We are really in the future now.
I just gave my son, Charlie, a kids’ watch that doubles as a smartphone and I have been tracking his every move.
The Moochies watch is aimed for kids aged four up to 12-years-old, but I am getting on-trend early with my two-year-old toddler.
Charlie and I have called each other (from the other end of the lounge room) but the linked app parents can add up to 10 people that can call the watch and the child can call them.
The oversized digital watch also has a GPS tracker and a SOS call feature.
Moochies’ creators say it’s simpler than a mobile phone and Charlie has accidentally already left me a few voicemails.
It’s a novelty to him but he doesn’t understand that I am tracking his movements.
It is helicopter parenting but always knowing where he is doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all.
Helicopter vs free-range
However, my childhood was mobile phone free and I was raised free-range. I had full suburban range.
My brother and I roamed free to the shops, the ridge, the park, the bike path and the actual street.
Our afternoons were spent outside with tween neighbours, making the most of day-light saving.
I walked to school alone and I can’t remember my mother worrying about my safety - even when the magpies were terrifying.
Now when I face the process of letting go as a parent, I’ve noticed how tightly I hold on.
“Finding balance between ‘helicopter’ and ‘free-range’ parenting is a constant challenge for parents,” says Ryan O’Neill, co-founder of Moochies.
“New theories and trends on the right way to parent can be extremely frustrating for increasingly time-poor and stressed parents but we can all agree that kids are spending too much time indoors,” he added.
“Moochies helps alleviate anxiety by letting parents know their child is always just a phone call away.”
The mobile-watch makers say Moochies could “bridge the gap” for parents when children feel ready to take small steps of independence.
The tech brand ran a survey that found over 80 per cent of parents had anxiety over the prospect of letting their child outside on their own - with 14 per cent feeling “extremely anxious”.
The idea is that a device like this could alleviate some anxiety when children are forging their alone time.
After trialling the watch, it’s about making me feel safe.
My two-year-old son doesn't need GPS tracking because I know where he is - at this age.
But later in his life, something like this would work a treat for someone like me.
I am still suffering from day care separation anxiety.
But by the time Charlie understands I am tracking him, he might have something to say about it.
In the meantime, I always know where he is and we are playing high-tech walkie talkies.
It’s the kind of futuristic watch I could only dream about when I was a child.
Top Comments
Wonder what sort of mother in law youll be?
I was a fre-range child of the 70s. My parents did worry about my safety. That's why my dad taught me to hit men in the crotch if they approached. Both parents drilled us on not talking to strangers, sticking together, sticking to the path (no trespassing), correctly identifying "safe" people and safety houses, and telling them where we were going. We also learnt a little about time management (don't take too long a potentially unsafe places) and be mindful of your surroundings especially places where paedophiles linger like toilets and playgrounds.
Kids were approached travelling to school. They screamed and fought just like they were presumeably taught.
People have a rose-coloured perspective looking back on the time. Kids were unsafe and parents tried to prepare them rather than shield them.
Parents today have it harder because fewer people are at home so their is less community surveillance.