Should you buy your child a mobile or cell phone?

Children these days want, and have, just about every gadget imaginable. DVD players, computers, televisions in their bedrooms and more, so why not their very own mobile phone?

Why not indeed!

Well many children, even those that are very young, do have such phones but it is not a decision that is easily resolved. Not if you are a responsible parent, anyway.

If you are thinking of buying your child a mobile or cell phone there are obvious advantages such as:-

• The child should be much safer.
• You can contact the child quickly and easily at any time.
• Learning to use the phone, and use it sensibly, will be an additional life skill.
• Understanding the importance of using the phone wisely should help the child learn about budgeting.
• Becoming techno friendly has to be a good thing.

Of course there will be other advantages but then again there are many negatives:-

• The child could run up expensive bills.
• A phone that has Internet access and more could mean that the child accesses chat rooms and the like.
• The child may chatter incessantly on the phone to friends, even during dinner or school.
• The child may text friends constantly.
• You, the parent, will be less able to monitor the child's calls or contacts.

So having thought about these positives and negatives, how about it?

Well there is still a lot to consider such as:-

• How old is your child?
• Is your child designer label conscious or capable of becoming so?
• Would a Pay As You Go contract be best for your child?. This type of phone contract could leave your child without any credit in an emergency.
• If you are going to take out a mobile phone contract how can you limit what your child spends on the mobile phone?
• Who is going to pay the ongoing cost's of the phone?. Perhaps an older child can do chores around the home to pay for the phone or fund it from money earned via a paper round or the like.
• What ground rules are you, the parent, going to set up regarding this mobile phone. Personally I would say that you need to set down some rules about places where the phone must be switched off, the amount of time spent chatting or sending text message on the phone and the time of day that this mobile phone can be used. After all, for example, you do not want your child sending texts to friends long into the night, do you?

TYPE OF PHONE

So much depends on the child and the child's age. However I would think that for a child's first phone you do not want to buy one that is all singing and dancing.

Firstly you will need to make sure that your child is responsible and will not instantly lose or mislay the phone.

A cheaper more basic phone will attract less attention from possible thieves or jealous, nasty people or children.

A more basic phone will be a good phone to learn the basics on.

You never know you could be lucky and find out that mobile phones are not your child's thing after all, but I doubt it. If you have bought a cheap phone you will have lost little.

This more basic phone, most probably, will not have Internet Access and more. This may mean that you child is safer overall.

The best way forward will be to discuss the matter with your child. Work out just what they see as a benefit to having a mobile phone and explain to them why you would like them to have one.

If in doubt exercise caution. In these days of predators and more your child's safety is paramount. A mobile phone can add to the child's security but in the wrong hands can damage this security.

Assess you personal circumstances, research the matter and make an informed choice. Do not be rushed into making a decision until you know that a mobile phone and your child are a good combination.