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You are here: Home1 / 20192 / January
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Can a Smarter Phone Help Your Family Connect?

January 30, 2019/in Digital Parenting

When tablets, smartphones, and mobile games have your child’s attention, it can be difficult to take it back, and you need to work even harder to connect on a deeper level. What’s even more disheartening is that studies show that too much screen time hurts the brain’s ability to develop key social functions like recognizing and understanding emotions. So even if we manage to take away their gadgets, they may not have the interest to bond with us… just yet.

Thankfully, there are still ways to help your child connect with others.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BsJiRpUg09p/?hl=en

What happens when we put the screens down?

When parents and children connect with each other, it also ensures that the kids are nourished emotionally. Emotional nourishment is essential in developing emotional intelligence (EI), which in turn will affect your child’s capacity to forge relationships as they grow.

Another wonderful thing about having good EI is that it can improve your child’s autonomy and self-awareness. In other words, your child will not become overly dependent on you. On top of all that, it will also allow them to grow with enough confidence to make their own decisions regardless of supervision.

Learn more about emotional intelligence in this Relay blog post.

Then comes the part where we need to put these concepts into action. And the first step in this approach is to initiate more and better communication.

How to build an emotional connection

We all know that nothing beats face-to-face communication. If you and your child are able to recognize each other’s facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, you are more likely to know each other on a deeper level. These things, after all, make up over 90% of how we communicate, according to sociology expert Patricia Runcan.

Remain observant, and consider the reasons why kids talk in a lively/sad tone or why they make faces. As explained in a post by Maryville University about their psychology degree, understanding the thoughts behind actions can help in contextualizing behavior. How your child thinks is often expressed unconsciously through other means. Imagine it this way; a text message (just words) might express a meaningful message, but covers only about 7% of what you are trying to communicate. Without context or personality, a text message is just a bunch of words put together. You can fare a lot better with a phone call (words plus the sound of the voice) and relay 45% of what you really mean. So, if you want to say something to your child but can’t do it face to face, a voice call is a much better alternative to a text message.

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What about video calling?

Of course, video calling can be more intimate as you are able to communicate with facial expressions and body language. However, giving a child a smart device for video calling can have more downsides than upsides.

“I am very pleased with how [my daughter] is able to use it and understands that we are using it as a device not a toy. I was very excited to hear her say ‘Mommie, I love you’ from her bus on her way to school.” —Relay user via The Neighborhood

After all, video calls require internet-enabled devices with screens. You are already aware of the slippery slope between having these devices and screen addiction. We tend to picture device ownership as a balancing act between communication and distraction. But even adults will tell you that distraction often wins. If you can take out the distractions and maintain the communication aspect, then that would be perfect.

Communication skills for kids: phone versus walkie-talkie

Enter the PTT (push-to-talk) walkie talkie. While you may opt for a smartphone with parental controls or an old and unreliable flip phone from the 2000s, nothing beats just pushing a button to start a conversation. No menus to navigate, no distracting apps, just a simple and reliable device for easy, spontaneous connections.

After all, the best way to simulate face-to-face conversations is to minimize the steps you need to take to talk. It makes communication much more natural. To illustrate, have you ever felt that placing a call is much more ‘serious’ or important than a text? We have become too used to casual texting that verbal communication feels so out of the ordinary.

“My son talks to me over the Relay his whole walk from school to meet me […] There is something magical about it being a walkie talkie instead of a phone that gets him talking more.” — Relay user via The Neighborhood

However, if your family has become used to communicating with a walkie-talkie, calling to say “hello,” and “I love you mom,” or “on my way home now” can develop into a habit. With more open lines of communication and faster connection, communicating with such a device will improve your family’s emotional connection. Ultimately, this is the beauty of technologies like Relay.

A smarter solution

Relay is a smarter phone for your child. It has the nationwide 4G LTE range of a phone, but it works like a walkie-talkie. Relay does not have a screen and attention-grabbing apps. It has built-in privacy features and comes with a free app for parents. Parents can track their child’s GPS location, talk on a virtual walkie-talkie, and more. Want to learn more? Check out our main website at relaygo.com.

 

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https://blog.relaypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Brick-e1549036452721.png 300 695 Victoria Seng https://blog.relaypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/relay_blog.svg Victoria Seng2019-01-30 14:38:512021-04-02 11:20:48Can a Smarter Phone Help Your Family Connect?
slate colored relay with a unicorn sticker next to a doki watch

Head-to-head: Relay vs Doki Watch Reviews

January 23, 2019/in Relay in Action

So you want to stay in touch with your kid after school and while they’re out playing with friends—but you’d be crazy to hand them a $500+ smartphone at this age, right?

These days, there are plenty of options out there. And to help you find the best kids smartphone alternative for your family, we’re putting these options head-to-head in a series of reviews.

To start, let’s take a look at Relay versus the DokiWatch S:

relay and doki watch side-by-side

Relay DokiWatch S
  • $49.99
  • $9.99 per month
  • 4G LTE + WiFi
  • Talk to parents and friends
  • Closed network
  • GPS tracking
  • Screen-free
  • Music, language translation + more
  • $199
  • $10-$50 per month
  • 3G + WiFi
  • Talk to parents and friends
  • Closed network
  • GPS tracking
  • 1.22 inch screen
  • Fitness and chore alert features

Relay is a smarter phone for kids. It’s screen-free and has all the essentials to keep you in touch and keep tabs on your little one. And you can add a host of fun, free features that make play even more fun.

The DokiWatch S is a smartwatch for kids that boasts video calling in addition to voice calls and tracking. It also features a pedometer and selfie camera.

Both products come with a free app that parents can use to communicate, monitor GPS, and access parental controls.

The basics — DokiWatch S

the doki watchThe DokiWatch S operates a little differently from what you might expect in a smartwatch or smartphone. It features three buttons: a red SOS button on the left side, a power button on the right side, and a handy “back” button also on the right (where you might expect a volume button to be located) to help kids return to the main menu of the device.

We found that with light use, the battery lasts about a day, but not much longer, and that when the watch enters a power-saving mode (less than 20% battery left), the watch stops functioning. Parents receive a notification via the app when their kids’ battery is running low. Also, the watch’s 1.22 inch touchscreen doesn’t respond to every tap—especially during setup when typing or checking small boxes.

We had a couple of other minor issues with the DokiWatch S. Its 2 megapixel camera is a bit fuzzy. The pedometer seems to be very sensitive, overcounting steps by a wide margin. And after a few weeks of very light use, our DokiWatch’s screen began to detach from the plastic watch band. The touchscreen was still functional, but the watch didn’t seem durable.

The basics — Relay

brick red relay with loop case and lanyardRelay also works differently from the traditional smartphone/smartwatch model. With no screen, there are no menu mazes to navigate. You simply press the channel button to cycle through the features until you reach the one you want. The Relay announces each channel as it is activated, and a different color light ring appears around the big talk button in its center.

Relay features live voice communication, and you push one button to talk, kind of like an old-school walkie talkie. With light to moderate use, Relay’s battery will last multiple days. On the app, parents receive low-battery notifications, and can view the charge level on their kids’ Relays. As with the DokiWatch, it comes with a magnetic charging cable that’s much easier for kids to use than a USB charger.

If you are attached to the idea of a wearable—or worry that your kid might lose any tech that isn’t literally attached to their body—Relay offers a loop case accessory that lets kids clip Relay to a belt loop, a backpack, or wear it around their neck with a lanyard.

Relay DokiWatch S
Screen No Yes
Camera No Yes
Magnetic charging Yes Yes
Battery life 2+ days 1+ days
Water resistant Yes Yes
Durability High Low-Med

Features for safety, features for fun

The DokiWatch S and Relay share a few features in common, like GPS tracking, voice communication, and the ability to connect with a secure network of friends. While neither device calls 911, kids can send parents a special notification on both devices; by holding down he SOS button on DokiWatch, and by holding down the channel and volume buttons on Relay.

The DokiWatch comes with all features enabled by default.  Parents can restrict access to all features except GPS and SOS through the app with the “class mode” feature. Relay works a little differently, with fine-tuned parental controls. Parents can choose whether to allow their kids to talk to friends, either through permanent channels or through a temporary chat channel set up by bumping two Relays together. Parents can control all available features and customize their kid’s experience, adding features as they kids get older.

One DokiWatch standout feature is the voice memo messages you can send back and forth to your child. The sound quality is good, and it’s a nice way to communicate non-urgent messages. Relay has a similar feature in the works. Kids can’t text with the DokiWatch, but they can use emojis and cute monster stickers with little messages like “call me” and “I ♥ mom” attached.

Where DokiWatch focuses more on “extra” features that appeal to parents, like a pedometer for fitness and a parent-controlled task list, Relay makes sure there are also features that kids want to use. Why is this important? In addition to keeping kids entertained, fun features ensure that kids actually want to keep their device with them―making it something they’re happy to carry instead of something they’re made to carry by their parent.

Parents can add a playlist of their kids’ favorite tunes in a variety of file formats, so Relay kids can get their jams on the go. Relay can also translate 13 languages, tell new jokes every day, and promises more fun features to come.*in select plans; price varies based on carrier, plan, number of devices on account, etc.

Features for Parents Features for kids
Relay DokiWatch S Relay DokiWatch S
Calls Yes Yes* Talk to friends Yes Yes
GPS tracking Yes Yes Music playlists Yes No
Geofencing Coming soon Yes Silly Sounds Yes No
Parental feature control Yes No Language translation Yes No
Chore alerts No Yes Joke of the day Yes No
Pedometer No Yes Texting No No
New feature updates Yes No Fun Colors Yes, 5 colors Yes, 3 colors

And finally, the price

Relay is $49.99 and has a simple prepaid monthly plan for $9.99/month. That’s it, no caveats or small print.

The DokiWatch S costs are a little more complicated. The watch itself is $199. For service, you can either pay $80 for a year of data-only service using their advertised TATA SIM card, or you can add the device to your AT&T (or AT&T reseller) plan for $10-$50+ per month.

If you want the affordable TATA SIM, you can use VoIP calling to communicate, but not the “voice call” option. Workable, but possibly confusing for kids who see the phone icon and tap it thinking they can talk to mom and dad. We didn’t get to test any calling features firsthand, as our watch was unable to make any kind of call using the TATA SIM. As video calling is Doki’s main selling point, that is more than a little disappointing.

Relay DokiWatch S
Device $49.99 $199
Monthly Service $9.99 $10-$50+
Extra Fees None None
Contracts None None

So which is the best choice?

That depends on you. Every family has unique needs. While we can offer no one-size-fits-all solution, we hope you find the one that’s best for you. If you have questions about Relay, we’re happy to help! Just click the chat button on our website to talk to our team.

Learn more about Relay

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Post edited 02/26/19 to update information

https://blog.relaypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/dvr2-1.jpg 300 695 Victoria Seng https://blog.relaypro.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/relay_blog.svg Victoria Seng2019-01-23 19:55:382021-04-02 11:21:06Head-to-head: Relay vs Doki Watch Reviews
new year's family calendar

How to Set Goals for the New Year as a Family

January 7, 2019/in Digital Parenting

The New Year is here and many of us are kicking habits, picking up new ones, and making promises to ourselves. But unless you have superhuman willpower, you might be expecting to fail before February, falling right back into your old ways. Sticking to new resolutions is hard at any time of year, especially for parents who have to put their own needs second and their kids first.

But what if your kids and your whole family could help keep you on track this year? If you plan with detail and include all members of the family, they can be the best help you’ve got in achieving the “New year, new you.”

New years family goal list

Get smart with your resolutions

You’ve probably heard that simply wanting something isn’t enough. And while there’s some truth to that, you have to start somewhere. Without knowing what you want, you can’t make a plan to get there. You can’t take action and achieve. So if you want something this year, get serious by turning your wish into a goal — specifically a S.M.A.R.T goal. That’s specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. It’s not as hard as it looks and it helps you turn that thing you want into actionable steps.

Here’s an example:

Starting goal: Save money.

Specific: I will save by cutting unnecessary expenses and starting a weekly savings plan.

Measurable: I will save $1000 in a dedicated savings account, putting in $20 every week.

Achievable: I can save $20 per week without compromising my family’s quality of life.

Relevant: I will use the saved money to take my family on vacation.

Time-Bound: I will have $1000 saved by the end of December 2019.

The end result would look something like this:

I will save $1000 for a family vacation by the end of December 2019. To do this, I need to place approximately $20 per week in a dedicated savings account. To fund this weekly savings plan, I will quit cable, switch to a more affordable cell phone provider, and cancel a premium streaming service.

With S.M.A.R.T goals, you can turn a general idea into a detailed plan. Set your own goals, set goals with a partner, or have your whole family share a goal together.

New Year goals for families: what’s your goal and how can your family help?

Want make mealtime easier? Try these family goals:

  • Learn to cook as a family, teaching the kids how to make safe and easy dishes
  • Divide and conquer the grocery store with the kids, saving time and teaching them how to find all the deals — if they help, they can grab a treat for themselves!
  • Teach kids how to pack their own lunch for school with a reward for healthy choices

Want a tidier house? Here are some habits to start together:

  • Reward kids for chores done early or without being asked
  • Parents drop a quarter in the “mess jar” when the kids catch them leaving a mess behind. They drop another quarter in if the kids help them clean it up. At the end of the year, the kids get the jar.

Need more quality family time? Try these out:

  • Go for a family bike ride/spend time outdoors together every weekend.
  • Tell each other something you’re grateful for every day
  • Turn TV/game/screen time into a whole-family activity

How about a new year resolution for kids?

“When kids make and keep promises to themselves, they gain time management skills, practice with delayed gratification, and confidence in their own abilities”

The best part about setting goals together is that your kids can join in. Their goals can be just as well-planned as yours. You can help make sure their goals are achievable and well thought-out. Maybe they can’t become their favorite superhero, but they can earn enough chore money to get their own superhero costume! If your kid is having trouble coming up with goals, you can suggest some of these:

  • Report cards they can be proud of all year long
  • Learn to play an instrument or sport
  • Take on new responsibilities at home or at school
  • Save up enough chore money to open a savings account
  • Read a new book every month

When kids make and keep promises to themselves, they gain time management skills, practice with delayed gratification, and confidence in their own abilities. All these qualities help their developing brains flourish and thrive. With your help and example-setting, they may start setting goals all on their own!

Keep each other on track

In a perfect world, you’d never falter and you’d float effortlessly down the path you’ve set for yourself. Not so in the real world. Unexpected expenses crop up. There will be unexpectedly hard tests, unexpectedly tasty chocolate cake, and unexpectedly tiring days (where you absolutely deserve a cheat day.) You will make missteps on the way to your goal. That’s where your family can make a huge difference.

Not only can family offer encouragement and support, they can remind you of what you originally set out to do. (And rest assured, most kids will be delighted at the chance to boss their parents around!) Let your child encourage you — it’s an opportunity to become an example of perseverance while simultaneously empowering your kid to be a part of that journey. You can let the people you love be part of your success, making it even sweeter.

By ourselves, it’s easy to get discouraged and abandon a goal entirely if we mess up even once. When we have people keeping us accountable, not only are we less likely to mess up, we’re less likely to give up when we mess up.

Have a bad day plan — just in case

Returning to the savings example from above, let’s say someone hit your car in a parking lot. This expense is such that you can’t afford to drop $20 in your savings account for a few weeks. You can still meet your goal if you have a bad day plan. Maybe that plan is to cut something else  nonessential out of the budget. Maybe you start putting in a little more money every week to make up for the weeks you missed. Either way, you can adapt and keep going.

The same sentiment goes for dieting, exercise, home cooking, pottery, whatever you want to do this year. Life happens and you will miss a day here and there. But success doesn’t have to be a 365-day “streak.” Success is refusing to give up after breaking your streak. Start a habit, end a habit — just keep going. Don’t let one slip-up stop you. Life happens and we’re all just trying to do the best we can.

What are some of your family’s new year’s resolutions? What obstacles are you planning for?

 

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Kid Safe Phones: The Family Conversation Guide

January 2, 2019/in Digital Parenting

 

When it comes to big purchases, talking things out with the family is important. If you’re thinking of purchasing a phone for your kid but feel like they aren’t quite ready for all the pitfalls that come with a smartphone, there are some amazing phones for kids out there to choose from. This guide from Relay outlines the big things to consider for the whole family beforehand.

Phones for kids: will it work for your family?

When choosing the right product, it helps to consider exactly what you want. That way, you can see which products miss the mark and which are a perfect fit. It also might reveal the different needs of family members and help everyone get on the same page from the start.

Why are you looking for a cell phone for your kid?

  • Think about the problem you are trying to solve by letting your child communicate this way. What results do you want to see? Do you want to contact your child after school or when they are playing with friends? Do you want to know where your child is through GPS technology?
  • Talk about when you need to be able to contact your child and what you are hoping to gain through the purchase. This might include things like peace of mind for you, freedom for your child, and other things unique to your family.

Talk about taking it slow with technology

  • Discuss why you’d rather use a smartphone alternative instead of buying your child a phone of their own. Is your child too young for a smartphone? Maybe you aren’t convinced they should own such an expensive piece of technology, or you are worried they might use it unwisely.
  • Could a kids phone serve as a set of “training wheels” that lead to smartphone ownership when your child is older? Talk about what skills and responsibilities you hope your child will learn from owning their smartphone alternative.
  • Try drawing up a practice smartphone contract that lists the responsibilities your child should master. But instead of giving your child a real phone before they’ve had time to practice, try thinking of the list as a set of goals your kid can strive towards while owning their kid phone. Here’s a sample you can use.

 

Which kid friendly phones will work best for your family?

While many products on the market have overlapping features like two-way communication and GPS, finding the right feature set is important, as one product might work better for your child and your family.

What kinds of features are important to you?

  • Discuss safety and privacy. Do you want GPS tracking? Do you want parental controls over which features your child can access? Would you be uncomfortable if your child’s voice, personal information, and physical location were stored in the cloud?
  • Talk about communication. Would you prefer 4G LTE over 3G or 2G? Would you be comfortable with your child sending text messages? How about ease of communication? Think about whether you’d rather have a touchscreen with multiple menus or simple one-touch communication.
  • Consider durability. Talk about how your child typically treats their belongings and whether the devices are durable enough to accompany them on adventures. Do the products come with protective cases? Is it likely that you will have to replace the device due to physical damage?

What kinds of features are important to your child?

  • For your kid to want to use their new tool, they will have to like it. What kinds of fun features would your kid appreciate? For example, Relay offers music, language translation, and more.
  • Think about style. Would your kid want to wear a bulky watch or clip their kid phone to their backpack or belt loop? How might wearing a smartwatch affect them at school or with friends? Would it empower them or feel more like an ankle monitor?
  • Would your kid get distracted by a screen or any other potential features? Where do you draw the line between fun features and what is too much? Do you want to avoid a screen altogether?
  • Does your child want to talk to their friends who use the same tool? Does the product allow for that?

What are you prepared to spend on your kid’s new technology?

Money is not the easiest thing to talk about. Try having an open and honest conversation about your budget and exactly how much your family can afford to spend up front on a product and monthly on product service. These numbers can help a great deal on your product search when you use them as guidelines.

Consider up-front costs

  • How many years do you expect your child to use the tech? Buying a really expensive product might not be the best for your wallet if your kid will graduate to a smartphone in less than a year.
  • If you only plan on using it for a few months, cheaper tech could be a better return on investment. Bonus if the monthly fee is also affordable!

Consider monthly fees

  • How much is reasonable to spend in a month? Would you be willing to pay more per month in exchange for a cheaper product, or pay more up front and less in the long run? Talk long term: In three or four years, how much money will you have spent on monthly fees?
  • Check to see which products have hidden fees, like line access fees, extra data charges, and activation fees. These can vastly affect how much you spend on the product in the long term.

Compare and contrast

  • Do the math together and find the best overall fit for your family. Consider product cost, monthly fees, any hidden costs like activation fees, and state tax if applicable. Find a balance that works with your budget.
  • Keep in mind that some options have multiple plans to choose from. For example, Jiobit costs $50 extra if you say no to a 2-year contract and Verizon’s GizmoWatch costs a lot more money per device if you do not already have a phone on their unlimited plan.

We wish you luck finding the perfect kid phone alternative for your family and hope your whole family is excited and on the same page about your child’s big step towards freedom!

 

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