Creative ways for teens to “pay” for their phones

Are you concerned about your teen having a phone that can access the entire world in their pockets?

I CAME UP WITH THE GREATEST IDEA— and I LOVE IT! (Keep Reading)

I know that I was and in many ways I still am… but I have found a few things that help a ton!

I was in the generation of youth who first got cell phones. I was 16 when I got my first phone… it flipped open and had buttons with numbers on it. That was it. I could set the speed dial to 6 numbers. There were no swipe screens, no video chats, no social media/internet access. In many ways, I feel it was a much simpler time and wish we could go back.

This is the first phone I had:

Shortly I got married, I upgraded to a Blackberry and could now play a few songs and I think send a text…

I was set on the fact that my kids didn’t need a phone until they were 16… then we got to Jr High… babysitting… after school activities…. and there are not public/payphones around like there was when I was growing up!

I decided it was worth it to be able to communicate with my kids.

Here are a few of the things we do to help keep the light and connection in our home and not have our family time hijacked by technology:

Devices charge in the kitchen and in the loft, not in bedrooms.
All devices are plugged in and off by 9 pm (we are not perfect, but trying)
Mom/Dad have the passwords and can look at them at any time.
They do not use apps that have not been approved
We limit the games available to educational ones (DuoLingo, Words with Friends, Stack the States/Countries are all great)
No technology until we have had breakfast/devotional (not perfect here either)
Priority on family meal times – tech-free
Engage in uplifting tech with them (we snuggle and read together. Between books/chapters, we watch Random Acts, How things work, and other inspirational content… then discuss what it takes to get things done, celebrate the genius of others and find ways we can serve!)

MY GREATEST DESIRE for my children is that when they leave my home, they will

Be confident in their worth as a Child of God
Know how to receive/follow Revelation
Have a Love of Learning & Know How to Learn

I have found a great love for books that help me to think differently and align my life with truths that will help me in fulfilling my purpose on earth. (We ALL have specific things we are put on this planet to do!)

I’ve wanted my kids to get into reading these things so they can learn it while they are young and not be searching for who they are in 30+ years!

So, this is what came to me….

We had been paying $40 for my daughter’s cell phone each month. I wanted her to be able to pay for it, but due to life circumstances/time constraints, she didn’t have the consistent money-making opportunities required to pay for it. She is super helpful at home and I needed her to have the phone to contact me when she is in charge. I was praying for what to do… and AH HA!!! It was brilliant!

Each month she is given a book to read that I choose (one that helps her grow in character and train her mind for success!) and writes a page of what she has learned from it. I picked out a couple books and let her choose. The first book she read was Jackrabbit Factor/Portal to Genius by Leslie Householder.

She read both books quickly and waited until the last day of the month to finish the paper. The next morning, I found it sitting on my dresser. I’m pretty sure it was completed at midnight :).

She said I could share so that you too can benefit…. but please don’t just read it… BUY THE BOOK and really internalize what Leslie teaches, for it is inspired truth and can transform your life if applied!

I started reading her list of what she had learned and I was blown away by the insight and wisdom of my girl. I knew that this was one of the best parenting moments ever.

My heart was touched and I was filled with JOY. This is how you raise your children in light and truth and teach them to stand for truth!

I am so excited to continue this plan and to learn from my children! (The best part is snuggling with them afterward and discussing what they wrote.)

I was blessed to meet the author, Leslie, at a conference a couple of years ago, so I emailed her a copy. Her desire to share this story has been a motivation for me to complete this blog post.

I desire to blog about lots of things… rarely do I sit and do it… Please let me know if this has helped you and I’ll try to be more consistent at sharing all the goodness I have for you!

For now… I’d like to gift you my quick eCourse MY BEST LIFE: 10 simple things you can do in under 10 minutes to bring more joy into ANY Circumstance! These simple things have greatly blessed my life and I’m excited to share them with you!

I wish you all the success in this journey of parenting in the digital age! Remember to give yourself grace… none of us are perfect… Just do 1 thing today to better connect with your family!

God is great at guiding us when we ask Him. I know that if you have a tough situation, and pray for guidance, then listen… HE WILL GUIDE YOU in what to do in your unique situation!