Cell Phones And Kids Are A New Combination
What age is an appropriate age for a child to have a cell phone? In the old days (about 10 years ago) parents never had to bother with this question. Now however, it seems most kids want cell phones and it is certainly not for safety reasons that they desire them. Just because one of their friends got one, kids come home everyday from school wanting a cell phone.
One line of thinking is that kids should be kids and there is really no reason for them to have cell phones. They spend enough time as it is with video games and they should be shielded from all these expensive gadgets that they have no real need for. The other way of thinking is though, that a child with a cell phone is safer than one without one. Everyone wants their kids to be safe and if they have a way to instantly contact their parents, having a cell phone does seem to make them safer.
While it may be true that a cell phone might a safety element, the question still remains at what age is one needed? Is it the right time for when a kid reaches first grade, or second grade, or how about 5th grade? There is of course no right and wrong answer to this question and every parent must decide for himself or herself. Each child might be different as some become more mature quicker than others. One thing is for sure though, no matter what age a parent thinks is appropriate the child will undoubtedly want one much sooner.
If you have a young child that wants a cell phone, you have several decisions to make. The first is whether the child is old enough and if so, what kind of cell phone to get. The best cell phones for kids might be ones that use a prepaid plan or ones that you can include in your family plan. There is really no right answer and it is one of personal preference. If you fear your kid is going to use up the minutes with reckless abandon, a pay as you go plan might be in order.
For those parents who trust their child to use constraint, they might add their kid on their own family plan. This would probably be best for teenagers who know how to use a phone responsibly. Whichever choice is made, it seems the most important decision is really at what age to allow your child to own their very own cell phone. It’s a tough one but one that all parents have to struggle with.
