Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
July 20, 2010
I've been teaching my son how to tell time, and I want to give him the gift of a watch as a reward. I think it will also teach him responsibility to have to take care of a watch and should improve him number skills.
July 25, 2010
Getting your child his first watch is a big deal. There are plenty of places where kids may come across watches for the first time, from fast food spots to vending machines, but these watches probably won't last for long. Watches that come from such sources are basically meant to be thrown away shortly after they're first worn since they are made of low costing plastic and rubber. The great thing about that is that you don't have to worry about your child losing such watches. Nonetheless, a child's first real watch is a great way to raise his awareness to the function of time and keeping time. After all, our lives are built on time no matter how old or young we are and we need watches to help make sure we're on time, wherever we need to be.
There are so many different kinds of watches, many of which can be quite complicated for a 5 year old child to understand. Reading the hands of an analog watch and explaining about AM and PM might go right over the child's head at this age, making their first encounter with watches an uncomfortable one. I would recommend digital watches since they make it as easy as possible for kids to read the time. However, some people believe that digital watches discourage children from learning how to tell time from an analog watch. Although children are taught how to tell time from an analog watch at school, this can make it harder to teach them. The bottom line is that it's ultimately the parents' decision.
Children can be pretty careless and wild sometimes, so if you want your child's first watch to last, you should make sure to check out durable watches. Many children's watch manufacturers take this into consideration, but some don't so it's a good idea to ask questions. Perhaps the most important part of the watch to check is the watch band. If the band isn't secure, it will almost certainly break, causing the child to lose the watch. Sporty watches are probably your best bet for a strong watch.
July 24, 2010
I agree that an analog watch is a good idea for a child learning to read time or maybe a watch that has both analog and digital in case the child has difficulty reading the analog. Although I haven't owned watches with both analog and digital, they do exist and with a simple internet search, you will come across ones appropriate for kids.
July 24, 2010
I would like to suggest that a child's first watch be an analog watch. It's not impossible for a young child to start reading conventional time. There are actually watches out there that are specially designed for this purpose. These watches should have a watch face that is large enough to make them easy to see. Children's watches that have different colored hands for the hours and the minutes are a big help. Some of these watches even have hands that read "hour" and "minute" in order to make it easier to decipher between the watch's hands. Of course I would also go for a durable watch since kids will be kids, and water resistant watches are also a good way to make sure the watch isn't harmed if accidentally comes into contact with water. Some manufacturers that produce children's watches also have a protection plan through which they replace lost watches for a small fee within a year of the purchase. Timex offers a great selection of children's watches so I would probably check there first if I were you.
