In this video blog, I answer an important reader question:
How much access to technology do you give your children? At what point should kids get their own cell phones, computers, etc?
My kids’ access to technology:
- My oldest son didn’t get a cell phone until he was well into his thirteenth year.
- Most of his peers already had cell phones for years at that point.
- They play video games maybe a couple hours per month when they’re at my sister’s house.
You might be thinking…Don’t they gripe and beg to play games?
- No, they don’t…because we do things together as a family that they really like to do.
- Your imagination can dream up things that are so much cooler to your kids than technology.
- If all you do is sit there and read a newspaper, your kids aren’t going to find that enjoyable. They’ll find something else to do.
What we did about cell phones:
- We told Austin that when he needed to have a phone, he could get a phone.
- However, when he was younger, he was always around other adults, so there was no need for the phone.
- When Austin was 13, he read The Noticer Returns and decided he wanted to create a business based on what he knew about the citrus trees we grow at our house.
- When the business was ready to launch, he said he needed a phone so he could put a number on the website (it’s SportyCitrus.com if you want to check it out).
- That’s when I knew it was the right time.
