Cell Phones and the Family
Author: Mark Etinger

Twenty years ago, the telecommunications issues facing the
American family involved nothing more than teenagers who
were spending too much time on the phone. Times have
changed and so have the phone needs of the family. Now,
any family with teenage children needs to maintain multiple
cell phones and a complex calling plan. Making sure that
your children use their cell phone responsibly can be a
daily struggle. With that in mind, we've provided the
following tips to help parents best manage their young
callers - without racking up huge bills or overage minutes.

Tips for Cell Phones and Kids

Here is some expert advice about how to make sure your kids
take good care of their cell phone and also act in a
responsible manner in terms of usage.

* Tell your kids to keep their phone close at all times.
Leaving a cell phone on a table or is a discarded jacket
pocket is all the opportunity a thief needs to swoop in and
make their move. Even if you've purchased an unlocked
discount cell phone for your child, it is still an expense,
and one that should be protected with smart behavior.

* Always review your child's cell phone bill. While nobody
wants you to invade the privacy of your children, it is
important to review their bills for more reason that one.
For one thing, you need to watch their usage minutes to
insure that they don't go over their limit and incur
significant fees. Second, there may be people you do not
want your child communicating with at all. A quick scan of
their bill for unrecognized phone numbers

* A cell phone is a privilege and not a right. Remind your
kids that the non-essential use of their cell phone is a
privilege - and one that can be taken away at any time if
the child chooses not to follow the rules.

* Cell phone use should be limited to emergencies. Some
parents feel strongly that their younger children should
not have a cell phone until they are older - however, they
do like the certain level of safety that the phone
provides. For these families, you can give the child a
cell phone, with the express instruction that it only be
used in the case of an emergency.

* Find a good calling plan. The best calling plans let
you share minutes among family members. If you have more
than one child with a phone this can make monthly minute
budgeting much easier to handle. Also, look for "friends
and family" calling plans that allow your kids to program
in the names and numbers of their best friends. Once they
do, provided that the other person is eligible for the
program, all calls to that number are free. Finally, look
for plans that allow you to "roll over" minutes from one
month to the next. With these plans, any unused minutes
can be added to your available time the following month.


About the Author:

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