Join us for the #FirstPhoneEtiquette Twitter Party!

Last night was a typical Friday night around here.  The kids needed to be chauffeured to their many events, while Hubby and I took turns fighting over the remote and the popcorn.  I drove my 13 year old daughter to a girlfriends house.  Hubby chaperoned the crowd gathering at our home before a High School Christmas Dance.  When I arrived home to a houseful of kids, dressed up for their last Semi-Formal of the year ,I had flash backs to my first high school formal, but there was one subtle difference.  Every 14 and 15 year old in the place was holding a cell phone, texting or taking pictures.  They were finalizing plans, keeping in touch with the world or capturing some moments to look back on later.  Cell phones are a huge part of their lives. 

As I loaded up my car to drive them to the event and drop them off I didn’t have to tell my daughter to be safe, behave at the dance or to be smart with her cell phone.  She knows this, she knows the rules.  We gifted her a phone when she turned 12 years old.  A gift for an athlete who trained 16- 20 hours a week away from home to keep in touch with her parents. This gift?  It was as much for me as it was for her.  I needed to be able to keep in touch with her, but this new toy, it came with a LOT of rules.  Some examples?  I was to always know what her password for her phone was.  No phone in her room at night.  No cell phone at the table.  Be a good friend, don’t text anything you wouldn’t want the world to see.  My daughter knows a smart phone is a privilege and the rules enforced that. 

As she headed off into the dance, I know she was happy to have her phone to keep in touch with her friends and take a hundred pictures.  I was thrilled she had it so she could call me or text me, any time at all. 

According to a recent survey by Microsoft Devices “Almost all Canadians (98%) think it’s important for parents to set guidelines for their children’s smartphone use, with most of that group (88%) saying it’s actually “very important”.”

Does your child have a smart phone?  Did it come with rules or guidelines attached?  Join us on Tuesday December 9th at 12pm EST as we chat about #FirstPhoneEtiquette !  (and of course give away some amazing prizes too!)

Here are all the details again!

Date:  Tuesday December 9th

Time:  12pm-1pm EST

Prizes: We’re giving away SEVEN (7) phones with the Grand Prize valued at $700+

This final grand prize, valued at more than $700, includes:

*Lumia 830

             *Wireless, Bluetooth connected speakers

              *Wireless charging stand

             *Portable USB car charger

      *Treasure Tag

Host: @Listen2Lena

Moderators: @SassyModernMom, @Kidsumers and FeistyFrugal

Hashtag: #FirstPhoneEtiquette

Please RSVP using the linky below  See you soon!

*Please be sure to enter your Twitter Handle “@yourTwitterhandle” in the Link/Blog Title field, and your Twitter URL “www.twitter.com/yourtwitterhandle” in the Link Field*