Stories Along The Way

“Do you have your Life360 on?”

“Why did you turn off your location?”

Those are questions many parents probably never imagined asking their teenagers.

Today, we’re used to checking where our kids are. If they say they’re going to a friend’s house, we can look. If they’re driving somewhere, we can follow the little dot on the map. And if that dot stops somewhere it shouldn’t, suddenly we have questions.

But what happened when we were growing up?

There were no cell phones, no Life360, and no map showing our moms exactly where we were.

We’d say, “Mom, I’m going to my friend’s house,” and off we went.

Were we always where we said we were?

Well… I know I wasn’t.

Growing up in California, the cities were so connected that you could easily end up far from home. I remember telling my mom I was at a dance hall near the house.

I wasn’t.

I was actually about an hour away with my cousins and about twenty other teenagers, lined up by the police in a park after hours.

And my mom had absolutely no idea.

I can only imagine what would have happened if Life360 had existed back then.

Our moms had to trust us. Once we walked out the door, they didn’t know exactly where we were. We knew what time we were supposed to be home—and what would happen if we weren’t.

Was that better?

In some ways, I think it was.

We had more freedom. We learned to make decisions without feeling like someone was watching every move. We got to be teenagers with a little independence.

Kids today sometimes feel like they can’t do anything without being watched.

But now that I’m a mom, I understand the other side too.

When I check my son’s location, I’m not thinking, “How can I control him today?” I’m thinking, “Is he okay? Did he get there safely?”

Technology gave parents something ours didn’t have: the ability to know.

And once you have that ability, it’s hard not to use it.

Sometimes I wonder what my teenage years would have looked like if my mom could have pulled out her phone and seen exactly where I was.

Actually…

I’m glad Life360 wasn’t around back then.

There are some things my mom didn’t know…

and will probably never know.

Well, unless she reads this story.

And please, don’t let my son read it. I have a Life360 reputation to protect.

Stories Along the Way