Middle school usually comes with another right of passage these days: getting your first mobile phone. We all want our kids to be independent, but we also want to be able to stay in touch. And while giving them a mobile phone makes sense, I believe that giving them a smart watch is ... well ... smarter.
Here are a few reasons why.
Today, there are multiple options for smartwatches that don't need to be tethered to a phone. They have a cellular connection, which means they have their own phone number, but you do the setup from your device and then hand it off to your child. Some devices which don't require device tethering include Apple Watch SE (my recommendation), Samsung Galaxy Watch 6/7, and the Verizon Gizmo Watch 3.
Let's face it -- mobile phones are a distraction for everybody (perhaps especially us adults!) Certainly, you can't expect a 10-12 year old to manage this distraction effectively. Sure, you can put away devices at night, but they are still a distraction ... whether it's in school, at the dinner table, or just when you're trying to have a conversation (which, let's face it, can be hard enough with a tween!)
There is mounting evidence that social media can have a negative affect on children. Personally, I do not let my kids use any social media -- their "social" media is iMessage. Eventually, they will, but in my opinion it's best to keep them off it for as long as possible. Smart watches simply don't have social media, so they couldn't even use them if they tried.
If you get a smart watch with cellular (which is really the only kind to get in this circumstance), then your child can still call and text you any time. And you'd be amazed at the call quality (we have Apple Watches in our house, and I really can't tell the difference between the watch and a speaker phone on an iPhone).
Smart watches have GPS, so you can find out where your child is at any time using the "Find My" feature on your iPhone or "Find My Device" on Android.
Smart watches are tougher than phones, and more water resistant. They are also smaller and lighter which makes them less likely to suffer fall damage. And of course, they are strapped to your child's wrist -- so say goodbye to lost devices! They can be used when playing sports, in the water, you name it, and they'll take a beating without a sweat. You can also add a small case to provide some extra protection.
You set up the smart watch from your phone, and then control which apps can be installed. You can also manage "down time" for times when you don't want your child using their watch (say, during class).
Both the setup cost and the monthly fee will be lower than the typical mobile phone. You can buy most watches for less than $250 up-front, so you'll just be paying the fee for the line, which is usually at a special "wearable" rate.
If your child already has a tablet, then they can set up their phone number on their tablet and sync messages between the two. Ditto for any apps which are available on both devices. This is a great way to give your child a bit more capability than a watch when they are home and not completely unsupervised.
My strong recommendation is the Apple Watch SE. It includes cellular, comes in multiple sizes, and is reasonably priced. It also has all the features of it's more grown-up brethren, so you won't miss out on anything. The setup features and parental controls are second to none and, in typical Apple fashion, well thought through. The one caveat is that you will need your own iPhone to set it up -- so if you are an Android family, then you'll want to go for my Android recommendation instead.
If you prefer the Android ecosystem, then your best option is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 or 7, which allows you to set it up as a standalone device. And if you want something inexpensive, and don't care about hooking it up to iMessage or Android messaging, then another great option is the Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 (this is a great option for younger children as well).
Note: in most cases, you'll want to pay up-front for the device so it is unlocked. From there, you can contact your cellular provide to activate the number. However, if you are on AT&T or Verizon, you can streamline this process by buying the device from Best Buy or directly from your cellular provider. You will be able to opt-in to a payment plan as well if you go this route.
Whichever watch you choose, I recommend purchasing from a local store, in case you need hardware support or just need to swap it for a different size.
Apple Watch SE
As of April 2025, the best options in the Harleysville area are:
You can also purchase directly from Apple or your cell phone provider. They offer payment plans as well.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6/7
As of April 2025, the best options are:
You can also purchase directly from your cell phone provider. If you do, they will likely offer a payment plan.
Verizon Gizmo Watch 3
Get it at Verizon.com for $149.
The best Wifi routers for families typically have these characteristics:
Before we get to the picks, there are a few things that you should understand.
These days, many wifi systems will be "mesh". A mesh network includes multiple "nodes", which automatically "mesh" together to provide fast and reliable wifi coverage, even in large homes. A typical mesh network consists of a base station and one or more satellites, all of which connect together automatically.
Mesh networks also support dynamic routing, so you can have a single wifi network and single password, and your devices (even as they are moving around) will automatically connect to the fastest available node.
In the past, if you had areas of your home that had poor wifi coverage, you would need to install a wifi extender or repeater. These are a pain to set up and are always significantly slower than your main router. Fortunately, the bad old days are over and with mesh routers, it's all completely automatic.
Today's wifi network environments also include many different types of devices, from phones to computers to TVs to smart home appliances. Each of these devices has different connection requirements, and some of them (mainly smart home appliances) don't support 5G networks, so in the past you've had to set up different networks (2.4G vs 5G) for different devices. Mesh systems allow you to have a single network with a single passcode that all devices can use; the devices just connect using whichever network works for them. You can still set up separate networks if you want -- but it's not necessary.
Unless your home is small and you don't have any issues with wifi speed today, then you'll want at least 1 base station and 1 satellites node.
My recommendation is:
You'll also want to add nodes if you have challenging setups like plaster walls, metal structures, or homes that are very widely spaced out. If you're not sure how many satellites you need, it's usually best with 1 and then expand from there -- most manufactures will sell single nodes.
BTW, there is such a thing as "too many" nodes, so don't overdo it!
Now that we've covered the basics, let's get to the picks!
Here are a few other concepts to understand when shopping for a mesh router.
There are two devices that you need at your house to get online -- a modem, and a router. While a modem connects your home to the internet, it is the router that shares this internet connection with your devices.
Typically, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will provide you with a modem, and sometimes they will provide you with a router as well. You'll want to use the modem they gave you -- it's specially designed and configured for the service you have -- but what router you use is up to you.
I recommend not using the router from your ISP for two reasons:
You may already have a router from your ISP. If not, no sweat -- it's very easy to swap it out. You will want to send it back to them though if you are paying for it!
When you're looking for mesh systems, you'll likely come across the term "Wifi 6" and "Wifi 7". This refers the WiFi protocol supported by the router. WiFi is technically faster -- and if you have gigabit internet you might notice the difference -- but chances are you don't have a device that can make use of it, so don't worry which one you get. WiFi 7 is more "future proof" but honestly, you'll probably replace your router before your devices notice the difference.
If you happen to have wired ethernet installed in your home, then you can take advantage of the "wired backhaul" feature to make your network even faster and more stable. It works by connecting the base station and one or more satellites via ethernet. When connected in this way, the satellite nodes are able to offer much stronger (and therefore faster) signal.
Modding a Minecraft server is certainly not the easiest thing I’ve ever done. (The difficulty level is somewhere between hanging a screen door and changing a diaper for the first time.) With that said, I’m here to make the lives of my fellow parents just a little bit easier.
‘Vanilla’ Minecraft is certainly fun and full of endless possibilities for gameplay. But modding takes the experience to a level that can be both fun and ease some of the frustration of the game (how many times have you wished you had a map or a quick way to set a waypoint, or just needed a diamond axe, like RIGHT NOW?)
There are a few fundamental concepts that you should understand before you begin.
1) Client vs Server
If you’re not familiar with computer lingo, this is something important to understand. A ‘client’ is the computer you use to play Minecraft, whereas a ‘server’ is the computer that hosts Minecraft. In some cases these may be the same computer (and yes, you can run the server and the client at the same time on the same computer), and in other cases the server may be in the cloud.
2) Minecraft game versions
Currently, there are two major versions of Minecraft: the Java Edition, and Bedrock edition. This article refers to the Java edition, which is the version that you’re likely to use on your PC or Mac.
(Note: the ‘Bedrock edition’ is also available on PC and is cross-compatible with Xbox and some mobile versions. This is a completely different version and is not compatible with the Java edition. Mods are also uncommon for Bedrock as they are difficult to implement.)
3) Minecraft app versions
Minecraft is updated often, and it’s important to know what version you’re on mainly because other clients (i.e. your kid’s computer or their friend’s computers) will usually need to be on the same version to play together. In addition, the server (i.e. where you’re hosting Minecraft) needs to be on the same version as the client.
4) Modding frameworks
Before you can install mods, you’ll need to install a modding framework. I recommend Forge because a) it’s easy to set up and b) it’s widely used.
5) Mod versions
The mod version you install must match the client/server version. It’s a pain, but hey, c’est la vie.
6) Client vs server mods
Some mods only run on the client, but in most cases, the mod will require both client and server to be updated. The mod install page should specify.
1) Set up your server
Unless your kiddo is content to play solo (which is totes fine btw, no judgment here), you’ll need a server to run Minecraft on. While you can run a server on any PC, I prefer cloud servers such as ApexHosting, BisectHosting, etc. as it can be a little challenging to share your server through your own network, and it could open you up to security issues.
The process of setting up a server is pretty straightforward and has been documented about 40 million times, so I’m not going to outline it here.
2) Install Forge
Grab the latest version of Forge here. I suggest using the ‘recommended’ version and downloading the installer. Load it up, and choose the option to install the server (if you’re setting up a local server) or client (if you’re installing on a PC or Mac client).
Note that if you need to install a specific version of Minecraft for your mod, you’ll also need to install that version of Forge as well (more later on about how to configure older versions of Forge if you are using a mod which requires it).
If you’re setting up Forge on a cloud server, then you’ll have to follow the instructions for your specific server. Typically there will be a setting somewhere in your server hosting panel that allows you to change the server type from ‘vanilla’ Minecraft to Forge. (If you already have a map set up, I’d suggest backing it up first before changing the server type.)
3) Install mods
You can find mods by searching on Google, or via niche sites like Curseforge. I’m not going to go into what mods to install here — suffice it to say that there are practically an infinite number of them — so you’ll have to do that legwork on your own. (Pro-tip: there are a number of YouTubers who regularly post ‘best of’ videos which are a good place to start.)
Once you’ve downloaded your mod — and again, make sure that the mod version is the same as the client/server version — you’ll need to install it on both the client and the server.
All mods must live in a folder called mods which is underneath the Minecraft install folder. On a client PC, you can find the mods folder underneath the folder
\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft
(For a quick way to navigate to this folder, type %appdata% in the Windows Start menu.)
On client Mac, you can find it underneath
~/Library/Application Support/minecraft
(For a quick way to navigate to this folder, click the Go menu and select Go to Folder.)
For your server, the location entirely depends on where you’re hosting the server. If it’s a PC server then it would be in the same location where you installed the Minecraft server. If it’s a cloud or Linux server, then it’s probably underneath the root folder.
Once you’re in the mods folder, just drop the mod in there. (If you don’t see a mods folder, just create one.)
4) Test
Load up Minecraft on one of your computers. To the left of the Play button, you should see a menu with a list of installations. Click it, and you should see the Forge installation. Select that, and click Play.
The Forge-ified version of Minecraft should boot up. You’ll see a screen like this:
Once Minecraft fully loads up, you should see a button labeled Mods. Hit that button, and if you nailed the install, then you’ll see a list of the mods that you installed. If you don’t, try again.
To test your server, you’ll simply need to play on it. If the mod doesn’t work, then most likely you missed a step, or the versions are out of synch between the server and the mod or the client and the server.
5) Play
Have fun!
Help! The mod isn’t working.
Here are a few reasons why this might happen:
Help! My server is crashing.
Usually this is because:
In the case of #1, you should contact your server provider. For #2, double-check the mod version against the server, and reload it. For #3, make sure not to get the Gremlins wet next time.
Help! The mod I want to use is only available on xx version of Minecraft.
You’ll need to:
To install an older version of Forge, simply download and install it. It won’t overwrite the newer version.
To install multiple versions of Minecraft, see the ‘Advanced Tactics’ section below.
Help! I just want to mod my kid's minecraft on their computer and not set up a server.
Cool! Just ignore everything about servers and follow the modding instructions, and you should be good!
Help! I just died in lava and lost all of my loot :'(
Carry a water bucket with you next time.
There are two ways to manage multiple versions of Minecraft (and therefore multiple mod versions): the simple but wonky way, and the more complicated but stable way. I’d recommend the latter.
Simple but Wonky
Create a subfolder inside of your mods folder with the version number, and then place the mods in there. For example:
.minecraft\mods\1.15.2\
The issue with this approach is that some mods won’t recognize the folder structure.
More Complicated
Create a separate game directory for each version. To do this, launch Minecraft, and then click the Installations tab.
Select the app version, click the … menu to the right of the Play button, and click Edit.
Now click the ‘browse’ button and select the folder where you want to install the app version files. I’d recommend putting it under your main Minecraft folder, and then creating a subfolder called gameversion or something like this. You should then create another subfolder for each version that you want to install which should have a mods folder underneath it. Ultimately, the file structure should look something like this:
\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\gameversion\1.15.2\mods <-- PC
~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/gameversion/1.15.2/mods <-- Mac
Click Save when you’re done.
Minecraft will then automatically create all required files when you launch it, so all you have to do is create the folder.
Launch Minecraft, and then go back to the folder. The mods folder should be created for you automatically. Add your mods to the folder, and then go to town.
(seriously though, go back and read the whole thing)
To add mods to Minecraft you’ll need to:
If you have any questions or run into any issues, let me know!
DNS (domain name service) is like the phonebook for the internet. When you type "www.google.com" in your browser, computers behind the scenes use that information to find Google's servers and send you there. Google's servers (and other websites) are actually hosted using what's called IP addresses, which are formatted as numbers separated by dots, e.g. 192.168.1.1.
Fortunately, because of the magic of DNS, we can use what's called a "DNS resolver" to easily and safely route any internet traffic from any devices within your network, and block inappropriate sites as well as malware, without having to set up site block lists, whitelists, etc.
Here's how.
There are many "family" DNS resolvers available. Personally, I like CloudFlare's "1.1.1.1 for Families". The DNS servers you want to use are:
Primary DNS: 1.1.1.3
Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.3
You can learn more about CloudFlare's DNS for families here.
Your Wifi router typically includes the ability to configure DNS settings. First, you'll need to log in to your router. If you've never done it before, be aware that login process can vary based on the router. You'll also need to know your router's local IP address or name. Here are a few articles which can help:
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-access-your-wi-fi-routers-settings
https://race.com/blog/how-to-access-router-settings/
Alternatively, you may be able to log in to your router using a mobile app. Many providers include apps nowadays, so take a look at the brand of your router (ASUS, Netgear, etc.) and then check the app store for an app.
The DNS settings can typically be found under the "WAN" settings your router's configuration. The location of the WAN settings will vary, and I've included a few screenshots below to help you navigate.
The last step in the process is to update the DNS settings to use the DNS resolver. Again, this will vary based on your router. I've included an example from my ASUS router below.
Make sure to enter the primary server in the first box, and secondary server in the second. When you're done, save your settings, and then reboot your router. To make sure that it worked, try accessing an inappropriate site. You should get a "site can't be reached" message like the one below.
That's it!
Now, if it didn't work, or you can't get any site to load at all, don't sweat! Just go back to your router settings and disable the option for manual DNS or select the option for "default DNS", and then reboot your router. I promise nothing will be permanently broken :)
I hope this was helpful. Please feel to reach out if you need help!
