We have a lot of firsts coming up. My son is entering first grade. This will be his first time in public school. And this will be the first time he won’t be in the same school where my wife teaches. Our family will be experiencing a lot of new things as we move from Oregon to Washington and change always comes with its share of uncertainty.
The after school pick up seems to be the biggest source of worry. While I can rationally remind myself of the countless times I made it from the classroom to the school bus as a child, it doesn’t do much to lessen my overprotective tendencies as a parent.
My wife and I talked about this the other night and wondered if it would be the right time to give my son a cell phone. For us, the phone would serve as an electronic leash that would let us get in touch in case of an emergency. But let’s face it, my son is really young and trusting him with a cell phone is a big deal.
For parents of teens, the question of “when should I give my child a cell phone” is just as difficult. Your children are old enough to be responsible for the device, but will want to use the phone to message with friends or to get online. I know a few parents of teenagers who are mulling this over as their teens are about to head back to school.
While there isn’t any single answer on when a child should get a phone, there are some things for parents to think about when making a decision.
- How will the phone be used? Is this something that you, as a parent, want your child to have for emergencies or is this something your child is requesting? Will your child use the phone to communicate with friends, will it just be a fashion accessory, or will it just be used to stay in touch with mom and dad?
- Where do you plan on using it? It makes sense to set some ground rules around where the phone can be used. If you have preteens or tweens in middle school, they might not even be allowed to have a phone out during school hours (check with the school to see their policy), so the phone will need to stay in the backpack (for emergencies) throughout the day. If you only let your children use the phones while at home to message with friends, it will be easier to supervise what is going on. And from what I’ve seen first-hand, if you are taking your children out somewhere, ask them to leave the phone in the car. Otherwise, you will battle for an actual face-to-face conversation over dinner.
- Who are you going to call? This usually will be a pretty limited group. You might want to ask for a list of friends and then find out if they have cell phones as well.
- What kind of phone do you want? This is the million dollar question. Your child will want the latest and greatest smartphone, but no parent wants to shell out hundreds of dollars for a smartphone for their kids.
A “messaging phone” is a good option for a first phone for teens and tweens. They aren’t as expensive as a full smartphone and won’t require a high data plan, but still have all the features your child will want (messaging, camera, touchscreen).
The Pantech Vybe is one of the better messaging phones on the market and is only $29.99 with a two-year contract through AT&T. It has a slide out QWERTY keyboard that makes texting easy. There’s a quick camera button for the impromptu selfie. And like the more expensive phones, there are social media shortcuts and you can customize the home screens, music, and video players. Overall, the Pantech Vybe is an affordable, easy to use phone that gives your child access to the features they want and at a price that parents can live with.
When deciding if your child is ready for a cell phone, the most important part is having a talk with them about the responsibilities of having a cell phone. They need to understand how to use and not abuse it, what they can and can’t do with it and how it can be taken away should they break any of the rules you outline.
Giving your child a cell phone is a big step, but it can also give some peace of mind if you are an overprotective parent like me. If you have a teen or tween, get them a nice starter phone like the Pantech Vybe and set boundaries around how it can be used. Getting your first cell phone has become a rite of passage, just as much as getting your driver license.