Just wondering if anyone has tried or even heard of the WatchMinder? I am NOT trying to peddle this....this is not spam. I'm ordering one for my son. I think it will help him in school...at least until he learns to ignore it! Then it'll be my turn to try it...until I start ignoring it! LOL Anyone have any experience with this? Really hoping for some sort of feedback. Thanks! :D

WatchMinder (http://www.watchminder.com/)

a less expensive distributor...free shipping even! (http://www.healthwellnessproducts.com/WatchMinder/wm-0010.htm)

I saw an ad for this in the latest issue of Attention! (Chadd's Magazine). I've never tried it, but think it could be a useful tool to some.

Well, like I said...as long as he doesn't ignore it. I have reminders set for myself all over the place (stickies, yahoo, cell phone...etc) and I just ignore them...not always, but you know what I mean. My son's psychiatrist even thought it was worth a try, thought it was really interesting and a great idea. He had never seen it before. I'm going to try it and if I remember, I'll let you guys know how it works out. (I'm on sooooo many groups/forums I can't remember where I posted what! LOL)

I bought my daughter a watch with a couple simple features for$10 at walmart. It has helped her a lot. The features are: a timer that has settings at 1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,25,30,45,60 minutes. Two alarms. We set the one alarm for her morning dose of medicine and the 2nd alarm for her afternoon dose. She is 11 and this gives her responsibility for getting her medicine each day, twice a day. We have had fewer days where she would say she forgot her morning medicine or her afternoon medicine. She also uses the timers to keep from "zoning" out on the computer, to give herself a limited time to get something done, to know when to start homework and start breaks and start home work again. I looked for a watch that had the simplest controls, that would not be a headache to set each time. This one is easy....and for $10, why not? Its a good start for her, and it is the first watch she has worn regularly.

Jon

wow!
i can't decide if i love this idea or hate it.
i think it's perfect for the kids today, you know with pda's and cell phones. kind of idiot-proof or a just a taste of technology applied to a practical purpose.

if i had one of those when i was a kid, i think i would have hated it, i would have felt as though it "defined me" as a "bad/lazy"girl.

I like your idea, health. if only b/c it would "define" a child a lot less. . .
but definitely that watch minder thing has its merit.

I think it all depends on the kid and the approach taken to presenting the idea. If I had a watch like that as a kid, I think I would have thought it was cool :D

of course you would have,
mister Site Admin.

but i agree with you, it depends on the individual.

For me...anything new and cool that I could bring to school, made classes that much more enjoyable.

and psssst... I wasn't born a Site Admin. Silly :p

For a fleeting second I thought this was a great Idea for my son, then reality hit me, he would strip it down to bits to see how it works......then leave it in a bag for me to fix....so, lol, maybe not

kate x

lmbo Kate

I'm not sure what you mean by 'define' a child. The alarms are silent. You don't have to wear it as a watch, you can wear it on your belt like a pager. Who would know what it is unless you tell them? I think this would be less 'defining' than a watch (or something) that has an audible alarm/reminder system. Just my 2-cents. That's why I liked this idea better than the watch idea...I was looking for something with silent reminders, something that woud vibrate so as not to attract or dis-tract others. Anyway....I'll try to remember to let you all know how it works out! :)

Originally posted by andrea76
wow!
i can't decide if i love this idea or hate it.
i think it's perfect for the kids today, you know with pda's and cell phones. kind of idiot-proof or a just a taste of technology applied to a practical purpose.

if i had one of those when i was a kid, i think i would have hated it, i would have felt as though it "defined me" as a "bad/lazy"girl.

I like your idea, health. if only b/c it would "define" a child a lot less. . .
but definitely that watch minder thing has its merit.

-->When i was growing up no one knew i had add except a few key people (parents, sister, doctor, maybe a teacher); so in my mind (as a child growing up) anything that was "different" than my friends, "defined" me. I had to take pills, they didn't

-->Primarily a psychological thing; the watch itself has nothing to do with it as a physical device, but what that device represents.

--> if that watch was around when i was a kid, i'd resent having to wear it for the sole purpose that i'd need to be reminded to take my pilss. . . not too far off of being "yelled at" (and i use that verb VERY loosely - someone could be whispering and that would be "yelling")--which my older sister would do frequently and in front of my friends. (now that you all know my sob story)


--> as i said before the watch, is a good idea, i've told other friends about it actually.

I think a lot of it depends on how the parents presents it to the child. I'm sure the same can be said abour AD/HD medication too.

Well, unfortunately, my son NEEDS to be reminded to keep on task, and IMO, this is the perfect solution (so far! ;) ) Much less defining than the teacher constantly tapping his shoulder or whatever else it takes to get his attention, wouldn't you agree? I don't think we give kids enough credit these days (maybe a lot of them don't deserve it due to the way they were raised, but) I really think the majority of them (at least the kids I see) would think it was a really cool 'gadget.' Maybe it's because my son is only 9, I don't know, but I just don't expect the other kids are going to analyze every aspect of his 'watch.' And since it's completely silent, they aren't really going to know when it goes off or what the message says. Also, as far as 'defining' the child, I really think that it is up to the parent (and therapists if needed) to help the child define himself. With the proper support and encouragement, I think our children will be fine! :)

You took the words right out of my mouth! You just stated it a lot simpler! (Is that a word? 'simpler?' Hmm...) :)

Originally posted by livingwithadd
I think a lot of it depends on how the parents presents it to the child. I'm sure the same can be said abour AD/HD medication too.

You mean you were going to have the same typos as me too...lol

k, i'm girl i can admit that,
i'd foster the whole "boys like tech" crap,
if it works go with it. . .

mmmm...yeah, probably! lol


Originally posted by livingwithadd
You mean you were going to have the same typos as me too...lol

Well, I got it last night....Zach (my son) was not that impressed! LOL...It is pretty big for his skinny little wrist and mine (probably the only skinny thing on my body) ANYWAY.....did I take my Ritalin? Crap! Oh well.....what was my point?

Oh, yeah...I programmed it last night, not with all the reminders I wanted to yet, but still... Well, I brought it to work with me today, I wanted to see how it worked. In the paperwork, it had a suggestion for self-monitoring for kids....I'm going to try this probably starting Monday with Zach. They suggest having a 3x5 card on his desk and then having him put tally marks on it for everytime that he is already demonstrating the wanted behavior (ie. paying attention, or doing his work) when the reminder goes off. At the end of the day or week, whatever, add up the tally marks and have a reward.

I want one for myself now, I think it would really be helpful....as long as I don't ignore it as I do so many other reminders! LOL! Anyway, it is kind of a 'techy' thing....I'd probably wear it as a pager. Anyway....I should get back to work, even though my job is extremely boring and not at all suited for an ADDult! I'll keep you guys posted!

Originally posted by andrea76
k, i'm girl i can admit that,
i'd foster the whole "boys like tech" crap,
if it works go with it. . .

Hi all!
I have one, but one of the buttons fell off...about 4 months ago.
Hee hee... so being ADD, of course I havn't gotten around to getting it replaced.
I really liked it, since it was "silent", and I could set it to remind me to go to work, eat, etc.
Right now, I have a Timen Ironman watch, and it has a countdown timer that resets each time. I have figured out that my meds last about 4hrs, but I need the 15min overlap so I don't "crash and burn". If I'm low on the meds, when the alarm goes off, I won't process the urgency of taking it... but if I still have a little in my system, I tend to do things right away.
I really liked the watch minder, because I am touch sensitive. When I feel it, I know something is up.
I found that I would start to expect it to go off, and that was what kept me on track...
I stopped using it, and my medication schedule went.. non existent.
Just knowing that it will go off soon kept me more aware of the time, and kept making me look at the time more often, and helped me remember what time I was supposed to take my meds.
I think there is some difference in "mental" awareness (thoughts, thinking it's time to get ready) and "physical" awareness (feeling it, like in the vibration) and "audio" awareness (hearing the alarm).

Pros:
-silent
-inconspicuous
-kept me more time aware
-many many settings! (be careful not to do too much at a time though...)
-big so you don't lose track of where it is
-made me more aware of the time, and how much time had passed
-doesn't disrupt others
-belt clip option, or watch option (I kept mine in my pocket)

Cons:
-it's HUGE
-it looks like it's from the 80's
-battery ran out kind of fast...?
-may be fairly expensive for some people
-not available too widely
-would like to see newer models coming out

All in all, I liked it. It's a "fun" toy, and was useful.
I am defintely going to go get a replacement soon!

The best way it worked was if I set the "training mode" to chunks of time that I found my mind to wander... and then make sure I set goals before I sat down to do anything. When the alarm went off, I had to be merciless in analysing if I realy WAS on task or not.

Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.
~M

Originally posted by serenade
I want one for myself now, I think it would really be helpful....as long as I don't ignore it as I do so many other reminders!



This is the absoulute promise I made to myself to make timers work better!

"Never ignore a reminder.
Never ask for a reminder or
Never set a timer without importance enough to justify
PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.

I Allow myself to decide against something I planned to do, but not as a substitute for "ignoring" it.

It maks the timers work a great deal better, and it helps not set to many things to do if I have to anticipate the future WHEN the timer is set...

Take waht you like and leave the rest.

Thanks wheel- I recently killed the general reminder popup I had set on the computer that would pop up every 15 minutes. It got to the point that it was just annoying, not helpful.

Your suggestions make a lot of sense.

Oh, and btw, the reminder program I use is free and works well, with both windows 98 and XP; TMR PHATSOFT http://www.phatsoft.net/ . Anyone else have a better program with more bells and whistles for me to play with? (That's free?)

I guess it's not as obviously humiliating as mommy pinning a little note on Johnny-ADD's shirt that says "take your Ritalin".

Common, we're not senile octogenarians who need a reminder to empty their colostomy bags...

Ever see the movie 'Mememto'... I think we'd be better served by a do-it-yourself tattoo kit and a polaroid camera.

Watchminder %^&$^&*^%*!!

Actually reminder watches are excellent for helping one get meds on track, consistent. It could be used to get many things consistent. Nothing wrong with that!

Jon

I thrive on reminders.. but like wheel... I can't ignore them. I would be lost without a timer. I still find ways to walk away from tasks undone. I did something like this tonight. An hour after I left the lights on and the door open in the barn intending to take some freezer food out there from the house my daughter noticed and I was able to get back and finish what I started there.

In the mean time I'd done the dishes and made a couple of loaves of bread with my eldest.. heh.. no telling if I was going to get back to it soon..

I am indeed octogenarian in my habits like this. After a week with a pda I'll never be without one. Being able to set alarms and associate them with repeating dates and times is a huge bonus for my lame brain.

Cheers! Ian.

Originally posted by faceonmars
I guess it's not as obviously humiliating as mommy pinning a little note on Johnny-ADD's shirt that says "take your Ritalin".

Common, we're not senile octogenarians who need a reminder to empty their colostomy bags...

Ever see the movie 'Mememto'... I think we'd be better served by a do-it-yourself tattoo kit and a polaroid camera.

Watchminder %^&$^&*^%*!!


It's great that you have found systems that work for you. Please remember that everybody is different.

Please don't insult people who are using techniques that help them manage their AD/HD.

Originally posted by livingwithadd

Please don't insult people who are using techniques that help them manage their AD/HD.

I now clip timers (sometimes more than one) to my shirt buttons. My kids request that I take them off when I pick them up at school, or might be expected to run into their freinds.


I frequently comply.


They really don't understand what they are asking of me.

Wow,

I've been double-slammed.

Anybody else want a piece of me?

I'm not sure if I was just being sarcastic, pointing out the absurd lengths we sometimes go to in dealing with ADHD/ADD , or testing the boundaries of where we draw the line here, and where we cross it. To anyone who might have been insulted, that wasn't my intent. To those who are deaf and blind to sarcasm, it was only that.

Oops, somebody's at the door -- I wish I had a Watchminder to remind me to submit this reply when I get back.

Just kiddin!

Originally posted by faceonmars
Wow,

I've been double-slammed.

Anybody else want a piece of me?

I'm not sure if I was just being sarcastic, pointing out the absurd lengths we sometimes go to in dealing with ADHD/ADD , or testing the boundaries of where we draw the line here, and where we cross it

Frankly?

i don't know what she took offense to....

Though I really do that "embarrassing stuff..." and i do so because i get things done i want to get done when i oherwise would not. and th eextend that i have to go strikes ME as extreme, but if i want what i want, i do what it REALY takes, not what i wish it would really take!

I use my palm for reminders, but if I don't carry that on my body so sometimes I miss one (or two, or three....) alarms. I'd like to have a non-conspicous watch but all the local watch-shop-gentleman could offer was a HUGE wrist THING that I'll never wear. It was very expensive too. I couldn't find that Timen (??) watch. What brand makes nice watches with several reminders a day?

that was probably a typo. i'm thinking that was supposed to read, "timex ironman watch" if you google that phrase you'll come up with a bunch of hits. i wear a Timex Rush watch (for women).

my daughter has a ironkids watch by timex that has an alarm feature and a countdown alarm. she love it! i bought it at the local wal-mart for around $10.00.

Hello all,
Hee hee... I see that this thread has been revived...
Ummm... unfortunately, I have not gotten around to getting a new watch, but I have no exams until the 26th, so I'm going to do it this week - really. You can hold me to it.
As for the comments about what lengths people will go to deal with AD/HD, there are variations of how those with AD/HD process various sensory input. Like I said, I don't deal as well with audio reminders, and this fits in with my verbal processing difficulties that were found when I got a learning disability test done. I am sensitive to touch, and this correlates to my sensitivity to tags on clothes, 'itchy' clothing or blankets, temperature, and gerneral textures of things.
My experience with the watchminder was very good!
As for the size issue, I got around it by just haing it in my pocket. You can also just loop it around your belt so you can flip it up to read it - it would look like you are checking a pager or something to others.
Right now, I have my timeX (yes it was a typo, sorry) ironman watch, which goes for about $50 Cndn at basically anywhere around. The only thing is, it IS AUDIO, and I have it set to countdown... I can only have it for medication. It DOES disturb people, especially since I stick to a regular schedule.. people in my classes were noticing that my watch ALWAYS went off at the same time each class.
As well, the various reminders were wonderful. I could program it to do 3 different medicaiton reminders, as well as going to work, get dressed, and other things. The watch helped me pace my time, so that I would have something that was 'external' to help me get the neccessary things done before I leave in the morning.
I actually DO miss it... and am looking forward to getting it replaced!
I just hope that they find a way to make it either smaller, or more inconspicuous.

The silent alarm and the MANY MANY different TEXT reminders are really worth it!

i got side-tracked while looking at watches :rolleyes:

anyway, i read that a timer feature that would be very useful is the "Auto Restart Countdown ... once the watch counts down to "0" and alarms, it automatically begins to countdown again."

the site below has a few different types of watches and pager-type timers listed. all the products listed have the auto restart countdown feature. if you scroll to the bottom of the page, there are nice pictures of each product they recommend.

personally, i am thinking of upgrading to a timer that has multiple daily alarms, a vibrating alarm and the auto restart countdown features (i can *never* remember to turn off the alarm in quiet places).

http://www.bedwettingstore.com/watches-diurnalenuresis.htm

I ordered a WatchMinder for myself today...went to the website and it's on "summer sale" from $79.50 to $59.50 (except I just realized I typed in 59.90 on the online order form...SOO ADD!!!) plus $9.00 s+h.

I'm looking forward to it--MUCH anticipation! Paying bills, taking meds, timing my study time and "play" time, ... a wealth of opportunities to be assisted with keeping my life more organized.... It's too easy to let things fall by the wayside when ya live alone!

:D
smoo

Hello all,
I ordered myself one of these way back when, it as actually still i "testing" mode. Well, the directions to get the WatchMinder set up are SO confusing, so terribly confusing, that this $80.00 item has been taking up space in a drawer since then. I sent them an email or something way back, and they gave me a toll free number to call, but, true to form, I never "got around" to calling it.

The "watch" does not look very discreet. Its BIG, and says "WatchMinder" on the front with big white letters. If anyone does get one, and succeeds in figurig it out, do email me!!

Thanks tons,
MK :)

Hey all,
I got a replacement watchminder, and just started using it again. It was not much use for when I was at work, since I work as a lifeguard and swimming instructor... and the watch can't get wet.
I was getting burned out from guarind the crazy busy swims during the afternoons, so I just got people to cover them... so I could study and finish up two courses that I've had deferred. I'm MUCH happier now that I can go in, teach and then go study.
The thing about the watchminder is that I can program it for the medications ONCE and keep it in my pocket. I'll feel it go off and think " Iwonder what I'm supposed to be doing?" and look at it... I like it... but it still is pretty big. My cell phone is too thick to keep in my pocket, so the watchminder will have to do until I get a smaller cell phone.. if I ever do.
I agree with the comment made by a guest, that anticipating the timer going off helps me remember what I'm supposed to be doing.

Ha ha... today I was SO SO SO WORRIED that I would forget that I had to go meet a classmate for lecture notes, that I took a permanent marker last night, wrote "N" (for Notes) with a start around it on my forearm, and then 480 (the bus number I had to take to get to the location) and an arrow pointing to the 4, since that was the time I had to catch my bus... well, it worked... the marker stayed on while I was teaching, and some people asked what it was for, and I had to explain it, which helped me remember, and I saw it ALL morning. I made it look pretty funky so people wouldn't think it was just a primitive PDA ha ha ha... Unfortunately, I can't do this for all the reminders I need... but this was an EMERGENCY. I knew I'd be screwed if I forgot about it.
Ohhh... lookit that... I'm off topic. Big surprise.
Anyway, if anyone has any questions about the watchminder, ask away... I'm pretty competent with it now.

I think I might paint it some wacky colour...

Cheers

Our neuropsychologist recommended we get a vibrating watch to help remind our daughter to stay on task and remember to do subtle 'sensory exercises' to keep her focused in middle school. I'm not sure yet how well that would work since it's hard to say when would be the best time for her to do them during class?

Guess that will be something we discuss at her team meeting in October.

hi. i ordered one of those myself over a year ago and ive gotten alot out of it. i did kind of get use to the buzzing but i missed it when i wasnt wearing the watch. so i set it to the "random" mode fro school and work, and evry ten minutes for when im going to mass or something. i think the money was worth it.

I just looked at this now, and at 18 years old I can already tell I would hate wearing it. It seems like a replacement for conventional means that makess it that much easier to be dependant on other things...granted, I often forget appointments, etc. and use my cell phone to tell me about them, still...

Also, it seems to me that it would require more explanation than it is worse...people would ask, and it is rather large...

Although! Daily reminders set throughout the day are something I am looking for, I just haven't found one I'm comfortable with. For now, I just have trained myself to check my watch every time I have a free minute, so I don't miss doses of meds, classes, and so further.

Hey all,
I have started to use the watch more lately, as I am sick of hearing my timex watch go off every few hours...
The issue is that I have to remember to put it on (I put it in my pocket, if I don't have pockets, then I wear it under the waistband of my clothers...).

As with ADHD, nothing we use will be the cure for it... it will help, but like the person before mentioned about decoming dependent on something, I think that this actually helped me become more aware of when I was going off track, and helps me keep an awareness of time. It helps me with the painful task of switching tasks...

Anyway, I want to keep using it, because I don't want to keep switching products, and this one is fairly simple, and I need routine in my life to help me through.

Are there any people out there who are using the watchminder who want to form a "user's group" or support group in a sense?

I particularly want people who I can talk to who can help me use this to it's full potential. Sometimes I feel it's a pain in the butt, and then today I find myself waaaay behind schedule, b/c I han't taken meds or had anything reminding me of what I need to be doing.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone, even if there are criticisms, they are valuable in the grand picture. I like how people are fairly respectful of people's opinions here.

Kids have enough problems socializing in school as it is... Dont strap an ugly watch to their hand and expect it to help.

I think some people forget sometimes that life has to be well rounded and in balance. Sure, the gadget may help in one aspect of life, but debilitate another. I think its more important for a kid to have many good quality friends later in life than having not forgeting to do something 5 years ago! If you're getting something for your child, make a pro/con list and include anything you can think of. Sure the pros really stand out when you first impulsively buy something, however, the cons can have insurmountable drawbacks.

I have one. I keep mine in my pocket.. or did.
I've had so many issues with it working that I have given up on it...
has anyone else had this issue of it breaking down fairly easily?

And I would like to be able to express my views about the debate about whether it's a good idea or not to have kids wear them...

instead of phrasing a point of view as the authoritative answer, it would be great if people could phrase it in a way that takes into consideration that there are different solutions to each individual situation. The watch may be a great tool for a child who is not self conscious about wearing one on his/her wrist... if the situation is not as positive as that, then the people involved in helping the child with his/her disability can discuss alternate options. But the point of being socially challenged because of the stigma attached to having the disability is a very valid point indeed.

I am very open about it, and am comfortable talking to people... I feel this is so because I have a psychology background (univ. degree in it. whoo hoo! GRADUATING THIS SEMESTER!!) and have done a LOT of my own research into things like executive functioning (prefrontal cortex of the brain) and when I explain it in terms like that I find that people seem to take it more seriously.

Actually there is a great book I found in the campus bookstore called 'Executive Function in children and adolescents' (around $40 Cndn). It is written primarily for those working in the educational realm of the life of a child with ADHD, but is great as a resource as it has a case study for each executive function... I find that it also sends out a great message that there are treatment options that regular people can do to help our kids (and ourselves). The language is not condescending, and is not really a regurgitation of the regular ADHD symptoms, diagnosis and medication information found in so many other books. This one is about self-help in a way.

(can someone sticky this part to the thread it's related to... I think the books section...?)

Hey everyone...
I just went to the link in the first post, and was pleasantly surprised...!
THe new model looks MUCH MUCH better, like a normal sports watch, and I think they have added features too.

I think that I may talk to the person I got my watchminder from and see if I could get the new model, as I am really dissatisfied with the one I've had... when I had it, it was great! It worked, but the display would fade and mess up, the button fell off or wouldn't work... so perhaps I can get the new version as compensation... the thing costs quite a bit, so I would see a good argument for it.

fingers crossed for me please!

(I'm on sooooo many groups/forums I can't remember where I posted what! LOL)

LOL...I'm a member of 161 Yahoo groups alone...:D

I do the same thing with coming up with something to remind me and eventually end up learning to ignore it. Dang outdated adaption tendencies...
Evolution can play some nasty tricks on the species...

Although if I ever were in a war in the middle of a nasty ground battle, I would be much more likely to survive than a non-ADDer. Ditto for surviving in the wild, hunting for food while being chased by a giant T-Rex etc....

Ahem, yeah....outdated adaption tendencies.

Maybe they should come up with devices that we wear and if we ignore them beeping or vibrating or whatever too many times, they send a shock of pain. Course then they would still be ignored by those into S&M....or perhaps purposely ignored. ;)

Please don't toss rotten tomatoes at me or toss me out of the forum....
My sense of humor is often referred to as 'inappropriate' (not trying to offend).

hey everyone!
Good news! I contacted the person I bought my watchminder from originally, and he said I could get the new version. I just have to see if I can find the old one, it was so brokent hat I might have tossed it out or something...hmm... if I can't find it, I hope I can still get the newer version.

Does anyone have the new version?

I use the alarm on my cell phone. It's not 100%, of course, but as long as I hear it ring or pick up the phone soon after for another reason, I will have the reminder in front of my face and have to make a conscious decusion to ignore it. It definitely helps a lot, and I also like that it looks totally "normal" and not like an ADHD adaptive device.