There was a time when I refused my oldest son his own cell phone because I felt he was too young. I made him wait until he was 16 years old and could pay for his own phone.
Times have changed.
A decade ago the world wasn’t attached together by a digital thread the way it is today, but there were other ways to stay connected. There was always a payphone nearby if kids needed to call home. Payphones are elusive these days. Many homes don’t even use landlines anymore.
While I don’t feel that a smartphone is a necessity for children, it definitely has its benefits. My phone is never too far away from me, so it is easy to reach me by sending a text. GPS trackers in phones can give families a little peace of mind (I know, not everyone agrees with this, but I’m grateful for methods that will allow me to locate my kids as they get older). While traveling, I can share pictures and videos with my children from my phone to theirs. We can always be connected.
Let’s face it, smartphones and technology are a part of life now and we may as well teach our children how to use them responsibly while they are still interested in what we have to say. An excellent starter phone is the ALCATEL IDOL 3. Both affordable and highly functional, this phone has everything you want.
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