Wireless Guidance: Tips For Parents Of Talkative Teens With Cell Phones
Buying your teen a cell phone is a great way to teach them responsibly, create a constant line of communication with them, and help ensure their safety while out their out of your sight. However, there is an obvious downside to allowing your teen to own or use a cell phone. Talkative teens can often create huge cell phones bills, lose or mistreat their cell phone, or even chat instead of sleeping or studying. Here are a few problems that parents often encounter as well as some simple solutions to make sure your teens cell phone doesn’t wreak havoc on your wallet and your mind.
Problems and Solutions:
Problem: High Bills and Exceeded Limits:
Paying for a cell phone can be a huge burden on the wallet. While wireless providers offer plans meant to meet the needs of all types of cell phone users, you generally will end up paying more than you really wanted to. Hidden fees, extreme usage, text messaging, and downloads can quickly double your initial bill.
Solution: Choose Plans Carefully
Many wireless providers offer several types of plans. If your concerned that your son or daughter may run up their cell phone bills, consider choosing a plan that offers air time free calling from family member to family member, or to all members in that particular network. You can also choose not to add costly features like text messaging, picture messaging or internet capabilities. Ask your local wireless provider about what you can do to set limits on your teen’s phone.
Solution: Make them Pay
If your son or daughter has a job or earns allowance, you can require them to pay all or a portion of their cell phone bill. If you don’t think they will be able to afford a phone on their own, require them to pay for any additional charges that they may have incurred because of texting or extensive usage. Not only will this keep you from spending all your hard earned cash on their blooming social life, but it will help teach them to be more monetarily responsible.
Solution: Prepaid
While your teen may only have a set number of anytime minutes, they may accidentally or intentionally go over their minute allotment. This can prove to be a very expensive issue. If this is an issue or you fear it may become one, consider choosing a prepaid cell phone. A prepaid phone will leave them with a certain amount of minutes based on how much you want to pay. Once they run out of minutes they will lose use of their phone until new minutes are added. Allow them a certain amount of minutes a month and if they need more, allow them to pay for extra minutes.
Problem: Late Night Chatting
It’s no secret that teenagers, particularly girls, tend to have a phone of some sort in their hand at all times. Leaving your son or daughter unattended with a phone all night can lead to some serious problems. Staying up all night chatting or texting can cause them to run up their cell bill and miss out on valuable studying and sleeping time.
Solution:Take the Phone
If you’re worried about your teen spending too much time on the phone and not enough time doing things they should be doing, ask for the phone back. Chances are your son or daughter isn’t going to fork over the phone willingly, but you need to stand your ground. If they prove they can be responsible and use the phone accordingly, allow them to keep the phone over the weekend. If that goes well, you can gradually allow them sole access to the phone.
Problem: Irresponsible/Don’t Deserve it
Even if the benefits of allowing your teen to have a cell phone have won you over, you may still not be sure if they are ready to handle the responsible of having a phone. If you feel that they don’t particularly deserve a phone but what to get them one for your own piece of mind you may be struggling
Solution: Let Them Buy the Phone
If you’re worried about your son or daughter miss treating the phone or losing the phone, you may want to consider making them pay for the phone it’s self. Most people, even teenagers, tend to treat item they purchased wit their own hard earned cashed better than items that were just given to them. Allowing your son or daughter to buy the actual phone will teach them a lesson in money management and responsibility.
Solution: Offer the Phone as a Reward
If bad grades or behavior are prohibiting you from buying your teen a cell phone, consider using the phone as a reward for good behavior. Offer the phone as an incentive to come home on time or to improve grades. If the behavior continues allow them to keep the phone, if not discontinue the service. (This will work best with prepaid phones because you are not under a contract.)
