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Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling
Getting a kosher phone...
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 12:58 am
Not sure what category to put this under.
I want support. Advice. Ideas. I do NOT want to be shut down. Some may disagree with what I write below, but PLEASE be respectful.
Ok.
I have a couple of very young kids. DH and I want to ideally raise our kids with no screens. Laptop for work purposes etc but I mean not for entertainment. Even clean/Jewish etc.
We’ll see if we need to reassess based on our family’s needs later on.
The problem is that my life outside my home is on my phone. I’m home with my kids right now, and I use it to WhatsApp close friends (we’re bH all busy and in different time zones so random video calls or voice messages keep these relationships going). I have Waze, banking etc. but my main other things are Google, email and reading. I LOVE reading, and I have a public library app on my phone.
Until now I’ve just tried to not let my kids near it, but they try to get it whenever they see it because they love the screen.
DH recently suggested that I get a kosher phone and keep this smartphone as WiFi only in my room or somewhere else so I can have it just not on me.
It’s so hard!!! That would be so hard!! But I totally agree with his point!!
Help?
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batmelech1




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 1:24 am
Following
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amother
Taupe


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 1:25 am
I’m Very impressed.
I wish I was as strong.
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Elfrida




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 6:28 am
For the reading you can get a kindle and download books onto that. There are a huge amount of free book to download, and many libraries have kindle books to borrow, as does amazon. The kindle has a slow and cumbersome wifi connection, that you can use when you need to, but will not entice your children to the internet. The screen is not back lit and doesn't do anything interesting, so your children will probably find it less of an attraction anyway.
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singleagain




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 6:31 am
Just note that waze etc will then only work and wifi and unless your car has WiFi built in. That's no going to be practical. If you need directions somewhere
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English3




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 6:40 am
Good for you, it's the best chinuch. I am really impressed. Keep in mind the yetzer hora will always mix in but if you daven for siyata dishmaya you will see miracles
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 7:50 am
I had an interesting experience when my last kosher phone broke. When I went to get a new one, the frum guy at the store said "Good for you! You don't need all that shtussim in your life. You'll be a much happier person."

As he was arranging the transaction and switching the sim card for me, there accumulated a long line of people behind me, all complaining that their smart phones had various problems. Broken screens, bad connections, etc. None of them could be repaired, and they all had to buy new ones.

My last kosher phone had lasted 10 years! The new one only cost 150 shekels.

I left the store feeling that I had made the right decision.

If you need to know where you are going, use GoogleMaps before you leave, and print out the directions and a map to your destination. I've been doing it for years, and it works just fine.

You don't need to know everything that happens in the world RIGHT NOW!!!!!! We live in a world of FOMO, and it's not healthy - emotionally or spiritually.

Slow down, look around at Hashem's beautiful world, and learn to relax. Your blood pressure will thank you.
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 8:08 am
They sell kosher smart phones with whatsapp on them. As well as all practical stuff like banking, parking, waze etc.

And keeping your old phone for wifi only confuses me, you only want screens behind their backs? But good for you guys, you won't regret it.
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amother
Babypink


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 8:23 am
Good for you! Smile

DH and I plan to do something similar. Our baby isn’t old enough yet for it to be an issue, but we plan to keep our children away from screens/the internet. We both have kosher phones and share a smartphone which we keep in our bedroom. We intend to use only kosher phones around our children.

I think it’s very important for chinuch to set an example like that, it can be confusing for a child to see mommy/tatty on a smartphone but to be also told that they can’t use one.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 10:40 am
singleagain wrote:
Just note that waze etc will then only work and wifi and unless your car has WiFi built in. That's no going to be practical. If you need directions somewhere

DH has a kosher phone and we have a GPS in the car for him
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amother
Lime


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 11:12 am
Honestly, there's nothing wrong with saying that this kind of phone is for grownups and the other kind is for kids. Kind of like how parents get to drive and kids don't.

If you're on the phone all the time and ignoring your kids, that's a separate problem. But modeling responsible phone usage is actually good chinuch.
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chili-n-cholent




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 11:20 am
I just saw an ad for a kosher flip phone that has waze, I can try to find it for you if it sounds interesting.
All I have to say is KOL HAKAVOD, that is a really really impressive thing to do!
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 12:02 pm
Thank you all! Love the support!
So the reason I’d keep some sort of device for myself is because unfortunately I’m nowhere near the level but I want that ideal for my kids. I don’t want to go behind their backs either. We have a few years before they can start figuring things out (they’re toddlers) and asking why etc. so hopefully by the end of those few years I won’t need something like this anymore. I’m young, I keep in touch with many friends on WhatsApp, I’m a SAHM who’s only source of entertainment is through a device. IyH in a few years when I’m more settled in a community with close friends etc and I’m working maybe I won’t need it as much. That’s the hope.
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amother
OP


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 12:03 pm
Any mothers out there who have been doing this for years? In terms of kosher phone. How have your kids reacted?
Because at the same time I do want to teach my kids the balance...
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honeymoon




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 12:22 pm
Good for you op. Just want to encourage you that it is very feasible. Dh and I both have kosher flip phones. We have Wi-Fi in our home which gives us internet on our (heavily filtered) laptop and our (very lightly filtered) smartphone. Not having internet access when out of the house prevents a lot of mindless browsing etc. which is very freeing. Kol hakovod.
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honeymoon




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 12:30 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Any mothers out there who have been doing this for years? In terms of kosher phone. How have your kids reacted?
Because at the same time I do want to teach my kids the balance...


Our kids see us using the internet but they know they can not touch the phone without permission. They also know that we use it a lot for business. We try to teach them that everything can be used in the right way and in the wrong way. They also learn that we strive to balance our life with using available technology yet limiting it in a way that enhances our quality of life and gives us more time to spend on what's really important.
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amother
Mustard


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 1:41 pm
amother [ Bisque ] wrote:
They sell kosher smart phones with whatsapp on them. As well as all practical stuff like banking, parking, waze etc.

And keeping your old phone for wifi only confuses me, you only want screens behind their backs? But good for you guys, you won't regret it.


Where do they sell kosher smartphones?
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amother
Bisque


 

Post Wed, Feb 24 2021, 6:23 pm
amother [ Mustard ] wrote:
Where do they sell kosher smartphones?


https://koshercell.org/

Thats one store
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amother
Daffodil


 

Post Mon, Mar 28 2022, 6:49 pm
sorry to bring back such an old thread, but I'm in the same exact position rn, OP. Would love to hear an update on what you chose to do and what you found works for you...
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amother
Seablue


 

Post Mon, Mar 28 2022, 7:15 pm
I recently got a flip phone and keep my smartphone in my room. I only had girls in school till now and the school doesn't have a no smartphone rule. My 1st son is starting cheder now and they asked not to use a smartphone around the kids, so we got a flip phone. I actually like it. I end up going out only with the flip phone. It's easier to talk on.
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