It’s one thing if you choose to give your 10 year old a fully loaded iPhone, but it’s quite another thing to send him to my house with it. I can’t tell you how many smartphones I have had to confiscate during a playdate or my son’s birthday party.
Goes like this…
“Hey Tyler, may I see that phone? It’s really cool. You have everything on here, don’t you? I will return it to you when your mother comes to pick you up.”
“Why?”
“Because this is a ‘no kid should have a smart phone zone.'”
“Why?”
“Because I said so! No Tyler, you cannot use my phone. Please put it down.”
For the next two hours, they played with Legos… and sat on the couch and laughed and talked.
Have the courage to say “No” to a smartphone.
You may be thinking “But my child has to have a way to reach me…” If that is the main reason, then go to Walmart right now and get a $20 flip phone. Problem solved.
I dare ya.