out with it, never mind a small child. Sticking tags on kids is giving yourself permission to be lazy and careless. It also won't stop a car running over your kid cos you did not bother to keep an eye on it wandering into the road/falling in the pond, still, you will know where to find the corpse!