Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post for Socialstars about Verizon Education/Family Tools #VZWParentParty in exchange for sharing my honest opinion and this information.

Cell phones are something that have evolved so much since they first came out not that long ago.  I remember when cell phones were actually car phones and had to be plugged in the car adapter to work.  Then they evolved to send text messages, take pictures, search the web, play games and now they can even keep an eye on your family for you.  Did you know that Verizon actually has some great Educational Apps and Family Tools to help kids get the most out of learning as well as setting boundaries and locating them?

Don’t get me wrong I let my kids play the popular games on our devices, but I feel like the more educational apps I put on there for them the more likely they will play them.  I like to just download the app and not say anything to see if they notice and low and behold they start playing the apps I downloaded.

From animated content to virtual one-on-one tutoring, phones can be an educational portal to learning!

What can you get?

• App Recommender  so you can find grade-appropriate content endorsed by teachers, parents and app gurus.

• Verizon Educational Tools App transforms the device into a mobile education tool.  It includes valuable resources regarding Common Core Standards and aligns the best apps and video content to those standards!  It also provides exclusive content from educational experts such as Scholastic and discount on other educational content.

Then there are Exclusive Educational Apps available:

I am not saying to use a phone or tablet as a substitution or distraction, but rather an extension.  I know for my kids they would much rather listen to an educational video than me.  I limit my kids usage on electronic devices but the time they do spend on them I do try to make sure its quality content.  I can definitely see the benefit from Verizon with their Educational Tools App.  My kids love videos and I love that I can allow them to safely watch these videos without anything inappropriate, which unfortunately happens often on YouTube.

In addition to making sure your kids are learning safely and effectively, Verizon also has some great apps to monitor your kids.  Verizon FamilyBase allows parents to install parental control on their kids’ mobile devices so they can monitor what they’re doing, for how long and with whom.  Did you know that “roughly 77 percent of children ages 12–17 own cell phones, and 23 percent own smartphones?”  That is a lot of texting, chatting and browsing going on that parents may be completely oblivious to.  Want to make sure your kids are not texting during school or surfing the web when they should be in bed?  You can with FamilyBase.  I am so grateful cell phones and all this social media technology was not around when I was a kid, but now as a parent I definitely need to stay on top of it with my kids.  I do believe kids need freedom and shouldn’t be monitored 100% of the time but kids also need to earn that trust and responsibility.  

If you want to just pop on and check with your family members are, Verizon also offers the Family Locator.  It allows you to quickly track where up to 10 phones are and can even text you arrival and departure updates!  As a mom, I love the peace of mind of being able to check my phone and see where my kids are.

Want to learn more about what Verizon has to offer?  Check out the Verizon Educational Tools App, FamilyBase and Family Locator here for more information.

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