When Should Our Teens Be Bestowed With A Cellular Phone?
Should children have their own cellphones? It’s a tricky question that most parents face these days. A lot of children and teenagers do have a mobile phone. Deciding whether or not to get one for your child has to involve weighing up the advantages and disadvantages.
Parents are always preoccupied by their child’s safety, and cellphones can make a person safer. You know you can always get in touch with your child if he or she has a phone, which is reassuring in the current climate. Also, in a difficult situation, your child can always use the cell to get help from somebody.
There’s a GPS facility in some cellphones that makes them interesting, too. With GPS, if your child goes missing you’ll still be able to find his or her location. All these arguments would support your decision to purchase a cellphone for your child.
But not all children are ready for their own phone. If you buy a phone to be used in emergency situations only, you might soon be disappointed. Preteens and teenagers are especially prone to spending hours with the phone glued to their ears and those friendly chats soon transform into enormous bills!
Sending texts instead of making calls is a way of saving money, but not if it also becomes a favorite activity. This can be a risky business as well, so can’t be seen as an advantage.
Only you can make the right, informed decision about when your child is ready for a cellphone. Knowing your child is the key here.
Don’t shy away from parental controls, either. You can set limits on how much time or money they spend on the phone.
If you decide against buying a cellphone for the moment, then be strong in your decision. You haven’t taken it lightly, so don’t be influenced by what your child thinks or what other parents think. Remember that your role as a parent is to decide what is best for your child.
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