Kids and Cellphones

My 9 year old asked me six months ago to buy her a cellphone. "Mom, almost everyone in my class has one," she exclaimed. My reaction? "No, no, no"! I said. "She's too young," I thought. She still plays with toys and kisses me every night and says "I love you, Mommy". There is no way my little baby girl is ready for a cellphone, right? Wrong. We as parents are trained to believe that because our children are young and innocent, that they cannot possibly know the dangers that lurk out there. It is natural to want to protect your child, especially in this day and age where our children become targets for scams, and oftentimes, much worse. But the truth of the matter is, many children are aware that in order to be safe, they have to do their part.

Before I made the decision to get her a cellphone, I first discussed the issue with my daughter's father, who, much like me, was very against the idea. I decided to do some research on the internet and spoke with a few parents whom I knew had already bought their kids a cellphone. It turns out, about 70% of the children in elementary schools already own a cellphone, and, even more surprising, about 90% of the teachers encourage and recommend it! How could this be possible? Here are some tips I learned and that can hopefully guide you in the right direction if you have a child between the ages of 7 and 10 asking you for a cellphone.

1. Why Get My Child a Cellphone?

I pondered this question many times. Why would my small daughter need a cellphone? She's too young to have a social life. And most of the time all she does is watch Disney Channel and play with her dolls. Well, the cellphones of today come equipped with a lot more than just your average telephone to call a friend or family member. Other than having the attention grabbing gadgets like a camera, MP3 player and touchscreens, most cellphones today have a hidden GPS tracker that allows the police to track down your child in case your child goes missing or does not answer the phone. Even if the cellphone is turned off, your local police can track down your child's whereabouts with the help of your cellphone provider.

It is also a great way to keep in touch with your child. Many divorced families with one parent living in a different state have had to send their child alone using escort services from the airline to go visit the other parent, and sometimes, keeping in touch with them can be difficult, especially if both parents do not get along. Equipping your child with a cellphone gives them the opportunity to contact you and let you know how things are going and they can send pictures and text messages instantly to give you updates, and peace of mind. Or, if a child who goes to a sleepover and misses their mommy and daddy wants to come home, they can quietly call you to let you know they want to come home, without disturbing the other children and feel embarrassed.

2. Which Plan and Phone Should I Get My Child?

If you leave it up to all the marketing and advertising online and on tv, your options are limitless but can cost your more than you are willing to pay. Picking a phone and a plan for your child does not have to be a nightmare. It used to be that the big worry was going over your minutes and end up paying a huge bill. Nowadays, many cellphone carriers have a variety of kid-friendly phones that offer parental controls and allow you as a parent to control who they can call and who can call them. AT&T and Verizon, to name a couple, offer exclusive cellphones made for kids, where you can program numbers that they would need to call (yourself, other parent, grandma, etc.) and a designated button to reach 911 in case of an emergency.

As far as plans go, it depends on how much you are willing to spend. The good news is, you have a choice. You can choose "pay as you go" plans, which allow you to purchase a certain amount of minutes for your child, and teaches them to be responsible and not go over their minutes, because if they do, they cannot dial out. These plans often times allow you to add text messaging and other features so that they can continue to use their phone as they get older and their social needs become more demanding. Most "pay as you go" phones cost $19.99 and up, depending on how feature-rich you want to go, and you can purchase minutes for $10.00, $20.00 and so forth.

Then you have the monthly plans. I know, it sounds scary. But if you do a little digging with your current wireless provider, you'll find you don't have to spend a fortune to add a line to your already existing cellphone account. Most wireless providers offer family plans, which allow you to add 2 or more lines for a discounted price, like the 3-1 plan you get with your cable company when you add telephone and internet service. In my case, I only had to pay $5.00 more with MetroPCS to add my daughter to my plan, which includes text and picture messaging. I also asked for a detailed bill so that I can keep track of who she is calling. The cost may be the same or a little higher, depending on your wireless provider, but it saves you money instead of having to purchase a new plan separately. You as the parent choose what features you want your child to have and you keep track of the spending. If you purchase an unlimited plan, your discounts tend to be better and you don't have to worry about your child going "over" their minutes. Because of the recession, many cellphone companies are offering unlimited plans for a fraction of the price they used to be 3 years ago. Check with your wireless provider and see what family plans and options are available to you.

3. Is It Safe?

This is what many parents worry about. Is it safe for my child to have a cellphone? What if someone hacks into their phone and tracks them down? What if it gets stolen? I pondered this too, for a very long time. More than anything, we want to keep our children safe from predators and thugs. But the truth of the matter is, the children of today are more knowledgeable about safety and being responsible than when we were kids. Classrooms offer safety tips for using the internet, watching tv, and yes, using a cellphone. The Education System of today is aware that the only way we can keep our children safe is to teach them how to be aware of their surroundings and being responsible and staying safe. If your check your local community calendar, you might be surprised to find groups that offer support for child safety and most of the time, kids are invited to attend meetings to learn about telephone and internet predators and how to stay away from them.

Ultimately it is up to you, the parent, to teach your child safety and how to be responsible. Educate them and let them know that the cellphone is a tool for keeping in touch and emergencies first and foremost. Sure, they will want to text and picture message their friends and play games and such, but if you educate them on what is most important, your child will understand.

Six months later, my child has not only been responsible with her phone, but everyday she sends me a text saying "Thank you mommy for trusting me". I couldn't ask for anything more. :) AT