It’s perfectly reasonable for parents to be concerned about their children’s safety—and moderntechnologygives them a variety of opportunities in this field. But it’s one thing when your kid is still very small, and you want them to be able to sound an alarm for you at all times. It’s quite another thing when your child is almost an adult.

The useru/Expensive_Peanut9270, the author of our story today, and his 17-year-old daughter had to deal with this kind of attitude from the girl’s mother, who secretly tried to track her every move. Oh yeah, and the icing on the cake—the mother hasn’t been her custodial parent for years!

More info:Reddit

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The author of the post is divorced from his ex-wife, mainly because of her extreme obsession with tracking him

Father and daughter in conversation outdoors, man in red jacket and cap, teenage girl with long hair in a ponytail, mom tracker topic.

Image credits:oigafeo / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The man got full custody of their now-17YO daughter and she lives with him

Image credits:Expensive_Peanut9270

Young woman in a striped sweater smiling, holding a phone, symbolizing a daughter using a mom tracker app.

Image credits:freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

However, the mom now has the same obsession with tracking the girl’s location and moves

Person using a smartphone with a map app open, illustrating daughter using phone as a mom tracker.

Image credits:lookstudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

She even gifted the teen a new phone with pre-installed tracking software

The dad didn’t object—he just bought the daughter another phone—and now faces his ex’s numerous accusations of being “neglectful”

The Original poster (OP) says that he and his ex-wife have a 17-year-old daughter named Anna. The girl lives with her dad because he gotfull custodyduring the divorce. The man recalls that perhaps the main reason for their divorce was the woman’s literal obsession with knowing the details of everything.

The guy says that she literally demanded that the husband check in every 10 minutes, otherwise, she would immediately call the cops. However, after the divorce, the situation didn’t change—only the object of her obsession became her daughter. Every time the girl would go to her mom, she tormented her with similar demands and surveillance.

About a year ago, Anna’s phone broke, and her mother gave her a new one. The father didn’t mind—but then it turned out that the phone had pre-installed tracking software that allowed the woman totrackher daughter’s movements. And every time Mom saw that she left her dad’s house, she immediately began to call her with reproaches.

The OP is perhaps not a very conflict-prone person, so he simply bought his daughter another phone—and the first one would always be at his house without arousing unnecessary suspicions in the mother. And everything went well for several months—until Anna finally ran into her mom at the store, and she figured out what had happened.

A woman with blonde hair looks upset, pointing her finger in a domestic setting, related to daughter-phone-mom-tracker.

Image credits:milanmarkovic / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Well, the question ofparentstracking kids’ locations is quite controversial nowadays. For example, many experts are pretty much sure that this, especially when it comes to teenagers, is a serious violation of their privacy.

“GPS tracking may be justified for very young children where genuine safety concerns exist, such as for children who may get lost or be vulnerable in public spaces,” says Lydia Shelly,NSW Councilfor Civil Liberties (Australia). “By adolescence, children should have the right to make decisions about their personal privacy, and the use of tracking devices should require their clear and informed consent.”

In any case, experts believe that parents should talk openly with their children about the possible installation of tracking software on their phones and try to clearly explain their motives. And if the teenager flatly refuses, then the choice belongs to the child.

“Have an honest conversation with your teen about setting some basic rules and boundaries to keep them safe. Explain that you want to build trust, so you’ll only be checking in on occasion, not constantly monitoring them,” adedicated poston Paradigm Treatment advises parents. “Use phone location or vehicle GPS tracking only when needed due to risky circumstances.”

In addition, the responders strongly recommended the author advise his wife to undergo a course of therapy. To this, the man replied that when they were together, he asked her to meet apsychoanalyst, but she didn’t consider her behavior to be beyond the bounds of normality. However, according to some commenters, the woman clearly has some mental issues.

Reddit comments discussing concerns about a mom using a phone tracker on her daughter.

Reddit comment discussing mom’s legal right to decide phone tracking for daughter.

Text discussing the effectiveness of using a phone tracking device for daughters' safety.

Comment about daughter, phone, and mom tracker emphasizing consent in tracking.

Online comment praising a mom for teaching her daughter about boundaries and autonomy.

Comment discussing daughter, phone, and mom’s tracker concerns.

Comment discussing an ex’s mental illness related to a situation involving daughter, phone, and mom tracker.

Text discussing the concerns about using a phone tracker on a daughter, highlighting trust issues and potential abuse.

Comment discussing a 17-year-old daughter, phone use, and mental health related to a mom tracker.

Text questioning daughter phone monitoring by mother or ex.

Screenshot of an online comment discussing concerns about a mom tracking her daughter via a phone app.

Comment discussing responsibility of daughter and phone tracking decisions by mom.

Comment discussing parenting choices, emphasizing the role of the custodial parent.

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