Find My Phone

It's an essential/must-have/cannot live without app.

The Princess has an iPhone.

Short of "chipping" her, this is my best bet for keeping very close tabs on her.  I can basically look and tell when she is moving from class to class during her school day.

We are going into a newish season of parenting and autism.  The princess is testing her freedom (totally developmentally normal).  She is desperate to get out of the house (totally developmentally normal).  She is longing for non-family-member friendships (totally developmentally normal).  She went looking for all of the above at the local law enforcement center yesterday (Hello! Autism).

Very often my girl hops on her bike and takes off for a ride around the park.  I have been cautiously allowing her this little bit of freedom.  I ask her to check in.  I often FaceTime with her while she is hanging out at the park.  I check her location via "Find My Phone".  We give her strong boundaries (that she crosses).  We live in a small town, so often I hear about her actions from watchful friends.  Until yesterday she has (mostly) explored the park.  Played at the playground with kids.  Visited with strangers.  She did crash a 2 year old birthday party one day, but the family recognized my girl and graciously engaged her, even offered her treats.  They were rewarded with an impromptu Cotton-eyed-Joe solo!  Oh, and she did drive by the local middle school and ring the buzzer (like a door bell) until the assistant principal finally opened the door and visited for a bit.  He didn't let her in to check the animals in the science classes, which was a bummer...but he was nice.  Basically, I have felt like these bike-rides were within normal limits.  Until now.  As I write this I realize the foreshadowing is actually pretty clear.

Yesterday, after school she asked if she could go for a bike ride.

The conversation went like this:

Me:  Where do you want to go?

Her:  The parks.

Me:  Where else?

Her:  That's it.

Me:  Ok, for a little while.  NO houses.  NO buildings.  NO people you don't know.  NO getting injured. (That's been another bike riding activity.  She seems to have a lot of accidents even though she is an excellent bike rider.  Her preferred solution for cuts and injuries is to visit the closest gas station for bandages.  They apparently keep their first aid kits very well stocked.)

Her:  Oh, I know!  I am just going to ride my bike.  That's it.

A little while later I headed out the door for the gym.  I passed the parenting job to my hubby with instructions to check on the Princess.

He didn't.

I'm not throwing him under the bus.

He threw himself there without any help from me.

See, the deal is - so often she is fine.  Quirky and bold.  But not worrisome.

So it's easy to let her have some limited freedom.

We thought.

When I came home from the gym...

No bike in the driveway.

I asked where the Princess was.

My hubby quickly said, I'll call her and tell her to head home.

I popped open "Find My Phone" app and found her...

Clear across town...

Nowhere near a park...

At the Police Station.

He jumped in the car.

I dialed her number.

No answer.

I used the Find My Phone app to ring the phone.  **Apparently that is the moment the owner of the phone becomes aware that Find My Phone even exists.  I am going to regret showing my hand like that.

Still no response.

When my hubby got to the police station, he was met by an officer immediately.  The Princess had seen him coming.  She was angry.

I cannot even fully explain the why and what.

At some point on her bike ride she decided she needed to fix her bike.  Someone suggested she go the the police station for help.  She did.  Then she wanted to chat.  The conversations ranged from deaths in the family to fights with mom to teenage angst.  She dialed up the drama.

I am not making light of her feelings.  I get it.  I've had to live with estrogen for 39 years.  It bites.  One minute it's all laughing and squealing and the next minutes it's tears and threats of running for the hills.  Sounds like she took the later part of herself to the police station and rang the bell (which they didn't answer quickly enough so she knocked on the window...Of.The.Police.Station.).

I really don't know what the conversations included as I have to rely on her variable retelling and the officer debriefing.  I do know it ended with peanut m&m's and hugs.

Small towns are really the best.

She's home.  She's banned from her bike for an undisclosed period of time.

And I'm trying to decide if chipping her is a realistic possibility.