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Fitbit 6-7 year old



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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 10:46 am
My 1st grader asked me for a Fitbit- said her friends got for chanukah. Is it normal for a 6-7 year old to have a Fitbit? I thought it was sort of odd or maybe very materialistic?

If it’s a Fitbit this year will it be a phone or an Apple Watch the next?
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MiracleMama




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 11:27 am
I think this is extremely odd, not because of materialism, but because giving a child that age a device to start them off obsessing about their health and exercise levels is SICK!
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 11:36 am
MiracleMama wrote:
I think this is extremely odd, not because of materialism, but because giving a child that age a device to start them off obsessing about their health and exercise levels is SICK!


Agreed. Promoting healthy food choices and physical activity is appropriate for that age. Giving them a device to track numbers is not appropriate, and potentially very damaging.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 11:39 am
Both kids the parents grew up very frum and are modern now. Could it be because they are trying to keep up? I personally don’t understand it. If you want your kids to have a digital watch it’s one thing, but a tracker is just too much IMO
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:00 pm
I don't think giving fitbits to 6 year olds is a thing in the MO world, nor in the secular world.
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amother
Midnight


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:03 pm
Any chance she is mixing up the word Fitbit with something else, like a smart watch or other wearable device?

DH and I have Amazon Fire devices and we constantly call them "Kindles" and so our kids call them Kindles too. But they are not technically Kindles, even though they have a Kindle app that you can use to read.
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s1




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:05 pm
My 10 and 12 year olds have. Not actual fit bits, just cheapy ones from Amazon that are connected to my husbands phone. They enjoy seeing how many steps they’ve done, especially if we go out on a outing and go for a long walk/climb. It doesn’t make them think about their health obsessively, doesn’t stop them eating junk food but does gently encourage them to run around a bit more.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:13 pm
amother [ Midnight ] wrote:
Any chance she is mixing up the word Fitbit with something else, like a smart watch or other wearable device?

DH and I have Amazon Fire devices and we constantly call them "Kindles" and so our kids call them Kindles too. But they are not technically Kindles, even though they have a Kindle app that you can use to read.


She specifically said it is to see how many steps you take so no I don’t think so. Either way- how is a smart watch or other wearable device any better?
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amother
Mocha


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:18 pm
Just to play devils advocate how many of you had a phase as a kid where you walked around with a pedometer? My gym teacher in elementary school ran a program that all the kids got excited about where we all got pedometers and each time we reached a certain amount of steps we’d get a plastic foot to add to our bracelet/metal chain. It was SO cool and exciting and this was for little kids.

I wouldn’t not spend the money on an actual Fitbit but maybe a cheap off brand watch that resembles a Fitbit and counts steps? Not sure what would really be wrong with that.
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amother
Maize


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:22 pm
My 9 year old also asked for one. Said a (wealthy) friend of his got it for chanuka. He thinks it's a cool type of watch. I don't see the purpose of getting it for children. But I wonder if it's becoming an in thing.
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amother
OP


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 12:24 pm
amother [ Mocha ] wrote:
Just to play devils advocate how many of you had a phase as a kid where you walked around with a pedometer? My gym teacher in elementary school ran a program that all the kids got excited about where we all got pedometers and each time we reached a certain amount of steps we’d get a plastic foot to add to our bracelet/metal chain. It was SO cool and exciting and this was for little kids.

I wouldn’t not spend the money on an actual Fitbit but maybe a cheap off brand watch that resembles a Fitbit and counts steps? Not sure what would really be wrong with that.


One issue I have is with technology always on my child. Who knows what that gives off also? They shouldn’t always feel like they can be connected. It also has Bluetooth on it. Another is dependence on tech- if you’re always telling time digitally it doesn’t teach you how to tell time. I had a shark watch when I was little- anyone remember those? Maybe my parents weren’t on top of me academically- but because of this, I could not tell time until high school. I’m serious.

I feel it could also be a distraction in school
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zaq




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 1:03 pm
Absurd.
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CatLady




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 1:19 pm
It's starting way too young IMO. I've never seen a kid with a Fitbit, even though they market a kids' model (the Ace).
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shyner




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 1:23 pm
Just to inform parents that if they buy one of the cheap knockoff smart watches be very careful what you buy because some of the brands are not careful about data and privacy,
Some of the cheap ones sold on Amazon geared for kids have been found to be easily hackable and means that strangers can track a child’s location and access the camera and microphone
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amother
Mocha


 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 1:31 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
One issue I have is with technology always on my child. Who knows what that gives off also? They shouldn’t always feel like they can be connected. It also has Bluetooth on it. Another is dependence on tech- if you’re always telling time digitally it doesn’t teach you how to tell time. I had a shark watch when I was little- anyone remember those? Maybe my parents weren’t on top of me academically- but because of this, I could not tell time until high school. I’m serious.

I feel it could also be a distraction in school


Understood. so don’t get it. Maybe consider a pocket pedometer instead?
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srbmom




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Nov 30 2021, 2:42 pm
They sell activity trackers on Amazon for about $15. I would assume this is what the kids have. My kids have and they call them fitbits
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