When I was a child I don’t think I ever ventured far enough from my house for my mother to need to track where I was. I’m pretty sure I always stayed close enough to be called home for dinner when my mum shouted “Richard!” But it seems that may not be the case anymore, this week there have been predictions that 2015’s Christmas craze will be a watch you can use to track your kids. Usually kids watches have just been used to help them get used to telling the time, like these Timex kids watches – but this gadget is very different.
The gadget, released by Moochies For Kids, will be available for £79 and will notify you if your child leaves a specified “play zone”. The announcement has already divided opinions with some saying it can provide piece of mind and others saying it shouldn’t be needed.
What Is This New Watch?
The Moochies watch is a watch/phone which can be used to make phone calls and can be linked up to a parents smartphone. The watch accepts a sim card which can be used to accept up to 20 incoming calls, all of which can be vetted by parents.
It also includes an SOS function which the child can use if they are in distress, being bullied or lost. If this happens an alarm will be sent to the linked smartphone along with a 15 second clip of any sounds around the child. This function is activated by pressing a button in the middle of the watch.
The most controversial feature of the watch is the tracking options which allow parents to see where the child is. Many people aren’t sure whether it is right to use a watch to track your kids. The feature allows parents to set an allowed “play zone” where the child needs to stay – this could be a park or a friends house, for example. If the child leaves this play zone the parent will be alerted once again by an alarm on their phone.
Is It OK to Track Your Kids In This Way?
The manufacturers Adrian Lisle and Ryan O’Neil say that the watch is a good way to keep a child safe while loosening the reigns on their freedom:
“We’ve come up with an innovative solution through a fashionable watch for kids that helps to ease them into the process of being independent, with the support of a safety net,” explained Adrian Lisle.
Others aren’t so positive about the device. Sally Whittle, who edits the blog Who’s the Mummy, believes it may have the opposite effect.
“We are in danger of raising children that are not independent because their parents are always there at a push of a button,” she said.
A subject such as this is going to have a number of very strong opinions, both in support and in opposition.
Most primary school aged children would not be expected to go far enough out of their parents sight to require one of these watches. In fact, it’s fair to say that many primary school aged children are unlikely to leave their bedroom, especially if they have a games console in it.
On the other hand, with all of the perceived dangers in the world today, it may be fair to say that anything which helps to put parents minds at rest and could keep children safer is a good thing.
What do you think about the Moochies watch? Should you track your kids with a Moochies watch? Let us know in the comments below.
Images: Moochies For Kids, wicker_man
