Of course I’d AirTag my children – how else would I keep them safe?

Mike and Zara Tindall have caught onto the savvy parenting trend of keeping tabs on your child by using a £35 Apple AirTag tracking device. Mia,10, was photographed at the weekend racing around the Burghley Horse Trials in Lincolnshire with a 32mm lightweight silver AirTag bouncing up and down on a keyring attached to the belt loop of her shorts.

In parenting circles, it’s sparked a debate: to AirTag or not to AirTag your child? Is it shocking? A bit Big Brother? Over the top? Call me neurotic, but of course I’d AirTag my children – how else would I keep them safe?

We are no longer living in a Famous Five-era world, where children can happily climb trees miles away from the prying eyes of adults. And while I used to look down on parents using live location sharing apps like Life360 to spy on their gap year teens, the truth is I’d AirTag my children until they are 18.

I’m more of a jellyfish than a helicopter parent in all other areas – but not when it comes to children wandering off in a crowded space. If my daughters – Lola, eight, and Liberty, six – are more than an arm’s length away when we’re in a busy supermarket, I go into a blind panic. “She’s lost FOREVER” is always an overriding thought, even if I’ve only misplaced one of them for a few seconds.

That’s why I bought a pack of four AirTags for £119, along with some colourful keyrings in pastel pink and blue, blackberry and chartreuse – it includes one each for my two children, and a spare for the dog.

Lose the kids on the way to a West End show, as happened to me last week? Just ping the AirTag. The message “LIBERTY 15 ft to your left” accompanied by an arrow pops up on my phone screen, and hallelujah, I’ve found her in seconds. I slip the mini disc into their school backpacks as easily as I do their mid-morning snacks and PE kit, and it tracks Lola and Liberty all day.

When my children go on school trips to the Science Museum or Kew Gardens, I no longer spiral into fear that they will get lost on the tube, or be left at the bus stop. At playdates I say: “Hey Siri, find Lola” when my children disappear at pickup time. If they’re hiding nearby – like under a bed or in the next room’s wardrobe – I just follow the sound and the search is over.

This morning, I accidentally forgot a friend’s child when I picked up her big sister, and sped off on the school run with a carload of children – had she been left in the front garden? I was beyond worried.

“Don’t worry darling, I’ll ping the AirTag,” her mum told me, cool as a cucumber from her desk at work. “We keep one in the inner sole of her shoe.” A few seconds later she cheerfully said: “She’s fine – she’s in our kitchen. The nanny is there.”

AirTags were launched in 2021 and designed to help find items such as phones, keys and bags, but parents like me are increasingly using them to track their children who are too young to have mobile phones.

I had considered getting my children the new HMD Barbie hot-pink flip phone (£99.99) that can only make calls and send texts with a few games on it – thinking that it was a better option for them to call me than to be found wandering around asking strangers for help if they got lost. But after much thought, I decided to AirTag them – and I’ve never looked back.

Is it teaching children to feel unsafe in the world and infringing on their privacy? Not in my case. My children feel protected knowing I’m keeping a close eye on them, and they are not at an age where they can go out without adult supervision. The truth is, I’d prefer to be safe than sorry.

It’s a game-changer. There is nothing more reassuring than my phone alerting me with the message “item has been left behind”. I can kick into gear and scour the playground to make sure my child hasn’t walked out of the park. It’s far better than leaving them connected to smartphones or social media – something I want to avoid at all costs.

I know I can’t control what happens to my children when I’m not there– but at least there’s great comfort in knowing exactly where they are.