Sponsored with love by Relay

The world our kids are growing up in is just so different than the world I remember living in as a kid. Of course I didn’t watch the news or know about any of the “bad stuff” happening around me but I swear, it’s just different.

Unsafer. Scarier. Just so different.

We would ride our bikes as kids around without a care in the world. We would leave our doors unlocked and think nothing of it. We’d bring baked goods to school and everyone would eat them without even thinking twice. Heck, I didn’t even get a cell phone until I was 16 years old and driving on my own and these days, that seems to be crazy - unheard of. How could I possibly let my child go to friend’s house or shop around at the small in middle school with peers without me or drop her off at a movie theater and pick her up when it’s over without having any access to communication with her? That’s what we did and it didn’t seem to be an issue. It wasn’t ever even a thought.

This is something my husband and I have talked about a whole lot, raising Ava and soon a baby boy in this society.

At what age is it appropriate to buy a kid a cell phone?

I don’t want Ava and this baby boy to be addicted to their “screens” or to get neck aches from constantly texting their friends when they’re just 8 years old or even 12 years old, at that. I totally see the importance of technology and know that it can be extremely beneficial for the growth and safety of our kids (if used properly and sparingly) but I also believe there is a balance that must be met.

I don’t know what the correct balance is and I don’t even know what the answer to my own question is about the best age to give a kid a cell phone but I did find the perfect solution, that we will absolutely be using in our own home.

It’s actually genius.

Relay is (simply-put) a screen-free cell phone for kids and it works kind of like a walkie talkie but it’s so much more powerful than that. It’s got:

• no screens and no distractions for kids (no browsing so no safety-concerns there!)

• one single button to communicate with your kids and for them to communicate with us

• broad cell-phone coverage, just like our “adult” cell phones

• a small, compact design (it fits in the palm of my hand)

• a location tracker so you always know where they’re at

• an interactive app where you can chat, search for your kids’ location, check their battery and cell network levels + so much more!

I believe that our kids need to grow up with responsibility and independence and allowing us, as parents, to keep some peace of mind in this crazy world we live in is a necessity too, for our own sake. And Relay, in my eyes, is the perfect way to get the best of both worlds.

Check out their site and shop by clicking the link below!

Relay would make the perfect holiday gift for your kiddos (and for you!)…. Just a little hint hint for ya there ;)