We were at a family gathering on Sunday and I was saying how this Summer seems to have been our most exhausting; it's flown by but the days have been long, and I'm feeling quite ready for the cosier nights to come and the shorter days!
The reason for our hectic summer is definitely down to it being our first as parents to two active little ones. Little E found his feet just before his first birthday arrived and has been virtually unstoppable since. He wants to be running, climbing and exploring everywhere and like all little ones requires watching 24/7. TJ has shot up this Summer and seems to be so much more grown up in every way; he's still full of energy though and when he's not building new Lego creations he's out racing about and playing in the garden until late.
Going out with kids is never the easiest option and this year we've found it more than challenging going on family trips to adventure parks and other attractions that have been full of families making the most of the sunshine like ourselves! Even with both of us there it's not easy to watch two small people desperate to see different things and explore. We've definitely learnt that having eyes in the back of your head is part of the parenting journey! I am a worrier when it comes to busy places and keeping track of my children; I think like most parents we toe the line constantly between giving them space to grow and making sure they don't come to any harm. It's always going to be a struggle but we try; teaching them early about getting lost, strangers and not running off too far. When we've been out and about this summer I've noticed little things in place to reassure parent and children should someone stray too far; lost points, badges and wrist bands with parents phone numbers on. No one goes out with the intention of not watching their child properly, but it does happen and being prepared helps. Watchu asked us if we would like to try our their GPS watches for children, and I was really intrigued as to how it would work and whether it'd be something we'd take to.
When it first arrived I was very impressed with the simplicity of its design; it's bright and colourful like you'd expect a children's watch to be, comfortable to wear and has a modern style with an easy read digital or analogue face. What I wasn't expecting from this simple looking watch was its ability to make and receive calls. It has its own sim card which comes with credit to use immediately. Joe actually set this up but it took not much more than 30 minutes
"It was really easy to set up, just scan the bar-code on your phone and install the app, then register the Watch in the app using the phone number associated with the sim. Really simple for anyone to do."
TJ was desperate to try his "spy watch" so he went to the shop with his Dad and called me from it to test it out- I asked Joe not to help him to see if he'd learned how to do it himself. I was really surprised at the clearness of the call and how quickly he'd picked up how to use it. We both downloaded the app which we can use to call the Watchu and track its location- such an amazing feature if you're heading somewhere busy. It uses three different types of tracking technology from the watch to the app to find the Watchu's location, GPS, LBS(2G) and Wifi. What I love about the Watchu is that it looks so simple; the face gives no indication that it is a tracker or that it can listen in to its surroundings without anyone noticing and the battery lasts up to 120 hours after being charged. It also has an SOS button which connects immediately and calls a pre-saved number until answered.
This is one of the most amazing pieces of tech for children we've ever seen!
As soon as family and friends saw this they wanted one for their own and of course, the kids were desperate to get one themselves; it's perfect for children who are too young to have a phone or if you'd rather they were only able to make calls.
I can see so many uses for this little gadget for children, and also for vulnerable and elderly people, for whom Watchu also have a design. The Watchu guardian has the same features but in an adult style; again it's almost indistinguishable as anything other than a watch.
The Watchu is such an amazing piece of technology and it's been really great to see how useful it can be first hand; at the most, this could be a real lifesaver. It's certainly something to think about if you're worried about keeping track of your little ones!
Check our Sally's blog HERE!