...to think a soon to be six year old doesn't need a bloody smartwatch?

[artisanscotcheggs]

Just that really.

I don't know if I'm being an old grump or not, but I really don't see why a young child needs a smartwatch. Fiancé's ex wife wants to get one for the child they had together. He actually agrees with me, neither of us think she needs one, we could get her a standard watch until she's a bit older. I'm just trying to gauge it we are both being grouches. I'm the kind of person who finds it completely bizarre when i hear parents talking about their child's new iPad - only to find out they're four years old or something. Who gives a four year old an iPad? You can buy lower priced tablets that won't break the bank when they are inevitably broken within five minutes. I'm genuinely stunned.

She has supervised time on a tablet and also some time gaming on a Nintendo switch that belongs to her father, but those things are always supervised, and don't involve any socialising online.

So Mumsnet, am I being Oscar The Grouch, or is a plain non internet watch quite enough for a soon to be six year old?

Thank you in advance. Picture of Oscar attached just in case that is in fact me.

[AuntieOxident]

Christ no. YANBU!

[Noidlet]

My understanding is that in order for a Smartwatch to be 'smart' it would need be be attached to a phone via bluetooth etc? If she doesn't have a phone then the watch would be limited and quite pointless. Can't see a 6 year old being impressed with a calculator. That's pretty much all my old Samsung Gear can do without being connected to a phone!

[AGHHHH]

Yanbu

[budgetneeded]

It might be useful as a tracking device, my Apple Watch maps out my every footstep.

[FeralBeryl]

Depends if it's a full blown apple job, or one of the vtech type 'smart' watches. DD6 has the latter and it's much coveted by DD5 for its games and calculator. You can download stuff onto it but we haven't yet.

[artisanscotcheggs]

I don't feel she needs to be tracked all the time as she is ferried to school etc by her parents, and any after school stuff she does, she's again with one of her parents, or grandparents.

So an additional question for people still reading/or who may read; what age world you consider appropriate for a child to have a smart watch? How about a mobile phone? I think for me both of those items might be appropriate when they are doing something like walking to and from school independently, or using public transport to do the same thing. Even then, is there any reason why a mobile would need anything other than SMS capability, rather than a smartphone?

I don't even own a smartwatch, neither does my bloke, but unless there's something we are missing, I'm glad it seems we aren't being unreasonable.

Well, for now. People may suddenly turn up and tell us we are. 🙊

[FortunesFave]

wants to get one for the child they had together

Odd way to refer to your fiance's daughter or son.

[Noidlet]

In my mind secondary school is a good benchmark for requiring and being responsible enough for a basic phone that does calls and texts.
As for smartphones that require contracts and a different level of understanding regarding things like internet safety or parental responsibility for locking them down, I honestly don't know what age I'd be comfortable. I'd probably say 15 or when they can buy one themselves!
Probably not reasonable though due to peer pressure and it being the norm to have one. It's a tough question and probably depends more on the child than anything.

[artisanscotcheggs]

@FortunesFave not really, I love her very much, and I am not yet her step-mum as her father and I are still only engaged. As much as I want and would love to call her my step-daughter, she isn't yet, and her mum probably wouldn't appreciate it.

[artisanscotcheggs]

@Noidlet yes I think I'm inclined to agree there. I think in terms of a mobile phone, I'd probably lean towards a PAYG device with an unlimited texts/calls package so that a child would always have the ability to call or text, with stringent parental controls of course.

[itsbritneybiatches]

My daughter has an oaxis my first fone.

It's great.

She's five.

[itsbritneybiatches]

It's a watch phone.

[Saturdaycartoon]

YANBU. Bad enough they know what a smart watch is at that age! Can they tell the time?

As an aside - I got an iPad for use by dd ( and the rest of us, it deifinitely isn't described as hers). It's lasted for several years - so long it isn't really supported anymore and we will probably have to upgrade soon as Netflix won't even work on it anymore. The train I chose the iPad ( mini, 2.5 times the price of the tablet I was considering) was the kid proof case. I reckoned it would stand up to much greater beating. When it was flung aside without a second thought on the first day as she ran to the bathroom I thought,'well, I could have just as usefully torn up two fifty pound notes there if I'd bought the cheap one!' So sometimes, it does make sense.

Isn't it sneaky though that Netflix won't work on older model iPads! I'm particularly unimpressed about that, she said bitterly. Maybe someone has a thread on it...

[SD1978]

Depends on what one. Vetch do a great one, can only make calls to numbers out on it by parents, and has some games. Can FaceTime the other parent whenever they want. An Apple Watch- nope, don't see a need.

[artisanscotcheggs]

@itsbritneybiatches I just googled that and had a look. It does look nifty, but what was your reasoning for getting one? Did she ask for something along those lines, or did you want to introduce her to it yourselves?

Thanks in advance.

[artisanscotcheggs]

I shall answer more later, been a bit sleepless tonight but me eyes are closing now. 🌺

[BlitheringIdiots]

I've got a smart watch and I wouldn't say it was suitable for any child to be honest. It's not a toy. It's for telling the time basically with a few fitness apps on it. Dead boring present!

[Ringdonna]

Both my six year old and seven year old grandsons have an ipad and older one has iPhone. I am in two minds about it.

[itsbritneybiatches]

We bought her one because of the tracking feature. She was at the time we bought it, going to see her dad after some time of not seeing him regularly. She was was a bit anxious about it and potentially me not being in line of sight the whole time. I got her this so she could call me if she wanted me or became anxious for me.

It also has some features that are good for safety.

Alarm emergency button the child can press which then sends a recording of 30 seconds from when they press it.

A silent dial in you can use as the parent to call the watch and listen in to their surroundings for 30 seconds.

It's peace of mind for me mostly.

She has a pedometer on it also like my fit bit which she likes.

It's really good actually she uses it to call me if she stays at my parents and it lets you send picture messages and voice notes.
It's nice to get little voice notes saying I love you mummy and songs off her!

She doesn't see her dad a lot so I put this on her so I can see where she is.

[itsbritneybiatches]

Although this is a smart watch it's very child friendly and easy to use.

She sends messages to family (you set up who can contact her and who they can contact).

She likes getting messages back.

The tracking is accurate to about 5 metres.

We tried a few before we bought this and I found this one the best for the accompanying app and also the best well made.

Few others were plasticky flimsy and not splash or waterproof

[MigGril]

Well DS got one at that age mainly as, me and DH had one so he wanted one to. But we got him the children's versions of ours he's got the Garmin jur. It shows the time and tracks his steps he has a step goal and you can use it to set up daily tasks which he can then get rewards for.
It gives him rewards for his activity to so encourages him to be more active.

It doesn't have phone capability or anything like that and it contects to my phone. Although now he got a tablet for his 8th birthday I could probably concert it to that.

I've been very impressed with how sturdy it is he keeps it on all the time and even goes swimming with it, as it tracks that as activity.

[Teateaandmoretea]

Who cares? presumably she means one of the vtech ones.

[AuntieStella]

I think you get one only whe the DC really pesters for one, and had a track record of not losing things.

My DC are teens, and IME not many are wearing smart watches, not least because they're banned in exams and they're unsettled enough without taking off (or, worse, not taking off) the watch they are habituated too.

Sporty ones may well have a garmin, but I suspect that's not the kind of functionality the ex is thinking of. And there are a lot of fitbits around as well.

[MymymyLinda]

Honestly I think it is ludicrous. Why does a 6yr old need to track their steps? Why does a 6yr old need to be constantly receiving messages and always in touch with adults? It’s this sort of thinking that ends up with the society that sits at tables in restaurants ignoring each other and staring at tech. So sad that our interactions with other people or internet strangers (like on here) have become more interesting than talking to the people we are with (fwiw all my family have left for work/school so I am on my own!)

I’m as addicted to tech as the next person. I think we need to try and help the next generation avoid it which doesn’t start by buying them tech at 6yrs old which they physically attach to themselves.

[RogerBannister]

It’s not really any of your business is it? And how would the child having this watch affect your daily life? It wouldn’t. If the child’s mother wants to buy her something who are you to object? Your tone suggests you clearly have an issue with your partner’s ex and this is a good way of trying to make her look bad. She’s not your child, not your business.