Still looking for a great mobile deal for your family for the holidays? I am excited to share about and the great discounts available on plans for families because it reminded me about recent conversations with my kids. One of my 9-year-old kids has one thing on his Christmas list… a smartphone. Sigh… He’s been asking for one for months. I asked him why he needs a phone. He said, “To call people.” I asked, “Who are you going to call?” He said, “You! And Daddy, and Grandma. Oh, and my friend Michael!” LOL! Now, while I don’t think that my 9-year old twins need a phone just yet, I do think that it is important for some kids. Every situation is different.
How do you know when your kids are ready for a smartphone? Well, of course they must be responsible. And if your kids are busy and spend a fair amount of time on their own they may be ready. My 12-year-old daughters do have phones. They have good reason. As a family of divorce, my kids spend time at their Dad’s house. They also love to visit their grandmother. And they have after school and weekend activities. When we are not together, I like to know that I can get in touch with them when needed.
I realize that eventually my boys will need phones. And I also realize that this means that my bill could skyrocket. We will potentially have 5-6 lines on one account. Yikes! Despite what they advertise, not all carrier plans are family-friendly. However, Cricket Wireless is here to help with that.
Known for their well-priced plans, has been working hard to add more coverage, more phones and more affordable plans. They offer great phones from favorite brands such as Samsung, LG, Nokia, HTC and even the Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Or, if you already have a phone that you love, you may be able to bring your own device to Cricket and swap your SIM card for a low fee of $9.99. Check the BYOD tool to see if your current phone is eligible.
You may be saying, “Really? Cricket offers all of that??” Well, yes! Gone are the days of thinking of Cricket as one of the little guys. Cricket now has more 4G LTE coverage nationwide than T-Mobile, Sprint, MetroPCS, Boost or Virgin Mobile. Don’t believe me? Check out the . I have noticed while driving around the Chicago area that there are more and more Cricket stores popping up.
We are a family that travels, so that coverage map makes me happy. 98% of Americans are covered, so chances are that the place that I’m traveling to is on there. And, of course, it’s important that our plan includes long distance. This way when I’m away, I can call my kids when I’m traveling for business to check in. Or I can connect to Google Hangouts via the 4G LTE to get some smiles. Or when we are away on vacation they can call their grandparents and tell them all about the fun that they are having.
If you are in need of phones for your family please check out You can get the Group Save discount with each eligible line you add, up to $100/mo. Signing up for Auto Pay will get you a $5 bill credit each month. Additionally, there are great deals on phones and awesome deals during the Holidays! You can even get a $100 Bill Credit when you switch to Cricket by January 7th, 2016.* This requires porting a number & qualifying plan (min. $40/mo.). Credit received within 60 days.
Looking to switch? Cricket has some amazing holiday offers right not, be sure to check them out at for more information.
Disclosure: This post is part of a paid SocialMoms and Cricket Wireless blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.
*$100 Bill Credit: Offer ends 1/7/16. Req’s porting elig. number (excludes ports from AT&T) & activ. on qual. plan in same transaction. New lines only. Basic phones excluded. Must be active & in good standing for 45 days. Credit received w/in 60 days after activation. Credit is not redeemable for cash, has no cash value & is not transferable or refundable. Credit is forfeited if account is cancelled. Limit: 1 per qualifying line. Activation Fee: up to $25. Bring Your Own Phone: $9.99 Universal SIM Card Kit & unlocked, GSM-compatible smartphone req’d. Taxes, fees, charges & restrictions apply. Coverage & svc not avail. everywhere. Offer subject to change & may be terminated at any time without notice. See store for offer details.
i wouldnt get my 10 year old a smartphone. its too early. i’d rather get him a smartwatch. at least he cant be searching for bad stuff on google!
That’s why they created parental controls! And most smartwatches have to connect to a phone via Bluetooth to be useful…. and they do search Google.
Although LG now has a standalone for kids.
you can use a smartwatch to communicate but you can’t use it to watch inappropriate videos or go on the itunes store and make accidental purchases.
i have looked into LG and dokiWatch. im leaning toward a dokiWatch, not a full blown iPhone.
I just pre-ordered dokiwatch on Indiegogo after my co-worker talked my ear off about it. I hope it lives up to the hype. As a working mother, I can’t be watching my kids 24/7. The safety features are what attracted me.
Let us know how you like it! My kids are past that stage, but I’m very curious.
Yes, those are 2 of the few standalone smartwatches for kids.
But again, whether your kid has a smartphone, tablet, computer, or whatever you should be installing parental controls anyway. That prevents the inappropriate searches, videos, and iTunes or Google Play store purchases.