Knowing the right time to purchase a phone for your child is not always a crystal-clear affair. There are many benefits and potential downsides that need to be addressed before a decision is to be made. Here are a few helpful tips that might just make determining if your child is ready easier.
Easy Communication.
Every parent worth their salt is concerned about their child’s well-being when they leave the house unattended. There are so many dangers and unexpected occurrences in our world that having a phone on them at all times makes security issues that much less terrifying. Giving your child a phone, a cell phone in particular, will give them unlimited access to you, and vice versa. As an added bonus, most cells phones these days are equipped with a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) device that tracks the whereabouts of the user. Should something out of the ordinary occur, like your child getting lost, their position is easily pinpointed due to this handy extra.
Age Appropriateness
If referring to a cell phone, there are many maturity milestones that need to be considered before purchasing a phone for your child. With all of the pornography and social networking websites littering the web, you need to assess if your child can 1) be trusted to avoid such morally compromising material and 2) if they are knowledgeable enough to keep certain location and personal information to themselves. The internet is often right at their fingertips if you purchase them a smartphone. These devices are so well equipped that they can stream a YouTube video in the middle of nowhere as easily as you can buy a On demand movies, video on demand and movie at home! They need to know the dangers that await them on the internet, but you nee to decide if they are able to do it! Too many sexual predators lurk online to simply trust your child to instinctively know who to trust and who not to. You need to have a talk and clearly illustrate the dangers lying in wait to your child before signing that two year cell phone contract.
Trustworthiness
Did you forget about your child sneaking in that unannounced video on demand order without you knowing? Is your child of the mold that sneaks and hides things from you? Do they take care of the things you buy them? How trustworthy your child is goes a long way in telling you if they are ready for the responsibility of a personal land-line or cell phone. If we are talking in terms of cell phones, they are not cheap. Yes, many cell phone companies discount phones in conjunction with your two year contract, but should your son or daughter lose or break their cell phone, you are often required to pay full price for a replacement.
Behavior
In terms of a cell phone or land-line,a parent needs to assess whether or not their child is worthy of such an investment. Their behavior, in the mature sense of the word, is a good gauge as to whether or not they will use this privilege responsibly. Are they getting good grades? Do they take care of other chores or responsibilities thrust upon them? If the answer is yes to any of these rudimentary questions then a phone might be a good decision.
Social Activity
Everyone seems to have their own phone these days. And when speaking of teenagers, it seems to be a right of passage. But a phone, broken down into its simplest state, is a communication tool, plain and simple. Surveying the order of battle where your teen's social life and level of activity is concerned might make the decision to buy them a cell phone or land-line easier. If the cell phone is the primary target, assess whether or not their outside interests and time away from home merit such a purchase. Also, if your teen rarely gets in touch with his or her friends with your home phone, will they really get good use out of a cell or land-line?