Watch as Gift for Elementary Kid?

[eternallytired]

My older kids are in elementary school, and I thought I'd get them each a watch for Christmas...but my mom said it would be a waste of money because she doesn't know any kids who wear watches.  I wear a watch, if it makes a difference.  At any rate, I thought I'd poll the hive: is a watch a useful gift for a kid in the early elementary years, or have you had watches languishing at your house?  Thanks for your input!

[eternallytired]

Should I have made this poll not public?  I thought maybe if I didn't check that box, no one would be able to see the results but me...  Maybe I'm wrong, though...

[IfIOnly]

We have given our kids nice sports watches in the past, and they've all lost or broken them. The did appreciate the gifts at the time though!

[Catwoman]

My ds has worn a watch every day since elementary school. Do your kids show any interest in wearing a watch?

[MEmama]

My DS got his first watch in 3rd? grade. He wore it every single day until it was upgraded to a Garmin. He is never without. It is definitely an essential item for him. :)

[PhotoGal]

My kids both wear watches every day! I've been really surprised. They take them off for showers and put them right back on after. If I had known they would love them so much, I probably would have bought them nicer ones. :)

[alisoncooks]

Oldest DD got one last year and really liked it...but it broke very shortly after Christmas.  (Not her fault, I think -- cheap Walmart watch.)

[mamiof5]

Mine lost interest. But, we just had bad luck with batteries, they ran out quickly, an after getting new ones they didn't last long either. So...they might use a watch if we had better luck with batteries :P

[UCF612]

Mine have watches but they lose them frequently.  When they find them they love to wear them again but for whatever reason they can't seem to put them in a safe place when they take them off.  My youngest is like that with everything but my oldest usually keeps track of his things.  Not sure why watches are so elusive!  But they like having them.

[Southern Ivy]

I voted other....since I'm answering based on my students. :) 
My 4th graders LOVE the cheap watches they got when they had a Walk to School event. VERY cheap. lol But, they are always playing with them, freaking out when they take them off and leave them in other rooms. I can only imagine how they'd feel if they had a nicer watch. 
 

[Arcadia]

DS9 needed an analog watch to be able to learn time.  He also loves watches so he has many.  DS10 isn't as into watches but he wears one so he knows when activities are going to start and end when we are not at home. They pick their own watches. My parents and my in-laws are happy to buy them watches as gifts.

[Tsuga]

All the kids seemed to really enjoy character-based bling watches between the ages of two and about five. Now they are like... what's the point? We can just look at a computer or phone.

[Jackie]

My daughter is very proud of her watch (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MLXG8TQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) and probably wears it about 1/3 of the time. She just plain forgets about it the rest of the time. She picked out what style/color she wanted from that line of watches and is very happy with it.

[Ali in OR]

Our girls got watches pretty young to help learn time--inexpensive ones with an elastic wrist band. They used them until the batteries died and apparently you can't just replace the batteries with this style. My 15 yo dd specifically asked for a watch last Christmas and she wears it regularly (it's a nicer one).

[myfunnybunch]

My boys each bought watches at the dollar thrift store--my dad took them there to spend the money they earned pulling weeds for him. (Thanks, Dad. He also suggested that they buy a gift for their mom. I've got two hideous knick-knacks on my mantel.)

 

The watches are SO ugly. Ds12 finally lost his, but ds10 wears his frequently. It's one of those old stretchy-band watches. When he wears it, he tells us what time it is ever 5 minutes or so. Really, thanks a lot, Dad. Sigh.....

 

But seriously, he really likes his watch and wears it whenever he remembers and can find it.

[Sara in AZ]

My 10 and 13 year olds both recently asked for a watch. My 13 year old got hers for her birthday.

[Tap]

Never really used it.  They wore it for the first week and then stopped caring/wearing it.  In the time they had it, I don't remember them using it for telling time.  It was more of a bracelet than anything. LOL

[Ausmumof3]

I voted other. Mine only occasionally wear theirs but it was worth it for the massive jump in their analogue clock reading skills when they got them. I wouldn't make it a huge investment though just a cheap one. Also the kids use the stopwatch part often.

[Have kids -- will travel]

My DS has had a Timex kids' watch since turning four. A year later, he still wears it regularly. It's a very durable watch, surviving a trip in the swimming pool. If your kid is interested, there is absolutely no better way to teach them time. ODS was accurate to five minutes within a couple of months of daily use.

 

Editing to add: My DS was obsessed with time for a while before he got his watch, so a kid less rigid about times might not be as fascinated as mine was.

[Ivey]

Depends on the kid. My 18yo wears a watch and has since he was about 7. My other boys have all received watches as gifts over the years, but none of them continued to wear the watch after the novelty had worn off. 

[Library Momma]

Both of my kids have watches but I've only ever seen DS11 wear his, and it has been a handful of times.  Most people I know use their phone to tell the time.

 

This reminds me of a story.  I was at the soccer field with a friend of mine and she asked me if I had my phone on me.  I said no, that I had left it in the car.  She said too bad, she wanted to know what time it was.  I replied that I did have my watch on...

[lynn]

Only my oldest son used his when he was in elementary school. The others did not.

[Bluegoat]

We bought a watch for dd when she was 9, because she kept coming home late.  She likes it and wears it, though she also regularly misplaces it.  We didn't spend a lot of money on it which I think was a good choice.

[eternallytired]

Thanks for all the replies--this has been super helpful.  My oldest loves numbers and data and precision, so I think he'd get a kick out of a watch (especially if it had a second hand), and my daughter keeps asking if she's going to get one (though she may view it more as jewelry)...so maybe I'll give it a shot.  Timex has some pretty durable-sounding watches on Amazon for under $20, and it sounds like several of you had good luck with them.  Thanks again!

[EmilyGF]

All of my kids got a watch soon after they learned to tell time. They each wore the watch until it broke and became good at telling time (analog).

FWIW, I am not getting my kids cell phones any time soon. My old (10) frequently meets up with a friend to play at a local park (doesn't that sound like something out of the 1980s?). He usually has a time he is supposed to come home and needs a watch in order to get home on time. Since his broke, he actually takes mine with him in his pocket. 

 

Hmmm. Maybe he needs a watch for Christmas!

[SparklyUnicorn]

They'd start out wearing them and then they would get lost somewhere in the house. 

 

 

[TrixieB]

One of my teens always wears a watch, and has done so since some point in elementary school.  I don't remember, though, if my child requested the first watch or if it was a surprise gift. 

[Bluegoat]

All of my kids got a watch soon after they learned to tell time. They each wore the watch until it broke and became good at telling time (analog).

FWIW, I am not getting my kids cell phones any time soon. My old (10) frequently meets up with a friend to play at a local park (doesn't that sound like something out of the 1980s?). He usually has a time he is supposed to come home and needs a watch in order to get home on time. Since his broke, he actually takes mine with him in his pocket. 

 

Hmmm. Maybe he needs a watch for Christmas!

 

Yeah, I only just got a phone of my own and I still haven't activated it.  It will be a long time before my kids have a phone, but I still need them to be home on time.

[Word Nerd]

My older DD has worn a watch since 5th or 6th grade and wears it almost every day. My younger DD wants one, so that's on my list for her for Christmas.

[JudoMom]

My 9, 11, & 16 year olds all wear watches daily.  The 13 year old used to (he now wears a survival bracelet with a compass on it).  My 15 year old never has.

 

The Timex Kids analog watches have really held up here.  The watch my 9 year old wears is about 12 years old (it belonged to an older boy at one time). 

 

[TechWife]

My son has had a watch since he was about five years old. Even though he is now in college, he still wears a watch all the time.

 

I know a lot of kids now don't wear watches and just look at their phones when they need to know the time. 

[Rachel]

Thanks for all the replies--this has been super helpful. My oldest loves numbers and data and precision, so I think he'd get a kick out of a watch (especially if it had a second hand), and my daughter keeps asking if she's going to get one (though she may view it more as jewelry)...so maybe I'll give it a shot. Timex has some pretty durable-sounding watches on Amazon for under $20, and it sounds like several of you had good luck with them. Thanks again!

We got a simple Timex analog watch for my son when he was 5 or 6 and learning to tell time. He wore it daily until a camp counselor who was holding it lost it. So, he kept it and used it daily for about 2 years, we plan to replace it for his upcoming birthday.

 

I think it really depends on the child as to how often it will be used.

[arliemaria]

Just bought a Timex Analog for our 6.5 year old for this upcoming Christmas.  It was inexpensive, under $20 on amazon.

[redsquirrel]

I got my older boy a watch for his birthday when he was able to tell time. I got it at Target and it cost less than 20$.  It was lost in about a week and he never mentioned it again.  He is now 15 and none of his friends wear a watch, they all have phones. DS uses his phone for quite a lot of time related things, it is his alarm clock, reminders, he times himself for exams etc. He really uses the watch function, but it's in his pocket, not his wrist.

 

I didn't bother with my younger boy. None of his friends wear one and he didn't see the point. 

 

We do have clocks (not digital!) in a couple rooms and they do check those, so they can tell time.

 

I should also add that none of my adult peers wear a watch either.  I never have and I am in my 40s, neither has DH. If you walk up to a group of parents and ask what time it is, everyone reaches for their pockets to check their phone.

[Wheres Toto]

My son got a watch for his birthday in August and wears it 24/7 (it's waterproof so even in the bath and when swimming).

 

My youngest has one that she wears sporadically.

 

My oldest doesn't wear a watch at all but she has a phone. 

 

ETA:  I wear a watch everyday.  It's a casual gold/silver one that was a gift from DH.

[mom2scouts]

I voted "other" because my 9 year old has been asking for a watch for awhile. I don't know if, or how long, it will be used.  She says she would like to have one when she's playing outside or at a friend's house so she can quickly see if it's time to go home.

 

Now that I think about it, my 12 year old wore his watch often until he lost it. It was useful at Scout camp so he could keep track of merit badge classes while having freedom around the camp.

[Luanne]

When my daughter was a child she did wear a watch.  She is 27 now and doesn't because she can always check the time on her cell phone.  I voted other.