A NOTE FROM BENJAMIN
Because
we love them.
Benjamin Constable
Local dad.
I’m a local dad with children aged four, two and a newborn, and Head of Pathways and Community Development at Canterbury Basketball.
At a recent basketball parents’ meeting, someone asked about our phone policy on tournament trips. I joked that we take all the players’ phones and drive over them with the team van, so they can enjoy the trip with their teammates and friends.
The parents applauded. No pushback. That reaction stayed with me.
The strongest argument I hear for giving children smartphones is that they’ll be left out without one. That worries me, too. I don’t want my children missing the invitation to play basketball or meet at the park.
But those invitations don’t need a smartphone. A brick phone with calls and texts can keep children connected while leaving social media and the endless scroll for later.
“You’ll have a brick phone because we love you. We want you to have time for friends, play and being a child.”
My goal is for every parent in St Martins to share that message. One family doing this can feel alone. A community doing it can change what feels normal.
We’re not here to change the world, New Zealand or even Christchurch. We’re simply here to make St Martin’s the best place to raise our children.