This post is in collaboration with Verizon . All opinions (and memories!) are my own.
When we sent our “Letters to Santa” this year, we got a rude awaking that are son is no longer a little boy. He is 9 going on 18!! Where toys used to fill his Christmas Wish list now have been replaced with tech gifts. We have been holding off buying him a phone unlike many of his classmates who already have the newest iphones! We truly felt that having such an expensive piece of equipment comes with a large responsibility that perhaps a 9 year old does not have. As his parent though we need to prepare for the harsh reality of the real world! As he grows so do our needs and wants for him so this year we are talking about kid appropriate technology!
I was first introduced to the GizmoWatch on a Verizon Twitter Party! They asked a question “At what age did you give your kids a phone”. Being that we have had some serious discussions about this with our 9 year old I felt it was time to really research this. Turns out the GizmoWatch was more up our alley in terms of what we need. If your child is between 6-10, this might be the perfect solution for you as well. It allows you to know where your children are and have pre-set number of calls if they need to reach you. The GizmoWatch uses the same network as Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones! Even though our son is with us the majority of the time it is perfect for keeping in contact with him at the park, at after-school activities or spending time at his grandparents’.
My next suggestion for the kids on your Chritsmas list are the kid-friendly educational app driven GizmoTablet™ by Samsung. We actually have this already wrapped and set under out Christmas tree! We have customized the content on it and his access limits according to his age and skill levels. You can also set how long they can use their tablet. Limited screen time is a serious MUST with kids because honestly they could game/play/surf ALL day! The Parent Dashboard lets you stay on top of how much time your child spends on the GizmoTablet and find out which apps they use the most. We personally pre-downloaded educational apps before we give it to him on Christmas Day! If you need some suggestions let me know in the comments because we have a good list of great education apps you can use!
My son has always been very responsible when it comes to his toys/devices. I have never had to worry about him treating them with disrespect. Giving him a phone has been a huge step for us. Call it living in the Stone age but we both never had a phone until our late teen years. Having a place to find all of our Tech questions during this Holiday Shopping Season has been truly a blessing.
Learn more about kids-friendly accessories and check out a complete parents’ guide to kids and tech by visiting Verizon’s Family Tech page.
At what age did you or your children get a phone?
What Tech devices are you gifting to your children this year?
I have some serious questions when it comes to giving kids technology, its tricky, I would never want them to feel like they are missing out and also because most kids do use these things I feel like not giving kids the exposure might lead to them being crappy with technology as compared to others their age. But also if allowing them to use technology at early age how to restrict the timings? Are there certain hours when they get these gadgets or do they use it all day or whenever they wish ? Am I overthinking all this ?
I am 25 and I love these gifts. Lol. They are amazing, any kid would love it.
That watch seems like a good compromise instead of giving a full out phone. Technology and kids is such a tricky subject to navigate.