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Do I have to give my child a phone?

No. If your child needs to get in touch with you, they are almost certainly near a phone at all times. Most adults, such as family friends and school staff, have cell phones. A good way for children to grow in leadership and develop social and executive functioning skills is to teach them how to approach a trusted adult and say, "Excuse me, may I borrow your phone?"

At what age should I get my kid their own phone?

If there is a need to get a phone for your child before high school, we recommend  a dumb phone. The decision as to when depends on the needs and circumstances of your family. You should still set time limits and enforce boundaries such as no phones during family activities or when doing homework, and

no phones at the dinner table or in the bedroom.

Where can I get a dumb phone?

Major carriers do offer versions of their phones that only call and text. For example, Verizon offers the TCL FLIP Pro Voice & Text Only for $80. T-Mobile offers a call and text watch where parents set the contacts for $10 extra a month. There are also

phones for kids such as the Gabb phone (and watch).

Are there any good options for adults?

There are several dumb phones that can be used for both adults and kids. They are more expensive than a basic phone, but have features such as maps and the ability to play uploaded music or podcasts without internet access. Two examples are the Wise Phone and the Light Phone. You can also leave your smartphone plugged in on the weekend and take the family phone with you!