Having all three offspring now kitted out with phones has been rather life-changing.
I knew it would be, of course, but I couldn't have predicted quite the effect it would have.
It has opened them up to a whole, quite terrifying, world that many of us parents aren't privy to as we enjoy the peace of, say, the school holidays while they're often kept entertained and hunched over these small devices.
But only days after the twins' birthday, the high excitement of owning their first phones had begun to wear off and I noticed changes in my daughter's mood. Usually of sunny disposition, she was becoming irritable and even a little stressed at times.
After I pointed this out to her on several occasions, I think she had the good sense to realise it herself. She eventually put the phone down and came to tell me about a few things that were bothering her.