Foo - At what time is a child old enough to wear a watch

Our youngest can now tell time on a digital clock, and is pretty proud of this new skill. Today he had to get up from the breakfast table to go look at the clock on the coffee machine to tell us what time it is.

He cannot read an anolog clock yet. I want to get him a watch, as he has been asking about if he has enough allowance saved to buy a clock to wear on his arm.

So do I let him get an inexpensive, non challenging digital with his allowance, offer to buy the watch for him if he chooses an inexpensive Timex or Casio analog, or try to find a kids version of a watch that is analog and digital?

What say you Foo? Be the village and help raise a child for me.

Analog watches help children learn the concept of fractions (quarter, half). I vote for analog.

I am leaning hard towards analog, but I do not want to frustrate him

I am leaning hard towards analog, but I do not want to frustrate him

How old were you when you learned to tell time? It can be frustrating but also rewarding for a child to learn a new skill.

I'd let him pick out an analog watch with his favorite character on it.

Start by sitting at the kitchen table while eating snacks that you can count and explain about 5, 10, 15 etc of the minutes on the clock, using the little snacks to help represent the minutes. That's how I was taught. It was actually fun!

I think telling time lessons started in grade 1 (too long ago to remember accurately) but I do remember getting my first watch for Christmas when I was 7. It was a Lucy from the Peanuts watch. Her arms moved around the dial and she looked irritated. I loved it.

There are loads of nice looking kids watches on amazon.com -- what does your son like? Disney? Sports? Camo? They have it.

There are some nice didgital analog watches out there. In our family we all got/get watches for our ninth brithday,it's a tradition started by my grandfather back in the Dirty Thirties and is still being done today.We/the kids look forward to it as it means you're a big kid now. Still have mine,doesn't work but still have it!

Both analog and calculator watches.

Also, buy him some Dick Tracy comics

how old is he?

Kids no longer have watches, they have mobile phones or PDAs, get one of those

He's like FIVE. He doesn't need a cellphone.

Boy Scout watch.

analog watch. teach them military time too. I babysit these kids who are 13 and they can't tell time with an analog clock/watch. They just use their cellphone. :/

He is 6, in kindergarten. I like the boy scout watch idea. I was leaning towards a simple classic design from Timex. I was a product of the pre digital watch age, so my default is to a Timex analog. He loves scouting and cannot wait to join the Pack in the fall. I think AllenG has again hit the ball out of the park.

I got my first watch (a digital) in second grade or thereabouts. It was cheap and did not last long. But by then, I could already tell analog time... the old 1930s Seikosha clock my parents brought home from Japan was always on the wall. My first real watch (Timex Ironman digital), I got in 6th grade and had it until last year, when strapping it to the handlebar bent the circuit board and LCD and it finally died.

My last regular watch (Timex Expedition analog) fell out of my handlebar bag somewhere near Summit Rd and Soquel-San Jose Rd back in September. :(

Now I only have my Cal Poly gold watch (I wear it as often as I wear a suit... hahaha), my USSR Railway pocketwatch, and an old USSR analog wind-up watch that was a souvenir from someone's trip back in the 80's.

My GFs daughter and some of her high school aged friends were talking about another friend that couldn't tell time using "one of those circley clocks". We cracked up when we realized what they were talking about.

Wow, BSA only offers an Eagle Scout watch that I can see. No Cub Scout watch. I guess wrist watches really are a dying breed thanks to the cell phone.

Here is what I am leaning towards.

http://www.timex.com/Timex-My-First-Outdoors/dp/B000SZPZV6?ie=UTF8&id=Timex%20My%20First%20Outdoors&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2223484011&searchSize=12&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=2223484011&refinementHistory=watch_movement_type%2Csize_code%2Cband_material_type%2Cdial_color%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank

I learned on a teeter totter watch when I was in 1st (?) grade. It only ran for 3-4 hours before needing winding. No doubt to get the kid to pay attention and speed the learning process.
http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.94280068.jpg

He's like FIVE. He doesn't need a cellphone.
Hey, my 2.5 year old has a cellphone!...granted, it only calls Buzz Lightyear, we got it for free at a garage sale, and it only keeps his interest for about 30 seconds...

I was waaaay too old when I could finally read a clock. Don't let it happen to yours!

Here is what I am leaning towards.

http://www.timex.com/Timex-My-First-Outdoors/dp/B000SZPZV6?ie=UTF8&id=Timex%20My%20First%20Outdoors&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2223484011&searchSize=12&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=2223484011&refinementHistory=watch_movement_type%2Csize_code%2Cband_material_type%2Cdial_color%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank
That's a good looking watch.

the my first watch from timex, perfect.

Oh, and I raised two boys. Do not be disappointed when the watch doesn't get treated the way you treat your watch, that why you are only spending 20 bucks.

Wow, BSA only offers an Eagle Scout watch that I can see. No Cub Scout watch. I guess wrist watches really are a dying breed thanks to the cell phone.

Reading it is the last merit badge most eagles get these days

LEGO Star Wars watch FTW
http://cache.lego.com/images/shop/prod/2856130-0000-xx-12-1.jpg

LEGO Star Wars watch FTW
http://cache.lego.com/images/shop/prod/2856130-0000-xx-12-1.jpg

The oldest son got that watch, or the equivalent red/black one, as a present. It is okay, but not great. Not very durable and the band comes apart at the wrong place with relative ease. That will not be amongst the options if he chooses to let Mom and Dad buy him an analog watch.

If he chooses to spend allowance that he has worked for on that watch, he is welcome to buy it.

thumbs up on that lego watch!

i've seen analog watches that also have a digital display.

He's like FIVE. He doesn't need a cellphone.

Our 13-month old has my wife's old Motorola RAZR. It doesn't call anyone or do anything because the battery is DEAD and was removed. He carries it around the house all the same.

Our 13-month old has my wife's old Motorola RAZR. It doesn't call anyone or do anything because the battery is DEAD and was removed. He carries it around the house all the same.

No Angry Birds?

No Angry Birds?

Nah, but he likes it anyway because it's shiny and he can flip it open sometimes.

Here is what I am leaning towards.

http://www.timex.com/Timex-My-First-Outdoors/dp/B000SZPZV6?ie=UTF8&id=Timex%20My%20First%20Outdoors&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2223484011&searchSize=12&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=2223484011&refinementHistory=watch_movement_type%2Csize_code%2Cband_material_type%2Cdial_color%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank

That looks like a fine watch.

For what it's worth, we got both my kids cheap ( and I mean cheap - like $10 ) souvenir watches when they were around five. It was a novelty for a couple of days, then they stopped wearing them.

Now eight-year-old daughter suddenly wants to wear her watch every day. Her 10-year-old brother still couldn't care less about the time. Go figure. :-)

What ever happen to the Mickey Mouse watches(the Rolex of 6yr.olds)?
Always a classic back in the day.

You did ask at what time....so I say 4 PM

I think I got my Ironman in fifth grade. When the first battery died, I bought a new one. It'd been redesigned, and was a piece of junk, so I fished the battery out of the new one to resurrect the old one. I still have the old one. Needs a battery again, and it's on its fourth band, but still functional, as far as I know.

I wear a titanium Seiko analogue watch now.

And yeah, the Sharrlet is a good dozen years away from possibly needing a cellular telephone.

That RAZR is just a toy to Baby A... another thing to carry around the house. He also has a toy cell phone that makes noise, but the RAZR is shiny... and realistic, even to a toddler. What is hilarious is that sometimes he grabs his MegaBlocks and holds them up to his ear like the phone. :) Someday, I will get him to do it with a banana.

Our youngest can now tell time on a digital clock, and is pretty proud of this new skill.

What say you Foo? Be the village and help raise a child for me.

Watches are fading fast. Who needs one when you have a clock included in your phone?

How about a classic Timex Camper?

I can't imagine a day without a watch, it's a heck of a lot faster than finding where I left my phone.

One still looks like a dweeb to dig around in their pocket/purse to find the telephone, pull it out, perform whatever action to enable the backlight, check the time, then put the silly thing back where it came from.

With a watch, the time is a flick of the wrist away.

+1

I don't always carry my phone with me, but I always wear a watch. I have found that when meetings are running long it's much easier to sneak a furtive glance at a watch than a cell phone.

+1

I don't always carry my phone with me, but I always wear a watch. I have found that when meetings are running long it's much easier to sneak a furtive glance at a watch than a cell phone.

or if the person running the show is a pain make a bit of a show checking the time unless it is the boss ,of course. :D

Kids no longer have watches, they have mobile phones or PDAs, get one of those

+1

Who uses watches nowadays? Just get him an iPhone.

+1

I don't always carry my phone with me, but I always wear a watch. I have found that when meetings are running long it's much easier to sneak a furtive glance at a watch than a cell phone.

Forget furtive. If the meeting is long enough make a show of the waste of time that it is. A few of my coworkers and I used to get up and leave from our staff meetings at Sun when they hit 2 hours.

I ended up meeting him in the middle and getting a digital readout watch that has both number and hands. Also it was sub $10 so great starter watch. Timex camper or expedition watch will be next. My oldest son has worn my old Seiko everyday this week.

He is 6, in kindergarten. I like the boy scout watch idea. I was leaning towards a simple classic design from Timex. I was a product of the pre digital watch age, so my default is to a Timex analog. He loves scouting and cannot wait to join the Pack in the fall. I think AllenG has again hit the ball out of the park.

Another vote for analog, he can even use the many digital clocks in our present day environment to double check his watch, which could help him learn faster.

one thing about kids is they can be rough on stuff, so especially if he'll be wearing it outdoors, in the wet, etc. That in itself could provide a good lesson (taking care of a somewhat fragile possession); and if it does get damaged he can learn from that for the next one, and you're not out a ton of money.

As a kid I got my first watch (Timex Mickey Mouse) at around 5, but after I broke it (zealously overwinding!) I got a plain Timex of the same type and was only allowed to wear it to church on Sundays. I loved reading the water resistance and other info on the watch case....a good solid Timex should be fine for your son doing anything aside from swimming/diving.

Here is what I am leaning towards.

http://www.timex.com/Timex-My-First-Outdoors/dp/B000SZPZV6?ie=UTF8&id=Timex%20My%20First%20Outdoors&field_product_site_launch_date_utc=-1y&field_availability=-1&field_browse=2223484011&searchSize=12&searchPage=1&searchNodeID=2223484011&refinementHistory=watch_movement_type%2Csize_code%2Cband_material_type%2Cdial_color%2Cprice&searchRank=salesrank

yeah that looks great for him. When I think "Timex" I automatically think "Mercury" (http://lh4.ggpht.com/__ysVIAnoZ5s/RpgU7p3t-jI/AAAAAAAAAng/28kaVZANuZY/s800/IMGP0063.JPG).

One still looks like a dweeb to dig around in their pocket/purse to find the telephone, pull it out, perform whatever action to enable the backlight, check the time, then put the silly thing back where it came from.

With a watch, the time is a flick of the wrist away.

which is exactly why they replaced pocket watches in the first place (during WWI)

I ended up meeting him in the middle and getting a digital readout watch that has both number and hands. Also it was sub $10 so great starter watch. Timex camper or expedition watch will be next. My oldest son has worn my old Seiko everyday this week.

That's cool J. I was thinking of those Casios that have both modes but they are around the $100 range, iirc. Hope he enjoys the new watch! :)

I like the digital/analog combo. For now, that's an easy way to learn to convert the two modes.

Make him pay overages past a certain basic plan when he gets a cell phone. Or buy one of those phones that will only call three basic numbers. Maybe home, police, 911 etc. Learn from my mistakes.

He will get the phone when he fights his way out of the barrel after his 18th birtday. If he gets out. REH rules.

He will get the phone when he fights his way out of the barrel after his 18th birtday. If he gets out. REH rules.

Put him in the barrel at his 15th birthday. At 15 everything is cars cars cars. My parents never caught me driving the car all over the place at 15.
Did you know that on a Buick Special, the windshield wipers stop working and are pinned to the windshield
at 115 mph? Did you know that Oldsmobile Cutlasses are not as good as a jeep over high pointed rocks? The rocks can actually knock the driveshaft right off the car.

Did you know that a Toyota Celica will lose if it hits a sawed off telephone pole in a wheat field? Did you know a Pontiac Bonneville with a 402 cu. in. mill will do an awesome burnout right up until and actually well after it hits a light pole?

Now, back to watches, while I try to supress those memories and not think about the karmic forces working against me.

Did you know that a Toyota Celica will lose if it hits a sawed off telephone pole in a wheat field? Did you know a Pontiac Bonneville with a 402 cu. in. mill will do an awesome burnout right up until and actually well after it hits a light pole?

Now, back to watches, while I try to supress those memories and not think about the karmic forces working against me.

I hereby pronounce you qualified to raise a male child.