Having a five year age gap between my boys has both perks and downfalls. I find a lot of the time I tend to give in to the little one and let the older one sacrifice what he’s doing, what he’s playing with or what he wants to do just to keep the peace. It’s not fair but it is something that I do and that I am aware of… with number three brewing I am even more aware of how Kylan may be feeling.
Kylan has started to come to the age where he’s craving a little more. A little more independence, a little more one on one time, a little more responsibility and a little more when it comes to privileges.
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I follow Kylan’s lead, I have always just taken his lead from the moment he was born. This next phase which he’s leading me into is quite a big one and it’s exciting. I have always been there watching over him, supervising and being there to lift him back up when he falls. Now he is wanting to venture off on his own and discover his independance.
It started with just riding his bike down our street by himself, then moved on to going down to the nearby reserve to ride his bike. Now he happily rides his bike to the dairy to grab us some milk on a Sunday morning for Daddy’s coffee. This is always scary as a mum to give your children that space after always being there every step of the way, but it’s exciting to watch them go and learn how to be independant.
About a year ago we contemplated getting Kylan his own mobile for these situations where he is away from us and where we may need to make contact. At the time there wasn’t an affordable smartphone option that felt right, so we left it.
A year later and we found ourselves rethinking the mobile option again. It seems a bit ridiculous to say it out loud. A mobile phone for an 8 year old… seriously? But when we live in a world with all of this amazing technology at our fingertips why not utilise it?
Vodafone has their awesome android smartphone the Vodafone Smart E8 which is perfect for what we needed for Kylan. We wanted something affordable but still with all the features of an expensive smartphone. He is over the moon with the fact that he has his own phone, he can take photos, he can receive messages, he can have some special games and apps on it just for him and did I mention HE HAS HIS OWN PHONE! I seriously have never seen such a proud happy wee face as the one which opened the box of his very first phone. Such a huge milestone for both him and us!
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We have strict rules around the use of his new phone. It certainly isn’t to be used willy nilly at any time of day. As he gets older he will get more access to it but he is only 8 and we need to remember that too. Even with the agreement on our rules around this new privilege it has not dulled down the excitement factor that comes with getting your first phone!
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It has been so special watching him get it all set up, reading the instruction manual, choosing his ringtones and alerts, making sure it’s always charged, catching him taking selfies with his brother and capturing his special memories. He has even asked me to send him some photos of his favourite outings and activities to have handy on his phone to look back on. He has been able to choose a few games to have on it, he has downloaded Spotify so he can hang out and listen to his own music and he has taken such pride in doing all of this. It really is amazing to see him being so responsible.
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Now when he jumps on his bike to go down to the dairy he can check in with us when he gets there so we know he has made it safely. When he is riding his bike down at the reserve I can flick him a message telling him time is up or he can send me a proud photo of something cool he’s doing.
Now I can focus on following his lead, encouraging his independence that he is so clearly craving to explore and allowing a young nearly 9 year old to start exploring the world with a little more freedom, whilst utilising the amazing technology available to us in the digital age to help ease my mind, keep in touch and keep him safe.
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If you think your child is ready for their first phone, check out the My First Phone range available on a Red Plus plan which allows you to get a premium smartphone at a great price. Lucky for you, Vodafone have given me a Vodafone Smart E8 to give away – Keep an eye on Instagram for your chance to win! Tc’s and c’s below*
Thank you Vodafone for giving Kylan his first real opportunity to explore his independence and making this post possible. I can’t wait to see what awesome things he does with his new device.
*No prize draws, promotions or competitions are in any way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Instagram. My decision is final in all matters and no correspondence will be entered into.
You must be over the age of 16 to enter this competition.
You must also be living in New Zealand to be eligible to win.
The phone is not to be redeemed for cash.
This giveaway is the property of I am Tarryn Donaldson.
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