When Is The Right Time for a Cell Phone?
I think the hardest part of parenting is
acknowledging that children are growing up in a different age than we are. This
is apparent by parents who no longer allow their children to walk to school, or
bike wherever their hearts desire. It is also becoming clear to me that parents
have a harder time deciding when to let children branch out with technology.
My children range in age from one year to ten years. My
children are better with computers than I am, and I thought I was good with
personal computers. The older two, aged ten and eight, love computers and cell phones. We have a family computer to allow them the ability to email family
members, and keep their own blog. So, when is it okay to allow children to have
their own phones?
We see children in first and second grade carrying their own
phones, and we feel that it is too young. My husband and I had originally
planned to allow phones at the age of 13, but now I think that may be too old.
My children are prolific on our Smartphones, playing games, sending text messages,
and using the internet to research on the road. Are eight and ten year olds
responsible enough to have a phone of their own? How does one keep them safe
from those who have only evil thoughts racing through their minds? This is
where we are not sure which direction to go.
Pros
·
Able to communicate with friends without
stealing our phone
·
Can play games that expand brain power
·
Can call us when they are needing picked up
after school
·
Call them when needed
·
Research on the go
These pros come from our current experiences with our older
children. My daughter is very prolific with texting, and she loves
communicating with my family. She also has a few friends and cousins that have
cell phones, so having one would allow her to communicate with them. She is also
always stealing my phone to play Draw Something, and other games that require
her to think. We also regularly hand our phones over to both of the children to
allow them to use Google to work on their homework on the drive home from
school.
Cons
·
Increase phone bill
·
Access to evils on the cyber world
·
Unauthorized purchases or subscriptions
My pocket book screams when I think about allowing my
children to have access to a phone of their own. Will they understand the
limitations on usage? Will they purchase games or subscribe to text messages
that will affect the bill? Will they get onto sites that they really should not
be on? I understand that most of these cons come with both years of trust and
parenting. We can let a child learn by experience that purchasing games require
money by making them pay for it. Same with having them go over their minutes,
but the OCD in me really has trouble with relinquishing that control.
Therefore, we are back to the beginning questions. When is
it appropriate to allow your child to get a phone and join your family plan? We
are beginning to think that eight years old is not too young. Are we wrong? My
husband and I are not yet sure.
