However, once the decision is made you will need to sift through a variety of phones and service plans geared for children that have been developed in response to the exponential growth of this new target market! These plans are focused on security and simplicity for its young users. I will review a few reputable companies' offers and make some suggestions as follows.
Cingular Firefly:
This phone was the first specifically made and marketed for kids. This phone is designed for very young children. It has two symbol keys and no numeric keypad. The parent can set the phone to reject incoming calls from anyone but those in the phone book which they can program online. It is expensive. The phone is $119.00 and the calls are 25 cents a minute unless you are a Cingular customer. Also, there have been concerns as to the phone not being rugged enough.
Verizon Wireless LG Migo:
This phone has five number keys only each with an assigned person/phone number. Its physical design is suitable for tiny hands. This phone is equipped with a speaker phone option, vibrate mode and polyphonic ringtones. Notably, there is no setting to restrict incoming calls. This does give the parent a little more freedom however, to reach their child from various locations. The phone is an option for the Add a Line Family Plan at ten dollars per month.
Enfora Tic Talk:
The Tic Talk is the most non cell phone looking cell phone of the bunch. You talk into it like you would a walkie-talkie. The phone has been criticized for being inefficient as you need to hit a couple of buttons in order to complete a call and then keep in mind not to put the phone to your ear or it makes a strange buzzing sound. It has similar features to the Firefly and Migo such as only being able to dial a handful of numbers. And like its competitors, it is designed specifically for voice calls omitting text messaging, email, voicemail, pictures and the web.
The models that look childlike will not fly for preteens and up. So, in comes the big boy/girl cell phone (a regular cell phone) with Ace Comm's Parent Patrol. For an added cost of 2 - 5 dollars a month (on any participating plan you choose) you can control how many minutes and texts your child uses and set hours which are off limits. You can also block numbers and filter inappropriate content from the mobile Web browser. This is a great tool to use to teach your kids how to balance their minutes.
My suggestion:
For your grade-schooler: I would purchase the LG Migo. It has a rugged design and is small for small hands. It has a couple of cool features like vibrate mode and polyphonic ringtones. And it will not restrict the parent by being blocked when calling from a non programmed number.
For your preteen and older:
Add a line on Verizon's family plan for ten dollars per month, take advantage of the phone promo, purchase insurance for four dollars per month in case of loss or damage, subscribe to Parent Patrol and have a discussion about privilege, responsibility and the limits of cell phone use for your household!
A cell phone is a large responsibility for a child. Choosing the right plan will help you and your child limit the dangers and incredibly large bills and accentuate the positives!
?Are we there yet?? can easily be replaced with ?What? We're there already?!? when you make road trips a load of laughter and a ton of interactive fun. If you could take advantage of that interactive activity and make it a double-whammy?one that teaches your children as it helps them pass the time away?could you possibly pass that up?
And if this fun, educational activity was available at a low, economical price, would you be wasting money on those handheld video game systems? (On games that more often than not don't do much to add to your children's education, too.) Well, there is a way to teach your children and make a summer's afternoon or a long car trip pass by in the blink of an eye?and all you need is a cell phone!
Download Animal Ringtones, Nature Ringtones, Wildlife Ringtones, Hunting Ringtones, and Bird Ringtones for your cell phone or your kids? cell phones and teach them all about the calls and sounds of nature! If you've got kids who are crazy about animals, wait until you see how happy they'll be playing around with Animal Ringtones and Wildlife Ringtones!
How many opportunities would your children have to hear the calls of the wild? They can now, in your car or in your backyard, at the push of a button (or the call of a cell phone)! Listen to Elk Ringtones, Duck Ringtones, Wolf Ringtones, Wild Turkey Ringtones, Bird Ringtones, and even Frog Ringtones!
Don't just give your children audio references to their favorite wildlife with Animal Ringtones, Bird Ringtones, Wildlife Ringtones, and Nature Ringtones, either. Download Animal Wallpapers, Bird Wallpapers, Wildlife Wallpapers, and Nature Wallpapers for Cell Phones.
Your child will have a visual reference for all the Animal Ringtones, Hunting Ringtones, and Wildlife Ringtones with which you teach them. When they hear the Elk Ringtones, will they even know what elks look like? Make sure to search the Wildlife Wallpapers for an elk wallpaper to show them!
When your children listen to Hunting Ringtones and hear the strange mating calls of the Elk Ringtones, Wild Turkey Ringtones, and Duck Ringtones, show them Wildlife Wallpapers and Nature Wall papers of male and female animals and explain in however much detail you feel your child is ready for how the males use those sounds heard in the Hunting Ringtones to call to the females so that those cute little baby animals you can find in Wildlife Wallpapers and Nature Wall papers can be born the following spring!
Download all sorts of Animal Wallpapers, Bird Wallpapers, Wildlife Wallpapers, and Nature Wallpapers for Cell Phones for your child and play a quiz game. Have Animal Ringtones, Hunting Ringtones, Wildlife Ringtones, or Nature Ringtones play on your cell phone and have the children search for the Wildlife Wallpapers or Nature Wall papers that correspond with the sound. The first one to find the match wins! You could try having them search for the correct Wildlife Ringtones or Nature Ringtones after seeing the corresponding Wildlife Wallpapers or Nature Wall papers, too!
Reward your children with more of their favorite Animal Ringtones when they win a game! Save the Animal Ringtones of their favorite animals, like cats, dogs, or chimpanzees, for special game tournaments!
Become your children's hero by making those dreary hours go by quickly with smiles and laughter?and encourage your children to learn all the while! Download Animal Ringtones, Hunting Ringtones, Wildlife Ringtones, Nature Ringtones, Animal Wallpapers, Bird Wallpapers, Wildlife Wallpapers, and Nature Wallpapers for Cell Phones and provide your children with lessons on nature for an inexpensive price!
Both Allison Merlino & Grojan Fabiola are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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