Cell Phones for Teens and Tweens

Biggest Pros Biggest Cons Convenience for contact Coordinating schedules Safety / crisis contact Social skills

Bullying Inappropriate messaging Too much ‘screen time’ Less ‘face-to-face’ social skills

Is my kid ready for a phone?

The main thing to consider isn’t necessarily their age, but how mature they are. It’s important for us tobe able to stay in touch with our kids, but we should also consider what type of text, images, videos, andconversations they will have that phone.

Some key questions to ask yourself:

Are there important safetyreasons for your kid to have aphone (like going betweenhome and school without anadult)?

Does your kid act responsibly,letting you know when theyare going to leave and returnhome (and then being ontime)?

Are there good reasons forhim or her to be in contactwith friends (like coordinatingstudy or sports activities)?

Do you think he or she will end up texting during class, bothering others with their phone calls,or making inappropriate videos?

The 3 Best Printable Parent-Teen Cell Phone Contracts (Over 13,000 social bookmarks!)

From MeaningfulMama.com – A ‘clean’ 3 page letter, contract, and contact list

From Imom.com – A ‘tech look’ one page color contract

From HomeContract.org – A contract with clear expectations and specifics

Survey results from Niche.com(http://articles.niche.com/pros-and-cons-of-cell-phones-for-kids/)

Dear _________,

MyCellularPhoneContractCongratulations are in order . You are about to have use of a cell

phone . This is a big deal , and I am so proud of you . You are able

to keep a cell phone because you have proven yourself

responsible and trustworthy . We believe you will make wise

decisions . That said , we all fall and make mistakes . Therefore ,

there needs to be some guidelines in place for your new mobile

phone .

We want to set you up for success when it comes to cell phone

usage . We love you , want to keep you safe and help you become

the best you . We hope you will communicate with us about any

experiences that leave you unsure or hurt .

This contract has been put together to make your mobile

experience healthy and appropriate .

"A CELL PHONE CAN MAKE YOU CLOSER TO THEPEOPLE AWAY FROM YOU BUT FARTHER AWAY

FROM THE PEOPLE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU."

SINCERELY,YOUR PARENTS

Failure to keep to thiscontract leads toimmediate removal of cellphone for a timedetermined by parents.

MyCellularPhoneContract

A CELL PHONE CAN BE A GREAT TOOL OR ADANGEROUS WEAPON. USE IT WISELY.

Addsubheading

I will only communicate on this phone with people I know and trust.INITIAL HERE _______

I will keep this phone turned off during family meals.INITIAL HERE _______

I will only look at, listen to or communicate things on this phone that Iwouldn't mind my parents seeing. INITIAL HERE _______

When my parents ask me to get off the phone, I will get off it. INITIAL HERE _______

This phone will stay in a room with an open door and will chargeovernight in a common room of the house. INITIAL HERE _______

I understand my parents have a right to look at this phone at anytime,even without my permission. INITIAL HERE _______

I understand that with this freedom comes great responsibility, and Iwill make wise choices that keep me and others safe.INITIAL HERE _______

Failure to keep to thiscontract leads toimmediate removal of cellphone for a timedetermined by parents.

MyCellularPhoneContract

"BY CONSTANT SELF-DISCIPLINE AND SELFCONTROL, YOU CAN DEVELOP GREATNESS OF

CHARACTER." ~ GRENVILLE KLEISER

Addsubheading

Contract Between Parents & Teenagers

www.homecontract.orgContract Between Parents & Teenagers

HomeContract

Teen Signature: ____________________________________________________

Parent Signature: ____________________________________________________

Date: ______________

Date: ______________

Terms of this agreement will be reviewed every ___________ (days, weeks, months) and changes made accordingy.

Cell Phone Contract for Teens

1. I acknowledge that having a cell phone is a privilege and will not take it for granted.

2. I will always answer calls from my parents. If I miss a call from them, I will call them back immediately.

3. I will be completely open with you in terms of how I am using it, what I am communicating and what others are communicating to me.

4. I will protect my privacy and will not give my cell phone number to anyone with whom I am not familiar.

5. I will not bring my cell phone to school if it is prohibited. Or if it is allowed at school, I will keep it in my backpack and turned off until school is dismissed.

6. I will not use my cell phone after ______ pm on a school night or after ______ pm on a non-school ______ night, unless given permission by my parents.

7. I will not send inappropriate, hurtful or threatening text messages.

8. I will not say or text anything that I wouldn’t say in person with my parents listening.

9. I will pay for any charges above and beyond the usual monthly fee.

10. I will not download anything from the Internet or call toll numbers without my parents’ permission.

11. I will not enable or disable any setting on my phone without my parents’ permission.

12. I will not take, send or post any pictures or videos of anyone without my parents’ and the person’s permission.

13. I will not be disruptive in my cell phone use and will end a call or stop texting when asked.

Teen Expectations:

If the child violates this contract, then he/she will receive the following consequence(s):__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Parent Expectations:1. I will respect my child’s privacy when he/she is talking or texting on the phone.

2. If I have a concern, I have the right to read text messages or review call logs without telling my child first.

3. I will pay the standard monthly fee for the cell phone.