Of course your child wants their own cell phone; all their friends have one after all. Jeeze Mom, get with the program. But giving your child their own cell phone, with strict limitations, can actually give you peace of mind.

Always Know Where they Are

GPS tracking is available on phones mobiles nowadays so you’ll always know where that child of yours is; unless of course the distracted teenager forgets their phones somewhere or loses it. As far as losing it goes, make sure it’s insured. I’m a responsible adult and I find it necessary to ensure my phone. It protects it from me. Be sure that the phone displays who your child is calling, misdialing can be avoided in this manner. And if you’re not technologically advanced (like for instance you still use a VCR that you still haven’t figured out how to hook up) Verizon, for instance, has a great educational, how to website that will assist you in setup and programming.

But Mom, it’s Free!

There are tons of free apps that people can download onto smart phones. Many are fun, some even useful; many are inappropriate for children. Keep track of what your child is downloading on their phone. You are after all still paying the bill, you have the right. You also have the right to take it away. A calculator is a great app for kids to have; as is a dictionary, a thesaurus, fun facts and even a few harmless games to keep their little minds and hands occupied. Google and Yahoo are useful tools as far as search engines go; offering valuable information for researching.

So you see, it’s a good idea that your child have a cell phone with limited bells and whistles. Set up the rules ahead of time so there will be no misunderstandings. And unless they have a job and are paying for their own phone, as long as you pay the bills… You make the rules.