Stacey Solomon has made absolutely no secret of the fact she wants her two little boys to stay children for as long as possible.
But she’s just come up against an age-old problem: what to do when her kids’ friends have something, her kids want it too, but she’s vehemently against it.
We’ve all been there – either as the parent or the kid, right?
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Well, the must-have item causing all the drama here is a mobile phone, as Stacey’s totally against her eldest son Zachary, nine, having a smartphone at such a young age.
But as some of his friends have the devices, naturally he feels left out.
We all know that feeling, too.
The 28-year-old vented on Instagram: “Is anyone else having serious trouble with smart phone envy?”
Stacey, who also has five-year-old son Leighton, continued: “Lots of my eldest son’s friends have phones and I’m so against it!
“I feel like I’m in a constant battle where I look like the annoying mum who’s trying to crumple any existence of a social life outside school!
Stacey added: “I just want him to be a child and not worry about Whatsapp / social media / internet.”
Loads of parents told Stacey they could totally empathise with her predicament – and were intrigued by her explanation of how she “compromised”.
Stacey said instead of giving in and buying a smartphone, she struck a deal with her first born: if he enrolled in a volunteer scheme, she’d get an alternative to a smartphone.
That alternative? A smartwatch designed just for kids.
She explained: “I compromised. They enrolled in a volunteer program and I invested in a new Kurio Watch 2.0 in replacement of a phone and I have to say it’s given me a good few months of peace on the western front regarding phones!
“He can send messages to me his brother and uncle via an app, listen to music, take selfies and play games, all of the fun without the scary stuff!
“Strongly recommended; even if it’s short lived, it’s worth it!”
Fans thanked Stacey for the suggestion and assured her that far from being an “annoying” mum, she’s doing the best thing by allowing for kids to enjoy childhood.
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One wrote: “No you’re not an annoying mum, Stacey. You are a fantastic mum, a great role model to your boys; they are a credit to you.”
Another said: “Great idea! Stand our ground parents – the more of us who say no, the more children can be children.”
A third added: “I totally agree. I want to keep my son a child for as long as I can too.”
And a fourth chipped in: “Think that’s a brill idea. Children need to use their imagination and be children, good for you, Stacey!”