Age for apple watch?

[Anonymous]

My kids got gizmos when older was in 4th and younger was in 1st. I got older an apple watch this year (6th grade) when he turned 12, since he's going to middle school soon.

Younger will continue with his gizmo until he turns 12 in 6th and then will also get an apple watch.

I was okay with the apple watch now, but not the phone because of the social media apps etc.

Gizmo is excellent for the younger ages as long as you have Verizon, and very easy to lock down for school days.

[Anonymous]

We were also a Gizmo in fourth grade family, but I think it really depends on what the purpose of the watch is. We got it for communication with parents after school, to allow for my changes of plans, going to friends houses, etc. It's been great for that, and I also like being able to text from work just to say hi in the morning before school.

If your kid is looking for something else, you're either going to need to buy something else or disappoint them.

[Anonymous]

I hate the gizmo we got our oldest in 3rd. Our neighborhood has terrible service coverage and it never works when I need to reach him. Just got him a refurbished Apple Watch now that he’s 11 and it works much better. He doesn’t wear it to school, only when roaming the neighborhood with friends so we can find him if we need to.

[Anonymous]

OMG, OP. Obviously that's way too young. My older daughter got her Apple Watch in 6th grade and still has it in 8th. She will probably get a phone next year. My younger daughter will probably get one in 5th because of travel sports and carpooling, but we are going to lock it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

+1

My repeated experience is that kids are always preoccupied with their Apple watch. Super duper distracting and it makes it hard for them to focus on anything, including homework and healthy social interactions.

-- Mom of 7th grader

This depends very much on the child, and I have not noticed this at all with my DD and her friends who only have watches. I have, on the other hand, had to ask her friends to put their phones away. My 7th grader never wears her watch at home, she puts it on the charger as soon as she gets home. It's also locked down and in school time during the day (and yes, of course, she does occasionally text us to tell us how she did on a test), but for the most part she uses it to say "can you please come pick me up" or "I am with Friend X in Location Y".

That said, I wouldn't buy one for an elementary schooler. She got one at the end of the 6th and uses it purely as a tool to communicate with us and a handful of friends. I think she even took herself out of a group chat once because it was annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

You can set downtown on it and they can’t get any texts except from who you choose. I don’t understand why people are saying it’s hard to lock down.

I have no idea- but I know my kids played with their friends watches at school all the time in 5/6 grades when they were supposed to be locked. So I don’t know if their friends’ parents were bad at setting up screen time or what.

School time is easy to get out of. Screen time requires some patience to set up, it's not intuitive, but the watch can be locked down and I think some people just can't figure it out. It would be nice if Apple made it easier.

[Anonymous]

I would say never - let them as an adult if they want. Tech is so addictive. Strapping it to your wrist makes it worse.

My 10-year-old has a crappy digital watch to know what time to come home if he’s roaming the neighborhood. He has never needed to randomly contact me. If he were injured, he can get help — it’s not like he is in the middle of nowhere.

I drop him off at sports practice, and he has never needed to contact me. If he were injured, a coach would contact me.

I have older kids and see the ill effects of tech but know a phone (and one that can support apps) is necessary as they get older. But not for an elementary school kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

+1

My repeated experience is that kids are always preoccupied with their Apple watch. Super duper distracting and it makes it hard for them to focus on anything, including homework and healthy social interactions.

-- Mom of 7th grader

This depends very much on the child, and I have not noticed this at all with my DD and her friends who only have watches. I have, on the other hand, had to ask her friends to put their phones away. My 7th grader never wears her watch at home, she puts it on the charger as soon as she gets home. It's also locked down and in school time during the day (and yes, of course, she does occasionally text us to tell us how she did on a test), but for the most part she uses it to say "can you please come pick me up" or "I am with Friend X in Location Y".

That said, I wouldn't buy one for an elementary schooler. She got one at the end of the 6th and uses it purely as a tool to communicate with us and a handful of friends. I think she even took herself out of a group chat once because it was annoying.

OMG the fact that you are ok with your kid texting you from school after a test, is half the issue. Can you imagine a classroom full of kids doing that? Or the parents who have low boundaries and are texting the kids to ASK how the kid did on a test? Gah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

This. My daughter was on a group chat with her teammates (has since switched teams) and the one girl without a phone but who had an apple watch was always the first to respond to any text. DD said she also would send texts during the school day frequently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

+1

My repeated experience is that kids are always preoccupied with their Apple watch. Super duper distracting and it makes it hard for them to focus on anything, including homework and healthy social interactions.

-- Mom of 7th grader

This depends very much on the child, and I have not noticed this at all with my DD and her friends who only have watches. I have, on the other hand, had to ask her friends to put their phones away. My 7th grader never wears her watch at home, she puts it on the charger as soon as she gets home. It's also locked down and in school time during the day (and yes, of course, she does occasionally text us to tell us how she did on a test), but for the most part she uses it to say "can you please come pick me up" or "I am with Friend X in Location Y".

That said, I wouldn't buy one for an elementary schooler. She got one at the end of the 6th and uses it purely as a tool to communicate with us and a handful of friends. I think she even took herself out of a group chat once because it was annoying.

OMG the fact that you are ok with your kid texting you from school after a test, is half the issue. Can you imagine a classroom full of kids doing that? Or the parents who have low boundaries and are texting the kids to ASK how the kid did on a test? Gah.

THAT'S what you took away from my post? Get a grip!

I'm absolutely fine with my kid texting me between classes to tell me about a test grade. I don't see a problem with that. Said kid has a lot of anxiety and if this helps her manage that anxiety, then I, and her therapist, and her school counselor, are all okay with it. By the way, I didn't say anything about ME texting her. I rarely do. Even if I did text her during the school day, she wouldn't get it, the watch is on school time while she's at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

This. My daughter was on a group chat with her teammates (has since switched teams) and the one girl without a phone but who had an apple watch was always the first to respond to any text. DD said she also would send texts during the school day frequently.

You seem to have some big chip on your shoulder about Apple Watches. That's fine, don't get your kid one. Your kid can have a smartphone since she knows how to manage it oh so perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I despise them, as I've seen lots of examples of kids constantly distracted by incoming texts. This is outside of school, but I've heard from my kids that the watches are not really locked down.

We did phones in 7th for my older two, which were easy to put in a drawer, not attached to their bodies, and easy to lock down. For my youngest who will want more freedom earlier, I'm considering a flip phone in 5th grade. Then he could text me when going to friends' houses or other places

+1

My repeated experience is that kids are always preoccupied with their Apple watch. Super duper distracting and it makes it hard for them to focus on anything, including homework and healthy social interactions.

-- Mom of 7th grader

This depends very much on the child, and I have not noticed this at all with my DD and her friends who only have watches. I have, on the other hand, had to ask her friends to put their phones away. My 7th grader never wears her watch at home, she puts it on the charger as soon as she gets home. It's also locked down and in school time during the day (and yes, of course, she does occasionally text us to tell us how she did on a test), but for the most part she uses it to say "can you please come pick me up" or "I am with Friend X in Location Y".

That said, I wouldn't buy one for an elementary schooler. She got one at the end of the 6th and uses it purely as a tool to communicate with us and a handful of friends. I think she even took herself out of a group chat once because it was annoying.

OMG the fact that you are ok with your kid texting you from school after a test, is half the issue. Can you imagine a classroom full of kids doing that? Or the parents who have low boundaries and are texting the kids to ASK how the kid did on a test? Gah.

THAT'S what you took away from my post? Get a grip!

I'm absolutely fine with my kid texting me between classes to tell me about a test grade. I don't see a problem with that. Said kid has a lot of anxiety and if this helps her manage that anxiety, then I, and her therapist, and her school counselor, are all okay with it. By the way, I didn't say anything about ME texting her. I rarely do. Even if I did text her during the school day, she wouldn't get it, the watch is on school time while she's at school.

If it's locked on school time- how is she texting you?? I will admit, the first time I read your previous comment I missed that she was in middle school, which does make it less disruptive (although still very against the FCPS rules, at least). The advice I've gotten for my anxious kid is very different from what you have gotten, so can't comment there.

[Anonymous]

I don't owe any Apple products so not sure about Apple having restrictions on the watch. But we have a Verizon Gizmo where I can allow the contacts, see location, and see who he contacts/calls.

[Anonymous]

13+

[Anonymous]

We got one in 5th grade when DS joined a Scout Troop so he could contact us if needed. He started using it more as an 8th grader to call friends.