• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

JillBJarvis.com

Things to do in Houston!

  • Home
  • Events Calendar
    • Houston Events for Today
  • What to do in Houston Any Day
    • Free Things to Do
    • Houston Mural Map
    • Houston Field Trips
    • Farms and Safaris
    • Houston Parks
  • Houston Restaurants
  • Family Travel
    • Family Travel from Houston
  • Resources
    • Summer Camps
    • Party Venues
    • Applying to HoustonISD Magnet Schools
    • Find a Preschool
    • Find a Doctor
    • Moving to Houston
  • Connect with Us
    • About Jill
    • Sign Up for the Newsletter
    • Contact Jill at JillBJarvis.com
    • Work with Us

Freedom for Kids & Peace of Mind for Parents… That’s the Verizon JustKids Plan

by JillBJarvis.com Sponsored Post 2 Comments

I’ve resisted devices, for my kids, for a long time.

I spent 15 years of my life designing phones and tablets, and while I think they make life better… they are also very addicting and distracting. And while they allow adults to connect with the world, this same access can be dangerous for children.

Several years ago I wrote about how I refused to let my kids have devices, play video games or do homework online.

Fast forward and I now have kids in carpools and a middle schooler.

Our first device was a Gizmo. It’s a kid’s watch that allows them to call contacts (set by me, on my phone) and lets me see their location. It is very basic but is perfect for a carpooler or a kid in after school activities.

This watch gives peace of mind to me and some freedom to my elementary school kids.

The next step up from this is the smartphone. I REALLY did not want a smartphone for my child, but middle school got the best of me.

All of my middle schooler’s homework is turned in online. I don’t like it, but that’s how it is.

And weekly, kids are told to bring their devices to class for research. In theory they can borrow a school device or do work at home, but I found it just gave my son more work in the few hours we have after school and sports.

So halfway through the first year, I let my son buy his own (refurbished) phone… with limits and with set expectations. It turns out that there are now Verizon plans with this built in!

All of our devices are on Verizon… and let me tell you why:

  1. As an engineer, I spent all my days designing, testing and launching smartphones and tablets. If a device could pass Verizon’s very strict requirements, it could pass almost any carrier’s tests. My own phones are on Verizon because I want my phone to work in the parking garage, in the elevator and outside the big city.
  2. As a mom, I like the devices and plans meant for kids. The Gizmo has been great for us and now we are learning about the #JustKidsPlan as a Brand Partner. With JustKids, kids get unlimited talk and text to 20 contacts. You can set the limits and content filters, manage the contacts and get location alerts. It also includes 5 GB of 4G LTE data with auto Safety Mode. And it’s all built in to the plan.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve heard a lot of stories from parents about their concerns over smartphones… and also the benefits of them. Each of these families will decide what is right for them… but all of them agree that at some point, their kids will get devices.

What is right for YOUR family? If you have kids that need a way to contact you or need a device for doing homework… but you want control over their wireless use, head to the Verizon store to learn all about JustKids… or just go HERE!

Filed Under: All, Resources June 25, 2019

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kara says

    July 3, 2019 at 10:07 am

    It’s so refreshing to hear about technology from both perspectives, you as a mom and you as an engineer designing the product. I just love all that Verizon has to offer with the Just Kids Plan and how it will help keep our children safe.

    Reply
    • Jill Jarvis says

      July 3, 2019 at 10:46 pm

      Thanks Kara! I appreciate hearing from you!

      I agree that the Just Kids Plan is a great option.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

jill-jarvis-bigkidsmallcity-circle-300 Welcome!  JillBJarvis.com is the go-to blog for things to do in Houston with kids!  It is upbeat and dedicated to making our big city feel small.   START HERE!    

On this website you will find a full list of Houston weekly events, things to do around the city, travel ideas and resources for parents.

I know just what it’s like to be overwhelmed by work, life and family. I spent a lot of years traveling for work, missing big milestones for my kids and feeling bad about everything.

I started this website to make a list of all the events happening around Houston and then pick one to enjoy with my kids. And instead of thinking of all the things I was missing, I started to enjoy the things we were doing together.

If you are a parent that is feeling overwhelmed by all the things you could be doing in Houston… please just use our weekly lists and daily posts as suggestions. Pick one thing to do with your family and intentionally ignore the rest!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

As Seen On:


Go HERE for more media appearances!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy
  • About BigKidSmallCity

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in