Letting Bobbie answer a child
Off by default. Switched on, Bobbie tells a child what is on for them and what is for dinner, adds what they tell it for a grown-up to confirm, and never talks about money, never changes anything, never gives advice. You choose whether it sees only their things or everyone's.
Updated 28 September 20262 min read
The short version. On the child's card in Settings, Family, tick Let Bobbie answer. Then choose: just their own things and the dinners, or everything for everyone. Money is never included. Save.
What a child can ask, once allowed
- "What's on for me tomorrow?" "When's swimming?"
- "What do I need for the trip?"
- "What's for tea?" "What's for dinner on Friday?"
- "Add football on Thursday at 4." "The party's at Flip Out, 2 till 4."
Bobbie answers in a sentence or two, warmly, and without emojis. Anything it adds goes to the grown-ups to confirm; Bobbie tells the child so.
Own things, or everyone's
Under the tick are two choices:
- Just their own things, and what's for dinner. The default. Bobbie sees only items filed under that child.
- Everything for everyone, and dinners. Bobbie can tell the child what is on for their brother or sister and the grown-ups too. Useful for an older child who does the school run.
Money is never included in either. A child asking "how much is the trip?" is told that is one for their grown-ups.
What Bobbie will never do for a child
Talk about money. Confirm, tick off, remove or change anything already on the calendar. Give advice about health, safety, relationships or anything personal. Share phone numbers, emails or addresses. Answer about anything outside the family's diary and the dinners.
Turning it off
Untick Let Bobbie answer and save. From then on the child can still send things in, and any question gets the "ask your parent" reply.
What is really happening
When a linked child writes, Bobbie is given a different, much shorter brief than for a grown-up, and only three tools: list the things it is allowed to see, add a thing that waits for a parent, and edit a thing the child added. The dinner list is read-only. The scope switch decides whether "list" can see beyond the child's own items; the money rule is in both the brief and the tools.
Questions people ask
- What will Bobbie refuse to tell a child?
- Anything about money, payments or prices. Anything personal, medical or about safety, which it answers with 'that's one for your grown-ups'. Phone numbers, emails and addresses. And with the default setting, anything that is not the child's own.
- Can a child tick things off or delete things?
- No. A child can add things, which wait for a grown-up, and can add details to what they added. They cannot confirm, tick off, remove or change anything already there.
- Is it safe?
- Bobbie is given strict rules for talking to a child and a very short list of things it may do. It cannot message anyone but the child, cannot reach the internet, and cannot see anything a parent has not allowed. If you ever see it say something you do not like, unlink the child and tell us.