Parent guidance
Alternatives to giving kids a smartphone, priced
Five real alternatives to a first smartphone, with verified 2026 prices, first-year costs, and the ownership data behind the pressure to buy early.
Read the storyThe Ring Ring journal
A little less scrolling,
a little more talking
Thoughtful reads for the first-phone years. Practical choices, family conversations, and finding a place for a phone at home.
Parent guidance
The Anxious Generation phone alternatives, charted
Jonathan Haidt's four norms, the CDC data behind them, and what a phone looks like when a family actually follows the book's advice.
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The first-phone decision
What age should a kid get their first phone?
Start with where they need to call from, who they need to reach, and what they can manage. Age is only part of the decision.
Read the storyChoosing a phone
Screen-free phones for kids: how to choose an alternative
Home phones, portable calling devices and a shared family phone solve different problems. Here is how to compare them.
Read the storyAt home with Ring Ring
How to set up a home phone over your internet connection
What to check before setup, how Modern and Bridge connections differ, and how to test the calling plan you chose.
Read the storyFamily conversations
How to delay a first smartphone while keeping your child connected
Separate calling from apps, make room for friendships, and agree on when to revisit the decision.
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A second life for a handset
Can an old phone become your child’s home phone?
A familiar handset can have a second life. Check its compatibility, connections and calling plan before you buy an adapter.
Read the storyParent guidance
Tin Can vs Ring Ring Club: an honest side-by-side (2026)
Both are screen-free home phones for kids with free tiers and parent-approved contacts. The differences are price, bring-your-own-phone, and shipping. Here is the straight comparison.
Read the storyParent guidance
Ooma vs Tin Can: honest comparison (2026)
Two screen-free landlines for kids with approved contacts only. Tin Can has a free tier and ships in about three business days; Ooma MyPhone is on store shelves with a $7.99 plan from day one. Here is how they compare.
Read the storyParent guidance
Pinwheel vs Tin Can: home phones compared
Pinwheel now makes a Wi-Fi home phone too. Next to Tin Can, it is cheaper hardware with a cheaper entry plan and a five-number cap. Here is the straight comparison.
Read the storyHoliday gift guide
Gifts for long-distance grandparents: a call from the kids
A gift for the grandkids that turns out to be a gift for the grandparents: a phone the kids use to call on their own, while grandparents keep the cell or landline they already have.
Read the storyFamily connections
How kids can call grandparents on their own, no smartphone
Four ways a child can call a grandparent without borrowing a parent’s phone, what each asks of the grandparent, and how to set up a kid’s home phone in an afternoon.
Read the storyHoliday gift guide
Screen-free gifts for kids ages 6 to 10
Eight screen-free gift ideas for kids 6 to 10, led by a home phone of their own. What the phone costs, how to give it, and where it is the wrong gift.
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