What should you do as a parent if your child, barely 10 years old, wants his own mobile phone, because he says the whole class also has one. Because a quarter of children aged around 8 already have such a mobile phone. While around the age of 12, about 80% already have an iPhone or something similar. A dilemma for many parents. Especially because such an iPad tablet is often necessary in the classroom. And is it a soothing thought to know that they are Facebooking and texting while cycling with their smartphone in busy traffic?
It used to be easy
When the teacher asked the children in class in 1955 who had a telephone at home, 2 to 4 of the 30 children raised their hands. If you now ask a class of children who doesn’t have their own cell phone, only a few will raise their hands. Have we all gone crazy in this world? That question is unnecessary, what matters is that as parents you must deal sensibly with your child’s wishes and telephone use.
From what age is a telephone safe?
First of all, it seems logical that you wait until the child starts talking about it and that you do not suggest that he or she takes a cell phone to school, etc. You didn’t have to have one before and yet you suffered no damage from it. But if your child indicates that he or she wants a mobile phone, you should of course consider whether he/she really needs it, because why spend such money just because your son or daughter also wants to belong to the group. If you have to travel a long distance by bike alone, things are a bit different, although 20 years ago no cycling child had such a thing.
Parents often benefit from it too
If your child starts secondary education at the age of 12, it can also be reassuring for you that contact with your child is always possible, for example:
- In case of emergency.
- Always contact home quickly for other urgent matters.
- Social contacts are also a reason why children can have a mobile phone.
- Sometimes a parent likes to be able to see via their mobile phone where a child is at a certain time.
Of course, there are also various reasons not to give a child a mobile phone, for example because of access to unwanted sites and material.
What type and model
To keep costs under control, a phone with a prepaid card seems to be the most logical choice. So no free phone in combination with a subscription, no matter how tempting it is because the call costs can spiral out of control due to the endless chatter. There are special children’s packages (Hi PrePay Young), which allow emergency text messages to be sent even if the prepaid credit has run out.
Make agreements with your child
Clearly agree with your child in which cases he or she may or may not make phone calls. Just have a chat or only when it is useful and necessary, for example when there are problems. Point out to the child that it is dangerous to talk on the phone while cycling, even though many friends do so. And it is of course not nice to constantly peek at such a device while eating and when visiting. But then you have to set a good example yourself. Then of course there are times when you don’t want the phone to ring, and you don’t want to sneak it into bed either.
The finances
Make it clear to the child what the call costs and text message costs are and how much you can only do with one card. Calculate what constitutes reasonable use and what the financial consequences are. And agree on the maximum amount that can be spent per week.
Other risks
As a parent, you also run the risk that your son or daughter will register for all kinds of services or call expensive numbers. It may indeed be wise to work with Hi PrePay Young, because with this prepaid service aimed at children, the 0909 and 0906 numbers are blocked, as are SMS services.
Also internet
An internet connection obviously costs extra money, which is on top of the costs of the standard telephone subscription. You can easily spend an extra tenner a month. If your child has an internet facility on his phone, teach him to use WhatsApp for free and no longer send expensive text messages. And of course that no calling credit is used up on MBS via Wi-Fi.
Check
Sometimes it is not unwise to block certain telephone numbers and/or calling hours. You can also download a Hi Pre-Pay app on your own phone, with which you can keep an eye on someone else’s usage. Always be aware that your child uses his mobile phone wisely and otherwise engage in (verbal) conversation.
Cyberbullying
Bullying has always existed, but the methods used are becoming more modern. Be alert that your child is not harassed via his mobile phone. There are useful apps (e.g. Safety Net app) that parents can use to prevent their children from being bullied via their smartphone. With such an app you can ensure that certain numbers are blocked. my view on