Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 07:23     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


I walked to school every day in 4th-6th grade. I didn’t have a smart watch, although once for my birthday I got a calculator watch and that was totally badass.

In any case, I’m still here.

What, exactly, do you think is going to happen if they walk to school without a smart watch?


OP here. I walked to school alone starting in 1st grade and didn't have a phone or anything (80s/90s). I was also a latchkey kid.

But back then pay phones were more readily available, and it would have been fine for me to go into a store and ask to use the phone to call my parents if I needed to. That's not true now. Also I actually think it might have been good for me if I'd had a bit more accountability/connectivity back then. Sure, I became very independent very early. But I also learned the lesson that my parents weren't really a resource for me when I struggled, which I think was kind of dysfunctional.

I also view the watch as something that could help create more independence. Eventually she could text me and maybe meet me somewhere other than home, since I work in the neighborhood. Or she could use it to see if she could go to a friend's house after school instead of home, that kind of thing.

I don't get what the problem is, other than wanting to limit tech for kids, which I agree with. But the gizmo watches are really basic and you can limit who kids can text on them and monitor everything really easily.


I agree with your rationale and support the idea that it’s unnecessary. It truly is. But everyone is anxious about everything now. Let your kid walk to school without the watch. It’s completely fine.
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 07:21     Subject: Re:If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
If you must rely on a tracking device for your child to get home safely, then walking alone isnt right for them.

A watch is false security. Its for entertainment and parent anxiety more than anything else. If you live in an area where your child may be in danger, or get hurt or lost, dont let them walk to school.


This. I'm against location-tracking for children and would never do it, and I also agree with the other post above about the importance of self-reliance. I hate the idea of having kids whose immediate reaction to anything out of the ordinary is "call mom and ask her what to do."
Anonymous
Post 01/13/2026 07:20     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


I walked to school every day in 4th-6th grade. I didn’t have a smart watch, although once for my birthday I got a calculator watch and that was totally badass.

In any case, I’m still here.

What, exactly, do you think is going to happen if they walk to school without a smart watch?


OP here. I walked to school alone starting in 1st grade and didn't have a phone or anything (80s/90s). I was also a latchkey kid.

But back then pay phones were more readily available, and it would have been fine for me to go into a store and ask to use the phone to call my parents if I needed to. That's not true now. Also I actually think it might have been good for me if I'd had a bit more accountability/connectivity back then. Sure, I became very independent very early. But I also learned the lesson that my parents weren't really a resource for me when I struggled, which I think was kind of dysfunctional.

I also view the watch as something that could help create more independence. Eventually she could text me and maybe meet me somewhere other than home, since I work in the neighborhood. Or she could use it to see if she could go to a friend's house after school instead of home, that kind of thing.

I don't get what the problem is, other than wanting to limit tech for kids, which I agree with. But the gizmo watches are really basic and you can limit who kids can text on them and monitor everything really easily.


I think there is value is learning to rely on yourself that we are not allowing our kids anymore. If something goes wrong- who should you ask for help, where do you go, etc. I always tell my kids that any mom will have a phone if you need to call me.

I don’t know much about the gizmo watch- but the Apple Watches are awful. I run two Girl Scout troops, and the girls with watches, from a young age were distracted by texts and notifications. We always out cell phones away, but that’s harder with a watch. Additionally, my daughter has told me before that her friends with watches could do all kinds of stuff even though they were in “school mode.” I just don’t love such a distracting thing being attached to my (or my kids’) bodies.

Having said that- in your case with a more urban area, I can see where safety would outweigh the other negatives. We will probably still prefer a dumb phone in your case, but I understand wanting them to have a way to contact you


The bolded is simply not universally true. Also there aren't moms everywhere.


And any public business would have a land line phone a kid could ask to use. Or they could just walk to school and make a call from the office when they get there. What sort of scenario are you imagining that isn’t an emergency where your kid can’t just finish their 10 min walk and call you?
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 21:25     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


I walked to school every day in 4th-6th grade. I didn’t have a smart watch, although once for my birthday I got a calculator watch and that was totally badass.

In any case, I’m still here.

What, exactly, do you think is going to happen if they walk to school without a smart watch?


OP here. I walked to school alone starting in 1st grade and didn't have a phone or anything (80s/90s). I was also a latchkey kid.

But back then pay phones were more readily available, and it would have been fine for me to go into a store and ask to use the phone to call my parents if I needed to. That's not true now. Also I actually think it might have been good for me if I'd had a bit more accountability/connectivity back then. Sure, I became very independent very early. But I also learned the lesson that my parents weren't really a resource for me when I struggled, which I think was kind of dysfunctional.

I also view the watch as something that could help create more independence. Eventually she could text me and maybe meet me somewhere other than home, since I work in the neighborhood. Or she could use it to see if she could go to a friend's house after school instead of home, that kind of thing.

I don't get what the problem is, other than wanting to limit tech for kids, which I agree with. But the gizmo watches are really basic and you can limit who kids can text on them and monitor everything really easily.


I think there is value is learning to rely on yourself that we are not allowing our kids anymore. If something goes wrong- who should you ask for help, where do you go, etc. I always tell my kids that any mom will have a phone if you need to call me.

I don’t know much about the gizmo watch- but the Apple Watches are awful. I run two Girl Scout troops, and the girls with watches, from a young age were distracted by texts and notifications. We always out cell phones away, but that’s harder with a watch. Additionally, my daughter has told me before that her friends with watches could do all kinds of stuff even though they were in “school mode.” I just don’t love such a distracting thing being attached to my (or my kids’) bodies.

Having said that- in your case with a more urban area, I can see where safety would outweigh the other negatives. We will probably still prefer a dumb phone in your case, but I understand wanting them to have a way to contact you


Yes because all women are safe!
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 21:19     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Dd in 4th grade walks .3 miles to school every day without a watch, but carries her gizmo on days when she walks home. We give her that in case one of us is held up at work and can't meet her at home on time, or so she can let us know if she's hanging out at the playground or whatnot after school.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 20:59     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:If you must rely on a tracking device for your child to get home safely, then walking alone isnt right for them.

A watch is false security. Its for entertainment and parent anxiety more than anything else. If you live in an area where your child may be in danger, or get hurt or lost, dont let them walk to school.

My 5th grader just started walking alone this year. Last year a parent walked with him. At this stage he has done it so many times and we are all confident that he can manage it alone. Before I was confident in that, I wouldn't have sent him with a watch.

(He does have a gizmo btw, but he doesn't carry it to school)


If you actually read the other responses, you'd see most people don't use the watch for security, but because it's the best way to be able to communicate with kids should there be a change of plans. The ways kids used to be able to do this (pay phone outside school or on way home) don't exist anymore.

I don't even understand what a gizmo watch is for if not this. Entertainment? My kids watch can only text with DH, our parents, and me. It's not being used for entertainment. Its just a communication device.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 20:05     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Nope. It’s an 8 minute walk on side streets. No electronic gadget needed. Lots of other kids and parents walking though.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 19:58     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
No but he doesn't walk alone.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 19:57     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


Was many years ago now (they are in college), but we started letting the kids walk solo to school in third grade. 3 blocks (to be fair, one of the blocks is really long, the other 2 are average). No busy streets. No smart watch or cell phone - we just let them do it
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 19:57     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
If you must rely on a tracking device for your child to get home safely, then walking alone isnt right for them.

A watch is false security. Its for entertainment and parent anxiety more than anything else. If you live in an area where your child may be in danger, or get hurt or lost, dont let them walk to school.

My 5th grader just started walking alone this year. Last year a parent walked with him. At this stage he has done it so many times and we are all confident that he can manage it alone. Before I was confident in that, I wouldn't have sent him with a watch.

(He does have a gizmo btw, but he doesn't carry it to school)
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 16:31     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:Wow this is so interesting.

People on here not afraid for their kids to walk in MAGA areas yet they were afraid to send them to school because of a non existent bathroom issue.

Especially the LCPS responders. You literally live in a sea of child abusers white male christians and you are ok with your kids walking.

How about that LOL

OP a smart watch is a good idea. Teach them the emergency features.


Literally? Really? So dramatic. Can’t trust anything else you say.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 16:26     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


I walked to school every day in 4th-6th grade. I didn’t have a smart watch, although once for my birthday I got a calculator watch and that was totally badass.

In any case, I’m still here.

What, exactly, do you think is going to happen if they walk to school without a smart watch?


OP here. I walked to school alone starting in 1st grade and didn't have a phone or anything (80s/90s). I was also a latchkey kid.

But back then pay phones were more readily available, and it would have been fine for me to go into a store and ask to use the phone to call my parents if I needed to. That's not true now. Also I actually think it might have been good for me if I'd had a bit more accountability/connectivity back then. Sure, I became very independent very early. But I also learned the lesson that my parents weren't really a resource for me when I struggled, which I think was kind of dysfunctional.

I also view the watch as something that could help create more independence. Eventually she could text me and maybe meet me somewhere other than home, since I work in the neighborhood. Or she could use it to see if she could go to a friend's house after school instead of home, that kind of thing.

I don't get what the problem is, other than wanting to limit tech for kids, which I agree with. But the gizmo watches are really basic and you can limit who kids can text on them and monitor everything really easily.


I think there is value is learning to rely on yourself that we are not allowing our kids anymore. If something goes wrong- who should you ask for help, where do you go, etc. I always tell my kids that any mom will have a phone if you need to call me.

I don’t know much about the gizmo watch- but the Apple Watches are awful. I run two Girl Scout troops, and the girls with watches, from a young age were distracted by texts and notifications. We always out cell phones away, but that’s harder with a watch. Additionally, my daughter has told me before that her friends with watches could do all kinds of stuff even though they were in “school mode.” I just don’t love such a distracting thing being attached to my (or my kids’) bodies.

Having said that- in your case with a more urban area, I can see where safety would outweigh the other negatives. We will probably still prefer a dumb phone in your case, but I understand wanting them to have a way to contact you


The bolded is simply not universally true. Also there aren't moms everywhere.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 16:22     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:I think people who don’t provide something like this to a kid are neglectful. You never know what can happen and this small tool can help in an emergency. I don’t like the idea of having to rely on strangers/bystanders when there’s a perfectly simple way the kid can reach you if there’s an issue.


It sounds like you live in a questionable neighborhood, in which case the safest thing is to escort your child to school. A watch is not going to protect you from danger.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 15:24     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is our plan, so that we can track our kid's location and they could text us if there was any problem. I'm assuming this is what everyone does? Just curious how other people handle this transition.


I walked to school every day in 4th-6th grade. I didn’t have a smart watch, although once for my birthday I got a calculator watch and that was totally badass.

In any case, I’m still here.

What, exactly, do you think is going to happen if they walk to school without a smart watch?


OP here. I walked to school alone starting in 1st grade and didn't have a phone or anything (80s/90s). I was also a latchkey kid.

But back then pay phones were more readily available, and it would have been fine for me to go into a store and ask to use the phone to call my parents if I needed to. That's not true now. Also I actually think it might have been good for me if I'd had a bit more accountability/connectivity back then. Sure, I became very independent very early. But I also learned the lesson that my parents weren't really a resource for me when I struggled, which I think was kind of dysfunctional.

I also view the watch as something that could help create more independence. Eventually she could text me and maybe meet me somewhere other than home, since I work in the neighborhood. Or she could use it to see if she could go to a friend's house after school instead of home, that kind of thing.

I don't get what the problem is, other than wanting to limit tech for kids, which I agree with. But the gizmo watches are really basic and you can limit who kids can text on them and monitor everything really easily.


I think there is value is learning to rely on yourself that we are not allowing our kids anymore. If something goes wrong- who should you ask for help, where do you go, etc. I always tell my kids that any mom will have a phone if you need to call me.

I don’t know much about the gizmo watch- but the Apple Watches are awful. I run two Girl Scout troops, and the girls with watches, from a young age were distracted by texts and notifications. We always out cell phones away, but that’s harder with a watch. Additionally, my daughter has told me before that her friends with watches could do all kinds of stuff even though they were in “school mode.” I just don’t love such a distracting thing being attached to my (or my kids’) bodies.

Having said that- in your case with a more urban area, I can see where safety would outweigh the other negatives. We will probably still prefer a dumb phone in your case, but I understand wanting them to have a way to contact you
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2026 14:01     Subject: If your elementary kid walks to/from school without you, do they have a smart watch?
Anonymous wrote:Do mcps ES allow kids to wear smart watch or gizmo? If I give my kid a phone, he may lose it. But I dont think he likes to wear watch. Any other ways?


Attach watch (if needed) to inside of backpack ONLY to be removed if contacting an approved adult. Nothing to lose or forget, and you can check location if needed.