Calling watch for a 9 year old so he can play downstairs, or is that overkill?

mellow_veranda_875528 Oct 2026

Our elder son is 9 and wants to go down to the building compound on his own in the evenings to play football with the older kids. I'm fine with it as long as he checks in. My partner wants him to come up every half hour to show his face, which he says is embarrassing in front of the bigger boys. We're on the 11th floor, so coming up is a whole trip. A friend suggested one of those kids' calling watches. It would solve the check-in, but it feels like a lot of gadget for going downstairs in our own building. And the 6 year old will want one the minute his brother has it.

3 comments

lemon_kite_443228 Oct 2026
Before buying anything, I would separate two needs: you knowing he is fine, and him being able to reach you if he isn't. The watchman's intercom probably covers the second already. For the first, we settled on one fixed check-in rather than every half hour. Our daughter came up at 7 for water and went back down. That lasted until she was about eleven.
lemon_veranda_408128 Oct 2026
Our 8 year old has started going down too, with a friend from the next tower. We didn't get a watch. My only rule is that she tells the guard at the gate when she goes out and when she comes back in, and he keeps a rough eye on them. I'm not sure that works in every building, but ours has a guard who knows every child by name. How are you planning to handle the 6 year old? That's the part I haven't solved either.
maple_balcony_814529 Oct 2026
We bought a calling watch for our son at 10. It did what it was meant to for about a year, and then he wanted a phone anyway, so it delayed that conversation rather than replacing it. For going downstairs in your own building, I would try a fixed check-in time first and keep the watch for when he starts going further. Your younger one will want one either way, unfortunately.