For many parents, cell phones offer security and peace of mind. Isn’t it great being able to reach your child at any time, anywhere? This is an argument that is hard not to recognize. But is a cell phone appropriate for all children? Might your child be too young to have one? Will an additional monthly cell phone bill be a burden on your finances? Here are some things parents should consider before they go out and buy their child a new cell phone.
Cost
Getting your child a monthly plan or adding them to your family share plan might not always be cost effective. With overage charges, you could be facing a hefty cell phone bill at the end of the month. I have seen parents facing $400 and $500 bills because their child used the phone too much. Not to mention the initial phone costs and or additional contract commitments with some of the large national carriers. Here are some tips to avoiding this:
- Consider a prepaid service like Tracfone. This will allow you to control their talk time so you can spend as much or as little as you feel comfortable. This will eliminate that huge surprise monthly bill.
- Buy the most basic phone you can find. Again, Tracfone to the rescue. They have various basic phones under $20 that are perfect for children. If you are set on adding them to your share plan, consider buying a second hand phone.
School safety
As the media has reported, there is no question that cell phones can cause classroom disruptions such as inappropriate text messages, pictures, cheating , etc. However, since the 1999 Columbine High School shootings and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, parents have found that having a way to communicate with their children can give them some peace of mind. But having too many students on their cell phones can cause some issues for emergency responders.
According to first responders, cell phone usage during emergencies can cause an increase in the spread of rumors about the situation, can cause congestion by concerned parents at a scene that should be controlled and cause an overload in the cell phone system at the area.
Inappropriate Callers
This is something that many parents may not think about when arming their children with cell phones. Consider the fact that inappropriate callers like sexual predators can take advantage of a cell phone by empowering them to contact your children without you knowing. Most parents do not check their children’s cell phones so the possibility exists for a sexual predator to maintain an inappropriate relationship without you ever knowing. Here are some tips to avoiding this:
- If you have your child on a monthly plan, monitor the bills closely for numbers you do not recognize. Quiz your children on these numbers on a regular basis.
- If you have your child on prepaid service, monitor the call history on the phone and again quiz your children on numbers or contacts you do not recognize.
Age and Responsibility
While age is an obvious concern, responsibility plays an important on role on deciding on whether to get your child a cell phone. Will they use it responsibly? Will your child lose the phone or damage it while playing? Will they use it in the middle of class? While you can limit these hazards by providing them with an inexpensive prepaid phone. You should also take the opportunity to teach your child responsibility by setting limits, consequences and rewards. Here are some tips:
- Use prepaid service so that you can reward by purchasing more minutes when they do well in school.
- Use prepaid service to limit usage and tell your child that they have X amount of minutes that must be used wisely.
- Have them do chores to pay for a replacement if they damage the one they have. Again, buying an inexpensive prepaid phone can allow them to “pay the phone off” within a reasonable amount of time. They will be more careful with it if they know they have to pay for it if they break it again.
