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Non-smart phone for pre-teen

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  • 04-05-2022 10:56am
    #1
    sekond
    Registered Users Posts: 272 ✭✭


    Youngest child has started walking part way home from school - we meet her about 10 minutes walk away from school - means we don't get caught up in the traffic chaos near the school, and also walking to some activities after school. She's loving the independence, but we had a slight scare yesterday where we had all forgotten about an activity, so didn't make our usual arrangements for that activity (different pick up place and time), but as one of her friends reminded her it was on, off she went after school.

    In the end there was no major issue, as we realised when she wasn't at the usual spot, where she had gone, and were able to meet her there. But, it made us realise that if it had happened the other way around, she might not have been able to get in touch (we do have some plans in place, but she is a painfully shy child, so may not actually go and ask for help).

    Rule in our house up to now has been age 12 for a phone - and then you get a fairly basic smart phone that's pretty locked down. You earn the right (mostly by not losing/breaking it!) for a better phone later. But I'm beginning to think that a basic phone that would allow her to contact us in an emergency might be no harm. I don't want any smart features in it at all. Just phone and text. From what I've been looking at on the main networks, all of the phone have some sort of smartphone element.

    Any recommendations? Ideally something sturdy but not embarrassingly childish, with a decent battery life, so it doesn't just go flat in her bag. If there was some sort of ability to limit the numbers that could be called, that would also be good - but we can simply put in the family numbers and check she isn't texting/calling any other numbers.



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