Research on wearable technology for children
As smart technology becomes more and more integrated into everyday life, more and more products are appearing every day. The best gadget for children invented so far, in our opinion, is the children’s smartwatch. A wearable device that combines different features and gives the opportunity to be both useful and fun for children and soothing for parents. It is considered the ultimate parenting tool that combines a lot of features, such as communication, security and activity tracking.
Here we take a look at what you can expect these devices to have by default, how they help promote your child’s safety and independence, what to think about when it comes to durability and size, and how to set up and maintain your child’s smartwatch.
What features to look for
Communication: calls, sending messages, emergency SOS
An outstanding feature of the children’s smartwatch is its ability to facilitate communication. Look for classes that offer:
- Calling and sending messages: Make sure your child can easily contact you or pre-approved contacts.
- Emergency SOS: Many smartwatches include an SOS button that alerts you immediately in an emergency.
Location tracking: GPS, geo-fence, safe zones
Location tracking is a key feature for any parent’s peace of mind. Key aspects include:
- GPS tracking: Real-time location updates let you know where your child is at all times.
- Geo-fencing: Set virtual boundaries and receive alerts if your child goes outside the designated safe zones.
- Safe zones: Define specific areas like home or school where your child should be, ensuring they stay within safe boundaries.
Activity tracking: step counting, sleep, reminders
Monitoring your child’s physical activity and health is easier with built-in monitoring tools:
- The step counts: Track daily activity levels to encourage a healthy lifestyle.
- Sleep monitoring: Some smartwatches track sleep patterns, helping you ensure your child gets enough rest.
- Reminders: Set reminders for tasks like homework or bedtime, promoting routine and accountability.
Promoting safety and independence
Remote parental control through applications
Parental control apps connected to children’s smartwatches offer a number of monitoring options:
- Track activity: Monitor your child’s movements and activities remotely.
- Set limits: Control the apps and contacts your child can access.
Allowing liberties with applications
Smart watches can help balance security and independence:
- Regular applications: Encourage your child to report at regular intervals, fostering a sense of freedom within safe boundaries.
- Planned updates: Receive automatic location updates at specific times, reducing the need for constant manual checks.
Building responsibility and trust
Smart watches can also be a tool for learning valuable life skills:
- Responsibility: By managing their own device, children learn to take care of their things.
- Confidence: Gradually giving more freedom as they demonstrate responsible behavior builds mutual trust.
Durability and size considerations
Water/scratch resistance for active kids
Durability is key for devices intended for children:
- Water resistance: Make sure the watch can withstand splashes, rain and occasional submersion.
- Scratch resistance: Look for sturdy materials that can withstand the wear and tear of everyday activities.
Adjustable straps for growing wrists
Comfort and fit are key for everyday wear:
- Adjustable straps: Opt for watches with adjustable straps that can grow with your child.
- Comfortable materials: Choose soft, flexible materials to prevent irritation.
Battery life for all-day use
A reliable battery is necessary for all-day functionality:
- Long battery life: Choose models known for extended battery life to avoid frequent charging.
- Fast charging: Some watches offer fast charging capabilities, ensuring minimal downtime.
Setting up and managing the smart watch
Simple apps and settings for parental controls
Ease of use is vital for parents and children:
User-friendly applications: Favor smartwatches with intuitive control apps that make it easy to set up, understand and use, so you can track your child’s activities and set up clear notifications for special events.
Personalized settings: Let your child enjoy the freedom they want, and give yourself the peace of mind you need – within the set limits of location tracking, safe zones and communication.
Pre-approved contacts: Limit who your child can message with to family and friends. This means that your child can only interact with people you know and trust online, keeping them in a safe space from the potential risks associated with interacting with others online.
Security features like passwords
Security is paramount to protecting your child’s data:
Password protection: Turn on passwords so that only authorized users can access settings and controls.
Encrypted data: Use devices that have data encryption to protect your data. Encryption scrambles your data into ciphertext – a form of code – so that only authorized users can access your data, greatly reducing opportunistic data theft and break-ins.
Conclusion
Smart watches for kids are fun, modern technology that can help parents be better parents, enabling communication and security, as well as health benefits and giving kids more freedom and responsibility. If you know which features are important, you can find the right baby device for your child and manage it in a way that maximizes the benefits.
With the recent development of wearable devices, we can now expect them to become an indispensable part of smart parenting in our busy world. So while wearable technology shows no signs of slowing down, embrace the trend and start experimenting with how kids’ smartwatches can change your family’s everyday life.