7 Things to Consider When Deciding the RIGHT Age to Buy Your Kids a Phone

Recently, on my Facebook page, I asked my readers what they thought the right age was to buy kids a phone. After reading their answers, I don't think there is a set "age" that works for everyone. As with most parenting issues, every parent must make the decision that works best for their family... but there are several important things to consider.

My boys are currently 9, 11, and 13, and I haven't gotten them phones yet... but they are asking. (My oldest used his own money to purchase a device after he turned 13, but he has no data plan yet.) If you are having this discussion with your kids, here are some things to consider when deciding the "right age" to buy your kids a phone:

1) Is the child mature enough to handle the responsibility of a phone? Kids mature at different times... so age is often less of a consideration than maturity.

2) Have you talked to him/her about bullying and social media? Kids need to be taught about the dangers of social media, and before they are given a phone, the rules about how and when they use social media need to be clearly communicated.

3) What kind of phone does the child need? Is a flip phone sufficient? Do they just need an iPod? Are they going to have wifi access?

4) How will the phone be paid for? Will the child be required to pay the monthly bill? Will the child get a job, or will they be required to do extra chores around the house?

5) Are there special circumstances that make a phone necessary? Does the child share time between two households? Does the child need to contact parents to be picked up at after school activities?

6) Does the child need a phone for safety reasons? Is he/she driving? Does he/she come home after school by themselves? Does he/she travel alone on public transit? Does he/she have access to a house phone?

7) What rules do you want to put in place around the use of a phone? Will you do weekly check ins and go through the phone together? Will the phone have restricted access settings? Are there time limits around the usage of the phone? Is the phone allowed in the bedroom... or in public areas only? Are there consequences if the child doesn't answer the phone when a parent calls or texts? What are the consequences going to be if the rules are broken?

Whatever you decide, make sure the rules and expectations are clear from the beginning and continue to have an open dialogue with your child about the phone and its usage.

You know your child and your requirements. It's an important decision, and it is one that every parent must make for themselves and their family based on their own circumstances and beliefs.

Does your child have a phone? What age did you think worked for your family? 

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Tips for Setting Up a Successful SHARED Bedroom

Not everyone has a huge house, so for families with multiple kids, sharing rooms is a necessity. In my home, two of my boys share a room, and it was important to me that their room was organized, and both boys felt that they had their "own space". Today I am sharing my best tips setting up a SHARED bedroom.

1) Let the kids have input into the theme and design of the room. If the two kids have similar interests... go with that. My boys wanted a "hockey theme" for their room. I included some hockey items, but I also used neutral pieces to make the room feel more classic and grown up.

2) Keep organized with functional storage solutions (bins, baskets, and shoes racks). When kids are sharing a space, it's important to make sure systems are in place to keep things organized. My boys have baskets for their books, shelves with baskets for their "stuff", and a shoe rack on the back of their door to organize their LEGO.

3) Use DIY elements to define the space. DIY projects can really help to pull a space together, define a space, and add a personal touch. I created hockey sticks with names to hang at the heads of my boys heads. It's my favourite part of their room.

4) Give each child their own "side". Kids need their own space, so even if they share a room, they need areas that belong "just to them". In my boys room, one of my boys has shelving with his first jersey in a frame and space for his LEGO creations. My other son has a wall display of his first jersey, an enlarged picture of him playing hockey at the beach, and framed hockey cards (belonging to his favourite player).

I actually have space in my basement for another room (and I'll likely move one of my boys there at some point), but for now, I love the bond that they are building as roommates. They really like their room, and I love listening to them chat when they go to bed.

Do your children share a room? I hope some of my tips are helpful!

♥ Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (If you are interested in reading more about my boys shared hockey bedroom on a budget, you can read about it here.)

2018 Year in Review... free printable

***Updated 2021 version here.***

New Year's Eve is a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the new one -- not just for adults, but for kids too. With this in mind, each year I put together a Year in Review Questionnaire for my boys and their friends to fill out on New Year's Eve. We always include the questionnaires in our New Year's Eve countdown activity bags. Here is our 2018 version (that you can download for free).

It is a pretty simple questionnaire, and you can download the free printable by: clicking on the photo above, right-clicking, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo. I usually print mine at my local office supply store.

I love seeing what my boys come up with each year. Maybe someday I will make a book for each of my boys using all the questionnaires they have filled out over the years.
Happy New Year, everybody!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Check out more New Year's Eve activities and ideas here.

New Year's Eve DIY Details that will help you Ring in the New Year with Style

I've never been a big fan of getting dressed up and fighting crowds on New Year's Eve. I much prefer smaller (and more casual) gatherings... especially now that I have kids. Home parties with tons of fun DIY details are my favourite... so today, I am sharing some of my favourite New Year's Eve DIY ideas that will help you ring in the New Year in style. I'm also including a bunch of FREE printables too!

Isn't this a simple and charming New Year's Eve tablescape? I have dollar store decor, midnight kisses, treats to "ring" in the new year, a way to add sparkle to the festivities, and activity bags for kids. Keep reading for the easy and inexpensive tips, tricks, and freebies!

My best tip for New Year's Eve decor is to use leftover gold and silver Christmas decor. I purchased a cheap silver and gold garland, a gold tablecloth, and a silver tray at the dollar store. I also found this gold and glittery wreath at the dollar store, and I added numbers that I covered in glitter and attached together using hot glue. It's a simple way to add a festive flair to your front door.

And, my favourite way to entertain kids is by putting together New Year's Eve activity bags. I fill several bags with different treats and activities, and the kids open a new bag every hour. It's a lot of fun, and it's something my kids look forward to every year. (For some ideas on items to include in the bags, you can click here.)

Party food is also important. It's simple to transform store-bought fortune cookies into custom creations. Simply dip the cookies in melted chocolate and sprinkles, and let them set on a piece of wax paper. It doesn't get much easier!

Cookies and milk in wine glasses is also fun. I love that kids can take part in a midnight toast with the adults.

And don't forget to hand out party favours to your guests. I love these "Bring some sparkle to 2019" cards for sparklers. Print the cards (for free) below, cut slits in the cards, and insert sparklers. Aren't they cute?

To print the sparkler cards: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

"Midnight Kisses" also make adorable party favours. Fill plastic wine glasses with Hershey kisses, and package them with noisemakers. I put mine in clear bags and added a "midnight kisses" tags with some curling ribbon.

To download the "Midnight Kisses" tag I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

And kids will LOVE candy rings packaged with "ring in the New Year" tags.

To download the "Ring in the New Year" tag I designed: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

When all these DIY details come together, you end up with a table that is packed with fun... and full of style.

These simple tips, tricks and free printables are perfect for a DIY New Year's Eve party at home. Adults and kids will both be impressed with all the fun details.

Happy New Year!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS (I love getting the kids to fill out a year in review questionnaire too. You can download a copy of the one I designed, for free, here.)

Update: find a 2021 version here.

M & M Christmas Cookies

Tried and true recipes are my favourite, and I absolutely love my soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe. I literally bake it a couple of times a month, and it is an absolute favourite in our home. So, last week, I thought I would take my classic chocolate chip cookie recipe and turn it into a Christmas classic. Today, I am sharing my recipe for super-easy M&M Christmas cookies. This is the perfect recipe to bake with kids... and these cookies would be perfect to leave for Santa.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter (at room temperature... NOT melted)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups green and red M&Ms (or other holiday candy coated chocolate)

Here's the recipe:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the following dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.

3) In a separate bowl, use electric beaters to combine the butter, white sugar and brown sugar.

4) Add eggs and real vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat with electric beaters until well combined.

5) Using a wooden spoon, mix wet and dry ingredients together (just until combined). Then, add green and red M&Ms (or any candy coated chocolate candies).

6) Drop tablespoon-size balls onto a Silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for approx. 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.



This is such a classic cookie recipe... and kids will love them!



They freeze really well too... and they are a perfect choice for leaving for Santa. A glass of milk and a few of these cookies will give Santa all the energy he needs to deliver presents on Christmas Eve.

Happy Holidays!!!

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Note: If you notice that your cookies are flattening out, try putting the batter in the fridge for half an hour before baking. Also, use fresh baking soda, don't melt the butter, and don't put batter onto a hot cookie sheet.

Felt Angel Ornaments

Every year, I design and stitch a new felt Christmas ornament for my family and friends. I like to keep the design simple, and I use felt so that it is light and I can mail it with my Christmas cards. This year, I made adorable felt angels.

I started by cutting the follow from felt: 2 red bodies, a gold heart, gold hair (front and back), a beige face and white wings. I also cut a piece of yarn to be used as a hanger.

Then...

1) I stitched the heart to the front of one of the body pieces, I attached the hanger, and I stitched the front and back of the body together (with the wings inserted between the two pieces).

2) I stitched the hair to the front and back of the ornament.

3) I added eyes and a mouth with black fabric paint.

This is a simple design that is easy to sew, and it results in a charming little ornament to share with friends and family. 

I love this ornament, don't you? The felt is super-easy to work with too, so this is a fantastic project for beginners. Do you have any special homemade ornaments on your Christmas tree? Handmade treasures are my favourites!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)


PS (You can find more simple felt ornament designs here.)

DIY Grinch Ornaments and Class Treats... with free printable tags

My boys love taking treats to share with their friends at Christmas, but allergies and nutrition policies mean that sweet treats are prohibited. So, I like to come up with fun trinkets that I can package in a fun and festive way. This year, my two youngest boys went with "Grinch" themed treats. 

I based my treats around my favourite quote from the Grinch movie... "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more."

I found some heart-shaped ornaments, tiny presents, and green balls (that I DIY'ed with some red glitter glue) that fit my grinch theme perfectly!

Then, I designed these adorable tags. To download these tags: click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4x6 photo.

You can just add the tags directly to ornaments, or you can package a few trinkets in clear bags and secure the tags with curling ribbon.

My boys both chose different options, and they equally cute!

Aren't these Grinch treats an adorable Christmas class treat option? I especially love the green balls with the glitter hearts, don't you?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also be interested in this GRINCH movie night.