Can Thunderbird convert emails to text messages for mobile phones?

[#1]

Afternoon chaps,
My son prefers to communicate via texts on his mobile. I on the other hand find texting both slow and restricting and much prefer the speed and flexibility of emails. So as I have Thunderbird as my email client, I'm wondering whether I could send him an email that somehow converts to a text to his mobile phone. When I googled this query, it suggested that it may be possible in the USA but no idea whether it would work over here in the UK, and no detailed instructions were provided either.
Your advice/experience much appreciated!

[#2]

Google 'email to sms gateway'. There are solutions out there but I'd be surprised if you find anything reliable that's free, especially if you're wanting two way communication.

[#3]

As Bob says you can - but as far as I am aware none of the solutions in the UK are free (I keep looking but haven't found one yet). A quick Google gives prices of 1.8 - 4.7p per SMS message.
The US uses a different model to most of the rest of the world. Over there the person being called or sent the SMS message "pays" (or it counts towards the bundle in the contract) hence the easy availability of gateways.
To receive messages back by e-mail is even more expensive as you need a virtual mobile number for the reply to be routed to.
However if what you really want is to be able to use a keyboard and mouse to send and receive messages on the PC, you might be able to use something like O2's TuGo. It is designed to allow those of us who live in mobile blackspots to use an internet connection - but the version that runs on a PC allows you to send and receive SMS messages using the PC. If you are an O2 Contract customer it's free to download. I don't think it works for PAYG.
Your mobile operator may have something similar.

[#4]

Not an answer to your question but ... how about using Viber instead? That has a PC client and a mobile client.

[#5]

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts have web clients too. If you have a smartphone Pushbullet is definitely worth a look in, as it allows you to send SMS messages from your browser/PC via your phone's cellular connection.

[#6]

If you have a smart phone then you may be able to use MyPhoneExplorer to compose and send texts on the PC. I use this method as I find it faster and easier than typing texts on the phone directly.
Edit: You can set it so that a copy is also sent to your phone for a record as well as a record being kept on the PC

[#7]

Morning and thanks to respondees - very helpful in identifying correct terminology (thanks Bob) and the various options (thanks to all).  As I don't possess a smart phone (just a Doro for senior citizens lol) and am reluctant to pay for the privilege of email to sms services, I've concluded that I will simply send my son a brief text telling him to go check his hotmail account where I can communicate more comfortably via email!