Today's parents are in uncharted territory when it comes to making decisions regarding the right age to introduce children to technology.

Deciding factors inevitably include the child's maturity level and ability to act responsibly, but ultimately it's weighing the pros and cons as they relate to your individual situation.

Cell phones are a very convenient and common part of life these days, so it follows that kids are requesting to have their own at earlier ages, but questions do arise...

Fortunately, most of these "questions" have been addressed and alleviated by the new TicTalk phone made by Enfora & LeapFrog. This parent controlled cell phone for kids was specifically designed for the school-aged child and it really hits the mark.

With the TicTalk, the parent controls who the child can call, who can call the child, and when the cell phone can be used. The TicTalk also comes equipped with many LeapFrog learning games and features. Some of the fun features include being able to record your own ring tones, downloading photos, and "to do" lists.

Using the cell phone is quite simple... Parents sign on to the TicTalk website and program what they want on their child's phone. In addition to programming phone numbers that can be called and received, a parent can also send text messages with multiple choices and even their child's weekly spelling list! The phone updates automatically, so it takes very little time.

When considering a cell phone for kids, the question of expense immediately comes to mind and the TicTalk covers that one too! This cell phone for kids works on a prepaid plan with minutes that are good for 90 days, so there is no surprise bill at the end of the month.

It's quite reassuring to know that if a parent wants to be in constant contact with their child, there now exists a safe, well thought out alternative to a regular cell phone compliments of Enfora & LeapFrog.