BREAKING NEWS: Kids Want Phones
My kids are pretty typical. They all want their own phone…yesterday. If you have kids, you likely know this and hear it every day. As the mother of tweens, I recently purchased two phones and activated service through Twigby. I thought it might be helpful to hear about my experience getting cell phone service for my kids.
I have a ten-year-old and a thirteen-year-old, and I am very concerned about staying within a budget. It is also very important to me that they learn responsibility, as their freedom increases. Twigby gives me lots of ways to meet my main concerns.
Getting Started: Selecting a Phone
My first step was to purchase phones. I was specifically looking for starter phones; devices that are not hugely expensive or packed with unnecessary features for children. For my ten-year-old, I went super simple with a feature phone that is built for texting. My logic is simple…I wanted her to be able to communicate with friends without being tempted by lots of data-rich apps. My thirteen-year-old son got a starter Android smartphone. He is a bit savvier and has shown an understanding of how data is consumed, so I wanted to give him a longer leash. I got both phones for under $60 each.
Once the phones arrived, I went to the Twigby website to activate service. I was able to easily choose which kinds of plans would be best for each child. Neither of my kids talk on the phone often, so I knew that the base level plan of unlimited text and 300 minutes was the right choice for both.
After picking your base plan, Twigby gives you a choice about how much data you want access to over the course of the month. You can also choose to block any overages. During this part of the process, I actually had my kids beside me, explaining to them how quickly data can add up and what kinds of activities are data-heavy.
I don’t know about your kids, but mine don’t typically pay attention to the cost of their online activity. However, teaching them responsibility is part of why I agreed to get them their own device and service plan. They helped choose which data plan they felt they could both live with and afford. I blocked overages, and we talked about what would happen when they (inevitably) hit their limit. For my daughter, we went with a 500MB plan. Although she does not have a smart phone, this will still allow for picture messaging. My son went with a 2GB limit.
Now, one of the reasons I chose Twigby over other low-cost carriers is because of the flexibility. There is no contract. And if after this first month, we take a look at the data use and there needs to be a change to increase or decrease data, that change can be made at any time with no penalty. This is my favorite part. Their data usage can be directly linked to the choices they make each month. Mean to your sister? Less data for you next month. Don’t clean your room? Say goodbye to YouTube on your phone.
Now What?
Once we received the phones, it was time to activate. When I activated my daughter’s phone, my home WiFi wasn’t providing a steady signal, so I initiated a chat to see what my options were. The customer service was quick and helpful and I was able to start her service in under 15 minutes. My son’s activation took even less time, as I was able to do it without the help of chat. It is a simple and straightforward process.
All in all, my experience getting phones and cell phone service for my children was hassle-free and extremely affordable. In addition to ease and cost, it has been helpful to educate the kids about how data consumption works and to give them some ownership of how they use their phones. I also really appreciate the flexibility to adjust their plans as needs (or behavior) change.
Want to Know More?
Twigby wireless makes it easy to purchase affordable cell phones and to initiate service.