Big thanks to Verizon, the sponsor for this article. All opinions expressed are my own.
With three boys, the Christmas list is almost entirely tech-related. It has been like this for years…
The chorus of “I need a phone” started at an early age. I felt like they were too young to have a phone, yet I wanted them to have one! In our situation, we ended up standing firm on the appropriate “phone age” in our house which resulted in a musical chairs of cell phones when one of the kids who were too young for a phone needed to go somewhere that might require contact.
We would sit around and debate which adult in the house didn’t “need” their phone for a few hours.
Who doesn’t need their phone for a few hours?!
If ONLY the GizmoWatch had been available back then! When I found out about this watch, I was so excited because it is exactly what we needed…
The GizmoWatch
The GizmoWatch is the perfect pre-phone. It helps kids to learn to talk and text responsibly because you stay in control of who they can contact.
Now you CAN contact them when they are at after-school activities, practice, a friend’s house, overnight at grandma’s, at the park or wherever their adventures might take them. It is 2-way voice calls and messaging to the (up to 10) contacts that you approve.
The GizmoWatch also has smartphone fun without the fear of smartphone distraction. Using the GizmoHub app, you can set the watch to quiet mode or turn on auto-answer so that YOUR calls go through after 10 seconds. There is also a monitoring feature so you can guide your child as to appropriate times for using the GizmoWatch.
Real-time GPS is a big deal. The main reason I want the kids to have a phone is so I know they are safe. With the GizmoWatch, I can make a quick check-in on their location via the GizmoHub (which can be installed on phone, tablet or connected device). What I love about this is it encourages independence. There is also a feature where parents can set GPS parameters that when a child crosses it sets off an automated alert.
Gizmo Step Tracker gets kids competitive about getting active. The GizmoWatch also has a built-in step tracker and recorder which makes a game out of movement.
Parents of Digital Kids Need More Resources…
Life can get complicated! I get it. Raising digital kids is an undertaking that requires as many resources as possible.
You can find the GizmoWatch and other useful information for parents at the new Verizon Family Tech page. That is where I found a lot of useful nuggets including ideas on ways your kid’s phone helps you…very interesting! If you find something valuable to you, share it here in the comments below so we can all learn together.
Find out more at The Parents’ Guide to Kids & Tech!
The post When a Kid is Too Young for a Phone appeared first on Kids Activities Blog.
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