As a parent, it can be pretty tough to come to grips that your kid is growing up, especially when they hit their “tweenage” years. Tweens are at that awkward age, you know? They’re not a little kid anymore but they’re also not a teenager yet… they’re ultimately just getting to a point of real self-discovery. Because they’re at a very formative age, you don’t want to go and taint or “blur” their self-image by buying them a phone.
It’s not that you necessarily think that cell phones are bad for tweens because they’re also very beneficial to them… it’s just that there are a lot of things to think about before making the decision to give your tween one.
At first, you were thinking that once your kid hits a certain age, that’s when you should give them their first cell phone but then you did a little more research and found that childmind.org recommends looking at your child’s level of maturity as well. When considering the level of maturity your child has, ask yourself these questions:
- How well does your child handle limitations on TV and game consoles? If they have a hard time coming unglued from the TV or their video games, they’re more than likely going to have a hard time coming unglued from the cell phone too.
- Is your child careless with their possessions? If your child is constantly losing things or leaves things laying around, they’re likely going to do the same thing with a cell phone too.
- How is your child doing in school? A cell phone can be a huge distraction. Upon giving your child their cell phone, observe their behavior and their grades. There shouldn’t be any dips in grades and no change in behavior.
When Should You Give Your Tween a Cell Phone?
Only you can answer this question and it really is dependent on several factors, age and maturity are among the several factors but the reality is that your kid definitely can’t go without a phone for too much longer, and they definitely need one before they get to high school. But again, it’s up to you… If you’re still a little apprehensive about it here are some of the biggest considerations to think about to help you feel a little better about getting your tween a phone.
Biggest Considerations
Safety
As a parent, safety is probably THE biggest concern among parents and it’s more so because you can’t be with your kids all the time. Sure, you can keep track of your kids with a home security alarm system but what about when they’re not at home? Then how would you keep track of them?
A cell phone would allow them to check-in with you and you can have that peace of mind in knowing that you can check on them and know that they’re safe. Not only that, but the times have changed. School is one of the places that your child should be able to go to and feel safe but with all the school shootings that have happened over the past couple of decades, your child really can’t be without a cell phone.
Price
Cell phones can be very expensive and the cost of one is definitely a consideration to think about… a costly one, at that! For some of the newest cell phones today, you can pay anywhere from $750 to well over $1000 dollars and it would be a shame to pay that much money for a phone that your child is going to lose… to buy a new phone is really like making an investment.
Lots of parents today are now buying phones at reduced prices. Instead of paying retail price tags for a new phone, parents are getting resourceful and getting their tweens used phones for their first phone. Not only are they affordable, but they’re also a lot easier to replace in case they lose it or break it.
Independence
The thought of getting your tween a cell phone might be a little scary to you not only for safety concerns but also because it symbolizes independence. As a parent, you know your child is going to grow up and although you know this, it can still be tough to watch.
Your child having a cell phone is giving them a big dose of responsibility they’ve never had. Aside from cleaning their room and taking out the trash, they now have a real responsibility that’s really going to show you just how mature they are. It’s nothing to run from parents… it’s something to embrace.
As your tween grows up, them having a cell phone allows you to grow with them. You can shoot them text messages and video chat with them… it’s actually allowing you to stay even more connected with them as they grow older. So, don’t look at cell phones like they’re a bad thing… look at them as something that’s going to keep you connected to them while they’re going through a new transition in their life from being a kid to a tween.
