Child acceptance risk
The child needs to see the watch as useful, not second-best.
Parents may be the primary decision-makers, but the child’s acceptance matters. Watch Plan only works if the child is willing to wear it, use it and see it as a useful step towards independence.
If the child sees the watch as a poor substitute for a phone, the parent’s preference becomes harder to act on.
Parent voice
She can then wear it at school. She doesn’t have to hand the phone in at school. So she could then sort of say, oh, you know, look how many steps I did at school.
Parent, regional NSW, child aged 9
Key evidence
More than 3 in 5 parents (63%)
say the child would influence the decision.
Around 1 in 6 Stage 2 parents (15%) say another option may feel better because the child wants a phone more, and around 1 in 6 (15%) say the child may not want to wear a watch.
Behavioural job
Make Watch Plan feel like a positive step for the child by linking it to independence, responsibility, confidence and growing up, rather than a restriction imposed by the parent.