I Finally Found The Perfect Phone for My Tween

I think it’s important at the start of this blog to tell you I am against smartphones for kids. My husband and I are adamant that research shows too many negative outcomes from kids being connected too early. My view is coming from a mom who is anti-smartphone and anti-smartphones in schools. HOWEVER, I also know there comes a point when we need to communicate with our children and a phone is the best, easiest way to do that. A phone is inevitable.

My son entered junior high this year. As a result, we knew that after school we would need to be able to communicate better with him to let him know if he would need to pick up his sister or come to our office or meet us somewhere. We began the phone discussion. There were many debates, discussions, more debates and more discussions to finally come to the conclusion that it was time to get him a phone.

I knew I wanted a communication-only device. I wanted no app potential, no social media potential but the ability to only call and text. This was more challenging than I thought…until I remembered Twigby!

This blog is sponsored by Twigby but
all thoughts and experiences are my own.

A few years ago, my friend Kristina got a phone for her son on Twigby and she loved it so much she switched her whole family! This is why when I was ready to investigate the phone options, I reached out to get her opinion. I asked her how she is doing 3 years into using Twigby and she is still using it with no complaints. That was great news, so I decided to start shopping for a phone.

My Phone Wishlist

Here was my wishlist when it came to finding a phone:

No Smartphone.

I wanted a flip phone. No smartphone. I didn’t want it to look like a smartphone or act like a smartphone. Just a phone.

Great Coverage

Twigby exclusively uses Verizon. This is important to us because we want to be sure he has coverage when we need him to. Gives us peace of mind for sure.

No Internet

No need to connect to the internet. No browsing ability. Just a phone.

Only Texting & Calling

I wanted it to be able to have unlimited texting and calling. JUST A PHONE. Do you see the trend?

This task was surprisingly more difficult than I originally thought because so many ‘safe phones’ want to seem like smartphones. I wanted it to be and feel different. I wanted it to feel like it was only a device for calling and texting and not a device for apps.

Twigby

Special thanks to Twigby for having an affordable phone that was perfect for our family. We ended up getting a simple flip phone! It was only $60. Even the kids’ special watches you can get from a variety of carriers aren’t that affordable! I was impressed.

As I was searching for the best plan, I was really excited to find a ‘no data’ option. I had a few questions and chatted with Twigby directly on their website and was able to have all my questions answered quickly and easily. I hate calling places so it is always a bonus for me when I can easily chat online and get the information I need! They were helpful and knowledgeable and kind.

I found the phone and I found the plan. I was able to order it easily and my husband set it up with no issues. Now the most important question.

How Is Our Twigby Phone Working?

First, the mom perspective.

I love it. It is simple. It is easy to use. My son keeps it plugged in at his desk to charge it daily. We keep it off during the day at school and just text after school when we need to communicate. I have to approve each person he puts in his phone so there are only authorized people we know. There isn’t anything for him to do on his phone other than call people or text people so he hasn’t gotten obsessed with it. He just uses it to call or text. It’s just a phone.

Next, the kid perspective.

He tells me that texting isn’t the easiest on a flip phone. I laughed when he said this because I remember the days of flip phones. Yes, it takes longer to text. However, I don’t really want him to want to text all the time so it doesn’t bother me. He can call when he needs to talk to a friend or he can text when he is done with school. Mission accomplished.

Ultimately, my mom review is simple: Just get Twigby. Nice selection of phones. Affordable plans. Safe for the kids. And if and when we are ever ready for our son to move to a smartphone, Twigby has us covered.

Twigby offers the same service as name-brand mobile carriers for a fraction of the price. All plans include UNLIMITED TEXTING and FREE WI-FI CALL/TEXT to give you the best connectivity and value. Customize your plan with the number of minutes and data you need and stop paying for data you’re not using. Plans start at under $10 a month, have no contract, and come with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. You can also use a phone you already have with the service. Just order a free Twigby SIM Card. And for a limited time, there are plans as low as $5/month for the first 3 months.