Making Your Kids Mobile?!

As an early adopter of the “influencing” world, creating my business and subsequently being employed to write professionally for many publications as a result, I have often come under fire for sharing my children within my work. Like anything to do with parenting, and the choices we make, there is criticism for the decisions I made early on to show their faces and to share their names. I have lines, but for me it never felt like a threat to do this. I’m very much a believer that if someone wants to find out about you then thet will, regardless of how cleverly you cover your tracks and keep yourself hidden. By sharing my family life I feel I have nothing to hide and subsequently I don’t think anyone would be that interested in trying to find out more details about us. If they wanted to it wouldn’t be any less hard as a result of already knowing our names. However, like with many parenting decisions, this is an emptive topic and one which will always cause disagreement. I welcome discussion but I am happy with my choices and as my children have grown, I’ve noticed that exactly as I predicted, they aren’t that bothered about having been on line for all to see their whole lives. if anything, they love it and treat my blog, columns, articles they feature in and any kind of discussion panels they’ve been a part of like a walking, talking photo album. And now the older two are sharing themselves on line too, just as their friends are, even the ones who’s faces were never plastered on Facebook when tiny!

Advances with the internet, of course can be scary, but I have always tried to look on the side of caution with positivity, embracing the fact that there are many great things about being able to stay in touch and as a result, I am a fan of social media, both for myself, and for my children. I love that communication is advanced in the way that it is and while lots of friends, generally the ones who were careful to not have their babies faces on line, have been reluctant to not only allow a mobile phone but when they have, to be extremely unhappy about social media apps. I’m just not like that, we none of us are the same! And you know what, everything is valid. If you’re not keen then that’s good for you but here’s why I allow my children to surf the net and have their own mobile phones. Here’s my top three reasons for children being mobile!

Number 1, the safety aspect for me is perhaps off in a different direction to those who are anti. I like to follow my children on Google maps when they are on their way home from school. Snap Maps does the same thing and being able to call them, text them, ring them on many a different portal is invaluable!

Number 2, in the film “About a Boy”, Hugh Grant’s character talks about the fact you need a bit of camouflage, you’ve got to fit in. Not having a mobile phone would put a kid in the vast minority and actually why segregate them when instead they can have contact with their friends and fit in. Sure there’s scope for this being abused and for bullying but you know what, there would always be a way to be unpleasant, and like anything it has to be monitored.

Number 3, my big kids, like us, have half their life on their phones which saves carrying far too much with you every day. Advancing and being able to carry your bus pass, bank card, homework, time table and contact with teachers is BRILLIANT! Why knock it?!

There are many other positives too in my book, and though it may feel like a massive expense, it can be done on a budget. Adding to your family plan is a good way, using an old mobile phone for them to get started another and making sure they have enough minutes and texts so that they won’t go over your budget is invaluable! Discover best offers at Tesco and find the right plan, phone and set up for you!

Imagine if we hadn’t moved with the times when man invented the wheel… What if we’d all said “Oh no, far too dangerous, we’ll stay on our own two feet thanks!” Would we have been wrong in the caution that things can be dangerous and out of our comfort zone to boot, potentially making it more so? NO, we’d have been on the money. But with diligence, careful use and embracing technology we wouldn’t be without the wheel nowadays would we! It’s the same with mobile phones, the internet and social media as far as I’m concerned. I’m very much in camp FOR, if you’re against then that’s cool too but this is how we roll, with, or without wheels!

Collaboration.