Smartwatch for your child: must-have or unnecessary gadget?

There comes a time when you, as a parent, think: "My child is too young for a smartphone, but I still want to know where he or she is." Maybe your child is now walking to school independently, playing outside more often or hanging out with friends after school. You want a bit of control and reachability, without immediately putting an expensive phone in those (clumsy?) hands.

Then the smartwatch for your child appears as a possible solution. But is such a gadget really useful, or mainly a clever marketing trick? Here we dive into the pros and cons and show you four moments when a smartwatch can seriously help you out as a parent.

What makes a smartwatch useful?

Let’s face it: Many kids think smartwatches are just cool, but that doesn’t mean they’re just a passing fad. Here are a few reasons why parents choose smartwatches for kids :

• Safety & Accessibility – Your child can call or message you without having to immediately give you an expensive smartphone.
  
• GPS tracking – Handy if you want to know if they are really playing at Joris’s and not secretly playing Pokémon GO in the park further away.
• Encourages exercise – Many smartwatches have a pedometer and exercise functions, which can motivate children to exercise more.

5 Moments a Smartwatch Can Save You as a Parent

1 - The 'where's my child!?' panic at the school exit

It's three o'clock and the schoolyard is a chaos of running children, mothers with cargo bikes and toddlers running loose. You don't see your child anywhere. Just as panic sets in, you get a text message: "I'm at the playground next to school." Crisis averted.

2. The 'I'm with Tim, no with Sam, no with Joris' situation

You know how it is: “Mom, I’m at Tim’s” – but when you text Tim’s mother, it turns out your child isn’t there at all. With a smartwatch, you can quickly check whether they are indeed at Tim’s, or whether they have suddenly started a spontaneous scavenger hunt through the neighborhood.

3. The 'forgotten gym bag' emergency call

Children and forgotten stuff: a golden combination. Instead of the teacher having to call you or your child having to play sports without shoes, you now get a direct message: “Mom, forgot your gym bag, help!” . What you do with this is entirely up to you of course...

4. Playing area warning

With most apps you can mark a 'digital fence' around the house. As soon as your child passes that digital fence you will receive a notification. This way you can easily know whether your child is too far away or not.

Final verdict: must-have or fad?

So, is a smartwatch a must-have or just a smart gadget? It depends. If you’re buying it purely because your child wants one, then it might be redundant. But if you find it useful for accessibility, safety, and everyday chaos control, then it could be a good investment.

Ultimately, it’s not a magic solution for everything, but let’s be honest: it can make your life as a parent just a little bit easier. And sometimes that’s exactly what we need.

💬 What do you think? Would you consider a smartwatch for your child, or do you think it's unnecessary? Let us know in the comments!