These days, more families than ever are giving kids smart watches a try. You might just be one of them!
More than ever, families are looking for better, simpler, smarter ways to stay connected with kids - without all the worries that comes with a smartphone (distractions, social media, cyber bullying and more).
Here are just a few reasons we hear all the time for why families decided a kids GPS smartwatch or kids phone is right for them:
- Helps safely introduce kids to technology in steps
- Promotes healthy independence and responsibility as kids grow
- Gives parents peace of mind and confidence
- Builds connection between your kid and the people they love the most
- Keeps kids protected from unknown contacts or harmful content online
- Helps delay smartphones until kids are ready for the responsibility
Starting smart
Kids smartwatches may be a growing trend. But how do you make sure you get the most out of yours? Whether you’ve just joined the COSMO family with a JrTrack 2 of your own, or even if you’ve had one for a while, it’s a great question!
A child’s first device is an exciting moment. That first moment of connection with a call or message can be a truly powerful and exciting moment (we dare you to not smile when you watch this little guy make his first call)
But that’s just the start. There’s so much more your JrTrack can do to make a difference in your family. So we’ve put together a list of the most important steps to making sure you get the very most out of your device. Just follow along and find out the best ways to make sure your new JrTrack is everything you need! Here's what we'll cover:
- Setting up guardians & trusted contacts
- Creating custom SafeZones & Alerts
- Setting up pre-set text messages & best-practices
- Customizing your child's watch with wallpapers, ringtones, and more!
- Creating Class Mode times to reduce distractions
- Setting Step Goals to stay active
- Creating reminders and building habits
- Encouraging check-ins
- Sharing pictures & memories together
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1) Set up guardians & trusted contacts
One of the JrTrack’s most powerful features is how it automatically blocks unknown calls and messages. With the Mission Control Parent app you’re in complete control to add any trusted people who can contact your child. You can rest assured that any spam or unwanted callers will be blocked automatically!
To make the most of your JrTrack, start by getting your trusted contact list set up in the Mission Control app. What kinds of contacts can you add? There are two types:
- Guardians: Can call, text, and track the watch when they download the Mission Control Parent app. This is a great option for a spouse or trusted family members.
- Contacts: Can only call your child’s JrTrack 2. This is great for siblings with their own JrTrack, aunts or uncles, grandparents, trusted friends, etc.
How To: In the Mission Control app, go to Menu > All Contacts > and tap the "+"
2) Create custom SafeZones and automatic alerts
Setting SafeZones is the feature many parents and caregivers love most – and it’s not hard to understand why. With this feature, you’re able to not only see the pinpoint location of your child on a map, but you can set customized zones and receive automatic alerts when they enter or leave.
Here are a few ideas for common SafeZones to help your family most:
- School
- Home
- Frequent activity centers (church, sports practice field, community center, etc)
- A best-friend’s house
- The block/neighborhood where kids like to play with friends
How To: In the Mission Control app, go to Menu > Safezones > and tap the "+" sign.
3) Set up your pre-set text messages and practices
Your JrTrack has three different ways of staying connected. Text messages, voice messages, and calling. Kids can choose to free-text any message they like with the keyboard, but pre-set messages and emojis are also an option!
Setting up a library of pre-set text messages (up to 20) with your Mission Control app gives your child a simple and quick way to respond or ask common questions.
Here are some frequently used ideas to get you started:
- Yes/No
- Call me / I’ll call you
- I love you!
- I’ll be home soon
- Leaving now
- Emojis!
And of course, for those moments when you need something more, there’s always calling and voice messages. We hear from parents all the time how powerful and important it can be to teach kids how to communicate digitally using these simple first steps.
How To: In the Mission Control app, navigate to Menu > Home > Select your device and tap the gear icon > and select Preset Messages to add or edit.
4) Customize to match your kid’s style
Now you’re well on your way to making the most of your JrTrack 2! After you’re done setting up contacts, SafeZones, and pre-set messages, your child is sure to want to make the watch their own. Here a few fun ways they can customize to match their style:
- Select a custom background: On the watch just navigate to the white watch icon in the menu and scroll down to select a wallpaper background for the home screen.
- Select Ringtones: Your child's JrTrack has ringtone and notification options to choose from!
- Mix and match watch bands: We’ve a number of fun band colors to choose from and they’re easy to swap! Just insert a safety pin or paperclip end into the small hole at the base of the strap to release. And here’s a fun idea: why not try two different strap colors at once?
How To: For wallpapers: On the watch, swipe left until you see the white and select your new home screen background. For Ringtones: On the watch, swipe left to Settings (the gray gears icon) > Device > Sounds and Volume > Sounds > Select your desired Ringtone & Notification tone.
5) Choose Class Mode times to reduce distractions
If you’re concerned about your kid’s new watch being a distraction, fear not! You’re just one step away from setting clear boundaries that keep the watch limited when it’s time to focus, but ready when it’s time to play!
When the watch is in school mode kids can still activate SOS mode in case of emergency, but no other calls, messages, or features are enabled.
Don’t you wish all of life had a school mode?
How To: On the Mission Control app, just navigate to Menu > Activity Center > and select the school house icon to add specific times for school mode.
6) Set step goals to stay active
Now it’s time to get out and get active! The JrTrack is not just built to play, it helps encourage it too! Each JrTrack will track daily steps, and using the Mission Control app you can set daily goals to encourage staying active.
Try setting a family step goal for everyone (you could use your own phone or step counting app) and pick a fun prize for who gets the most steps in each day!
How To: In the Mission Control app just navigate to Menu > Activity Center > and tap the Step Counter option to see your child’s progress and add new step goals for the day.
7) Build responsibility with reminders, charging, and care
We know that tech is a tool. We built the JrTrack to be a simple but powerful tool to help amazing parents and caregivers like you to train and guide kids as they build healthy habits. That’s why one of the JrTrack’s most loved features is alarms & reminders! Use simple daily notifications to prompt important responsibilities or habits like:
- Chores
- Wake up times
- Bedtime
- Schedule reminders
- Times to call
- Reminder to tell mom I love you!
And for a pro-tip: Be sure to make daily care and charging of the watch a part of your child’s learning and responsibility journey!
How To: To set alarms & reminders for the watch in the Mission Control app, just navigate to Menu > Activity Center > and tap the Alarms option.
8) Encourage connection with check-ins
Now it’s time to put it all together! Your JrTrack is, more than anything else, a way to bring your family closer together. So talk with your kid(s) about not just how to use their watch, but when to use it. When do you want them to call? How should they respond when you text that its time to come home? How can you encourage them to make calling aunts, uncles, or grandparents a part of their world?
These are the powerful steps that make a world of difference for families, today, tomorrow, and for the future.
How To: Try setting ground rules for when kids should call, how they respond when you send them a request/specific message, etc.
9) Share moments and memories
We might have saved our favorite for last. One of the best things about the JrTrack is the front-facing camera that lets kids capture pictures and short videos for gathering and sharing the moments that matter most!
Here, you don’t have to worry about social media or pictures going anywhere they shouldn’t. Our protected, closed-access ecosystem means that special memories stay with you.
Here are a few ideas for fun ways for kids (and parents too) to make the most of their JrTrack camera:
- Plan a family picture scavenger hunt
- Take a daily selfie so kids can see how they change and grow
- Capture favorite lego or other creative creations
- Family fashion show!
How To: To use the camera on the watch, swipe right from the home screen until you see the camera icon. You can see saved pictures in the watch's library and any sent photos or videos will be viewable in your Mission Control app message center!
Tip: from the Mission Control app you can also send pictures from your phone to your child's watch as well!
