You might be thinking of buying a cellphone for your child right now, but you’re not sure it’s a good idea. It’s true that a lot of children and young teenagers are rarely seen without one. You need to weigh up both sides of the argument before you make your final decision.

Your child’s safety is a good argument in favor of cellphones. Knowing your child can always be reached is reassuring for a parent. By the same token, the child knows that help is always available at the touch of a button. There’s a GPS facility in some cellphones that makes them interesting, too. With GPS, if your child goes missing you’ll still be able to find his or her location. All these arguments would support your decision to purchase a cellphone for your child.

But is your child really capable of managing his or her own phone? Even if you both agree that the phone is to be used for emergencies only, you may find yourself faced with a frightening bill at the end of the month. Chatting on the phone can soon become the favorite pastime of preteens and teenagers.

Restricting your child to sending text messages might seem good economical sense. However, a lot of youngsters soon become addicted to this as well, so you end up with the same problem. Texting can’t be put forward as an argument in favor of buying a cellphone, then.

You have to know your child well to be able to decide on when he or she will be responsible enough for a cellphone; only you can make the right choice. Parental control must be exercised. Don’t hesitate to set limits on how long your child is allowed to stay on the phone.

Should you decide not to buy your child a mobile phone, don’t let anyone change your mind. You’ve put thought and your child’s best interests into making that decision. Don’t be talked round by your child or anyone else. You are the parent and you will decide when the time is right.

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