This is a guest blog by Amy Williams – a journalist based in Southern California. As a mother of two, she has learned a lot of things the hard way, and hopes to use her experience as a parent to help other parents raise their children to be the best that they can be.* No matter how much you may fear your child growing up, they will inevitably one day need a mobile phone. This can place a parent in a precarious situation as they question, ‘How is the best way to introduce a Smartphone to my pre-teen so they use it responsibly?’ Parents need to consider a child’s maturity, responsibility and social skills. Guiding your child to Smartphone ownership through baby steps can certainly pay off in the end by providing opportunities to gain experience and responsibility.**
Building Responsibility To Smartphone Ownership
- Allow your child to take over chores or responsibilities. Have your child prove they can handle chores, taking care of pets, or setting their own alarm clock.
- Give them access to social media accounts and monitor their online activity. It sounds scary, but imagine what might happen if you hand over unlimited access 24 hours a day on a Smartphone with no supervision. This will allow you to judge their maturity by viewing their posts.
- If all goes well, allow them access to a ‘dumb’ mobile phone. Items get lost or broken so allow them to learn these lessons on a cheap version that can easily be replaced.
- Finally, purchase a Smartphone only when there is a real need.
There is no perfect magic age or milestone to know when your pre-teen is ready for a Smartphone.*** Knowing your child and their responsibility is the key to understanding this process. Just remember, that this new technology can connect parents and children by fostering easy communication.
*https://www.lookout.com/resources/reports/smartphone-family-guide
**http://www.teensafe.com/blog/smartphones/7-steps-ease-tween-smartphone/
***http://blog.laptopmag.com/kids-smartphones-right-age
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
