My son was BEGGING me to buy him a “fit bit” (a Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2) and after checking the $80 price tag, I won’t lie, I told him flat out NO. You can obviously tell how well that worked 😉 After researching it and learning about some of the capabilities, talking to other moms who loved it, and making him earn it, I caved.
It is a digital watch, a step counter, a fitness tracker (for tracking 60-minute activity goals), a sleep tracker, a responsibility tracker, and probably more that I don’t use 😉 It has a battery that lasts for around a year so it doesn’t have to be charged and the 2nd generation is waterproof for swimming! Yay for those last two details that make it super kid-friendly! I set chores on the free app on my phone for my son to get dressed for school, put his pj’s in the hamper, do homework, and unpack his backpack. You can set days that the chores are due, have reminders pop up with child-friendly icons, and reward them with virtual coins for completed chores. There’s an easy-to-use cash-in system so that you can set specific rewards for coins earned. For example, when my son earns 20 coins, he can exchange them in for a pack of Pokemon cards (insert eye roll if you too have an outpouring of Pokemon cards exploding from every possible crevice in your car, house, couch cushions, etc. …or is it just me?!). The app is really easy to use and the watch actually incentivizes my child to do things that he otherwise wouldn’t without me nagging.
You can buy these on Amazon with 2 day shipping and you just have to decide whether you want an adjustable band (which is what we ended up going with – and was a new option with the 2nd generation) or a stretchy band (which is basically a bracelet that they slip on). Various branded decorations are available for the 2nd generation (Minnie Mouse, Star Wars, Avengers) but if you don’t like those options, you can buy a replacement band that is a solid color instead.
Let me know if you end up buying one and how you like it! It would be a great reward for a good report card at the end of the year or a special present before summer vacation to incentivize your kiddos to MOVE…and do any other chores that may be driving you crazy! Good luck with that 😉
