🎁 Best Smartphone Gift Guide: We Tested Them All 📱
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Hello Reader, Have you wondered which phone is best for your teen? Holidays are around the corner, and if you’re considering buying a phone for your teen, we want to help you make the smartest choice possible. Traditional phones are designed for adults, not kids. In fact, parents tell us that parental controls like Apple's Screen Time and Google’s Family Link are just not enough–they’re riddled with loopholes that teens exploit. That’s why we recommend safer phones. Notice I said safer? That’s because no phone is totally safe. But some phones make your life a whole lot easier with
I’ll be honest. I’m cautious about young teens having smartphones at all. But we also know parents want connection and protection. So if you’ve decided it’s time to get a phone, we want you to have the facts so your teen stays as safe as possible. We tested the top five brands: Bark, Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi, and MMGuardian. You’ll find our extensive review and comparison of each phone in our new article, Best Phones for Kids in 2026: Our Ultimate Guide. You’ll find:
Oh, and one of our phones tracked a kid on a roller coaster at 85 mph—so yes, we tested these thoroughly! 🎢
Kindly, Kristen P.S. Before you rely on smartphone filters, start with an INTERNAL one. Nothing can stop a kid who wants to see porn. That’s why we need to work on the “wanting” bit. Help your child develop a disposition to reject pornography’s toxic messages. This takes good information and persistent, consistent convos. Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids can get you started by explaining the brain science behind developing a dependence on pornography (yes, I mean addiction). Plus how porn teaches dehumanization, objectification, and being mean to someone for fun. 🤢 There’s a better, happier way if kids have a CAN DO plan in place! 💪 |
Defend Young Minds
Hello Reader, One morning I answered a phone call from a friend. I heard sobbing, but couldn’t make out the words. Finally, I asked, “Tricia, should I come over?” “Yesss,” I heard. When I arrived, I rang the doorbell and knocked on the door, but no answer. I let myself in, followed the muffled cries, and gave my friend a big hug when I found her in her bedroom. I assumed the worst. Maybe a loved one had died? Her husband had asked for a divorce? It was none of that. My friend had found links...
Hello Reader, With Valentine’s Day just ahead, some of us are thinking about love stories–the kind that work out and maybe even those that don’t! Here are real-life love stats worth paying attention to: a new research brief from the Institute for Family Studies (using the General Social Survey) found that The happiest adults in America are married mothers and fathers. 40% of married women ages 18–55 with children say they are “very happy,” and 35% of married men with children say the same....
Hello Reader, A few hours after our Tuesday newsletter went out, we were made aware the sign-up page for updates about my new book, Good Pictures Bad Pictures Guide for Girls: How I Stay Safe, Smart & Confident, was not allowing visitors to input their information. If you were one of these visitors, I apologize! The page has since been fixed and you are now able to add your information. Sign-up for Girls Guide updates here I appreciate all of your support as we prepare to launch this new...