Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why on earth does a 5 year old need or want a Fitbit?

44 replies

yorkshires · 27/12/2017 10:13

Have I missed something? I don't have one, my DCs don't have them so maybe I am just not aware of their greatness but a fit and healthy 5 year old who never stops moving? Why?

OP posts:
araiwa · 27/12/2017 10:17

Curiosity?

Why not?

SwimmingInLemonade · 27/12/2017 14:37

Did the parents request it? Is it really a present for them?

DeStijl · 27/12/2017 14:46

My 5 year old wants one.. He thinks the lights on mine are "cool" and he wants to see how many steps he does when he runs around.
Haven't bought him one though cause I'm cheap and he'd probaby lose it.
Don't see why it's an issue really.

SpecialAgentDaleCooper · 27/12/2017 14:51

Years ago I remember primary schools issuing children with the simple pedometers, I think it some sort of national fitness awareness thing - I guess it's similar to that ie. to see how many (or how few) steps they're doing, a bit of competitiveness between friends etc

Saying that I wouldn't buy a fitbit for a 5 yr old but would consider a basic, cheap version of which there are plenty around. I'm sure they'd get bored of it after a week or so anyway

Acadia · 27/12/2017 14:51

They don't.

What's your point? If you don't want to buy one for your child, don't. A child will have little interest in studying the calorie burn of their daily step count or monitoring their heart rate whilst at the gym.

If someone else has asked for one for their kid, they're idiot dullards who either want their kid to develop an eating disorder or just think any child likes 'a gadget' and that's the only one they can think of. Buy it a toy.

Trialsmum · 27/12/2017 14:55

Because they’re fashionable, because they see adults with them and want them too, because they’re interested. Ds is 8 and for a cheap (£32.99) version for Christmas, all his friends at school wear them and it was a wow present for not that much money.

Lules · 27/12/2017 14:57

I don’t have much interest in losing weight and have absolutely no interest in fitness but I have one and I find it interesting. I probably would have done as a child too.

IncyWincyGrownUp · 27/12/2017 15:01

Not five, but my ten year old has one. He uses the alerts to remind him to keep moving and to not be a hungry bugger.

He likes it.

Cost be about £40 second hand.

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2017 15:02

I bought Snakes and Ladders for my DS. He didn't need that either but it's fun to play Confused

As to why they want one, perhaps curiosity? Or because another family member has one?

CorbynsBumFlannel · 27/12/2017 15:04

Well no-one of any age NEEDS a Fitbit but young kids probably want them if they see the adults around them with them or if their friends have them. My dc has asked for one for his birthday and I will probably get a cheaper version for him.

wavesandwellies · 27/12/2017 15:04

my dd6 loved my mums one. she loves monitoring how many steps she's taken so my mum bought her a vtech one for Xmas. she's over the moon with it.

I wouldn't get a child a fitbit but see no harm at all in a cheaper/kids version

brizzledrizzle · 27/12/2017 15:16

My teenager has got one because they love sports and like to see how much they are moving around. They aren't allowed to wear them at school though.

Gizmo79 · 27/12/2017 15:23

I didn’t get my 11 year old as she wanted to know how many calories she was burning compared to her friends.
No way.

Aragog · 27/12/2017 15:24

My small nephew has a children's interactive activity watch. It does a steps counter like the Fitbit - that's the bit he liked of his relative's fit bits. So although not a Fitbit it does some of the same functions. He likes it. He likes to see how many steps he can do, as well as using it as a watch and other features. It cost the same as a Fitbit anyway. It's just chunkier and more plastic.

So although a child doesn't need a Fitbit not sure I can see the issue of them having one personally. It's not like it's an either/or situation for most children so having a Fitbit Watch doesn't mean they don't have construction or educational toys too.

Aragog · 27/12/2017 15:27

Re price. The vtech Watch is about £40. The basic Fitbit is often available for £35-40 on several sites ime.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 27/12/2017 15:35

I suspect cos it's "grown up" and actually who ever said a child won't have any interest in it, they will!

My friend gave her old fitness watch to her friends 7 year old, the 7 year old was delighted, she does junior park hun and runs a bit with her mum and my friend.

While I hate the calorie burn aspect and absolutely no child should be exposed to that as a competitive thing.

But I don't really see the issue with the pedometer and a general keeping track or activity, and I say activity not fitness, if you can show a child how much activity and how they keep moving, that's surely a good thing?

I can see lots of kids being interested in how many steps they've done how long they were rocketing around the playground for it's fun

RavingRoo · 27/12/2017 15:38

The 5 yo is probably in the overweight / obese category and the parents have been told to help them lose weight. Remember that obesity isn’t always obvious - plenty of people confuse average and obese.

Sleepinghooty · 27/12/2017 15:48

My extremely active 11 year old likes to wear one to see ho many steps he does, how far he runs in a football match or during training. He can then compare it to other training sessions and matches to see how hard he has worked. Does it really do any harm?

Emily7708 · 27/12/2017 15:52

We bought 9yo DD a basic Flex for Christmas as requested. She’s been really enjoying stomping around the house and building up her steps. The only annoying thing is that Fitbit won’t let her have an account at 9 so we had to change her age to 13 to set the account up. This means it’s not accurate re steps and sleep etc but never mind.

gillybeanz · 27/12/2017 15:55

The same reason as they'd want any other gadget, I suppose.
I can't see why a child would need one, surely a parent can make sure they are active enough, but each to their own.

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2017 16:03

the 7 year old was delighted, she does junior park hun and runs a bit with her mum and my friend.

Junior park hun? Xmas Grin

Clearly the daughter of a Netmums member Wink

Original poster
yorkshires · 27/12/2017 16:09

Okay, seems it's normal. I think it's weird. I don't like that it says how many calories you burn, I wouldn't give it to preteens or teens as I think it encourages eating disorders.
As someone who works with people who have ED it's a great way to obsess.
Child is definitely not obese by the way, even If he was I don't think that would be the right way to tackle it surely.

OP posts:
RicottaPancakes · 27/12/2017 16:12

I wouldn't get one for a five year old, or a child any age.

BikeRunSki · 27/12/2017 16:14

I got my dc cheap Fitbit type stro trackers at the starting tee summer holidays last year. (They were then 5 and 8). They did encourage them not to sit around watching tv all day, and we used the data to do some simple data analysis and bar charts etc.

WorraLiberty · 27/12/2017 16:15

Oh Jesus, not everything encourages eating disorders.

Apart from possibly no-one being allowed to talk about burning calories as part of everyday conversation, due to people automatically mentioning eating disorders.

Gaining and losing weight is a completely normal part of every day life. It's ridiculous to make it so completely taboo, that a young child or a teenager shouldn't be allowed a fitbit.

They do so much more than tell you how many calories you've burned.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread