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The Alternative To A Phone For Your Ten Year Old

Nowadays, everything is electronic. From tooth brushes to books, there’s an electronic version, which at times, might be more efficient than the alternative, but sometimes it just gets too out of hand. With this comes excessive screen time, which can be addicting, causing lots of issues! We have emojis or emoticons to express how we feel, rather than simply verbalizing. As adults, we might not buy into this modern lingo, but for our kids, digital overload can be detrimental.

Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City

With the screen time battler, being in touch with our kids has never been so challenging. Sure, we attempt to set limits, and even with my job, I have to create a balance. At 10 years old, Ryder is slowly, but surely, growing more and more independent. He commutes way uptown to school via bus, from the southern most tip of Manhattan, up to an hour each way everyday. With this, it’s been challenging not to consider giving him a cell phone to keep in touch and track his whereabouts, because his own phone would result in more unsupervised screen time. That is exactly why we decided to look into Relay.

Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City
Relay is a screen free communicator, built with young children in mind. Reminiscent of a walkie talkie, the Relay communicator connects to other Relay units, or parents cell phones, via the Relay app. Its platform works off cell towers, by way of SIM card, so reaching your children is not limited to their inconsistent proximity to WiFi.

Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City
Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City

There are some perks such as music, daily jokes, and gps tracker, so it doesn’t only serve one single purpose. But, it is such a great alternative to stay in touch without the distraction.

Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The CityWhy I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City

At $49 per handheld unit, and less than $10 per month for the service, Relay is cheaper than your average cell phone and cell phone plan. Ryder loves it, and I think he feels a form of responsibility that has added to his becoming more independent. He also feels more confident when traveling, because whether or not he’d admit it, sometimes it’s scary traveling around the city alone.

Relay has given us peace of mind, as we can easily reach him, without the concern that he’s playing video games or watching inappropriate content on a smartphone.  A significant stepping stone toward building a stronger, independent young man!

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Why I'm Not Getting My Son A Cell Phone | Stroller In The City

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12 thoughts on “The Alternative To A Phone For Your Ten Year Old”

  1. I sometimes scratch my head in wonder when I see young kids around ten years old with a cell phone. I realize “it’s the times”, but, I feel that’s too young. Relay is a real good alternative and perfect for kids.

  2. This is a great alternative to a phone. 10 is way too young for a phone in my opinion, so Relay definitely sounds like it provides the same peace of mind as a cell phone without the unsupervised screen time.

  3. This is such a great alternative to a cell phone. Leaves out all of the stress of young kids having technology but still being connected in case of an emergency.

  4. Konstantina Antoniadou

    Firstly you have a beautiful family. I do agree with your choice 100%. I bought my first sell phone when i was 15 and my first laptop a year later.

  5. This reminds me of pagers from back in our younger days. 🙂 It’s just a more advanced system, but also great to keep kids away from screens… they are too addicted!

  6. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this information! My son is 11 and I have been struggling with what to do in regards for him to be able to reach me. He is too young for a phone so these alternatives are wonderful!

  7. Wow$10 a month this is an amazing product. Kids are too dependent on phones for communication and this could be another cheaper option kids need to limit their screen time its detrimental to their young brains.

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