Have you ever wanted to buy your kid a present, but you weren’t sure what to get them? It may have been their birthday, or they might have just passed a test and you wanted to reward them. Well, from useful gadgets to pure ‘fun ones’, there are many things that your kid will appreciate!
Mobile Phones
Smart phones are such a creative tool these days. Instead of ‘mobile phones’ they should probably be called ‘portable digital creators’. If you own a smartphone, ask yourself this question, “How much have you been using your phone for calls lately, and how much for everything else?”
Mobile phones aren’t just there so that kids can call their mates whenever they want, they might be instrumental in developing an interest in photography for example. Plus it’s a lot easier for your kid to reach you if he is in trouble.
Tablets
If you don’t want your kid to be hooked to a computer all day, you can give him a tablet. Use it to teach him how to get organised and get acquainted with technology.
For example you can set notifications for when he needs to do his homework. Is there something your kid didn’t understand about his latest grammar lesson? Maybe you can show him/her a page from Wikipedia.
Gaming Consoles
There is nothing wrong with some recreation, right? There are portable consoles like Nintendo DS, or ones that stay at home, such as the Xbox or the Playstation.
Don’t forget that gaming consoles nowadays do more than just gaming, they allow you to acquire the latest movies or catch up with the news, you can even use Skype. They are useful for parents too.
Music Players
Calling them MP3 players is restrictive nowadays. But if you don’t want to buy your kid a phone or a tablet yet, there’s nothing wrong with letting them listen to music.
You could buy them an Apple iPod, but other brands are good too. Music players don’t have to be expensive and some of them let your kids share photos as well.
Scooters
With all of this technology, let’s talk about something that can be done outdoors, such as running around on kids scooters! They are very popular at the moment and great for getting them out in the fresh air!
Food for Thought
Some parents are concerned with whether they should give their kid a mobile phone or a tablet. That’s a valid worry, but it can be overcome if you give your children some guidance.
You may worry about having to deal with your kid’s relentless requests to top up their mobile, or you might be worried about what they’ll find on the internet. However you can turn these fears to your advantage.
If your kid wants a new top up, have him actively participate in productive things so that he can earn it, or use it as an incentive for him to finish his homework. For the internet, it can be worth looking into some parental control software that stops certain sites from being shown.
Focus on how your kid can use the technology constructively, after all he will have to deal with it sooner or later – it will be lot better if he has an educated approach when he does, and that education can come from you.
If you are still not convinced about technology, then a scooter could be the perfect choice!
Louise Blake is a new mum who has an interest in technology and likes to share tips and ideas about kids and how to raise them. Here she writes for buybikes 24 7.
