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0117 JANUARY
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be honest. as you?re reading this, how far are you from your
cell
phone
? is it next to you? is it in the next room? chances are, you?re not very far from it, and it?s very possible that your
phone
is in your hand because you?re using it to read this. whatever the case may be, we keep our
cell
phone
s close, and there?s nothing to be ashamed of. we?re connected people. we could be expecting a call, waiting for a text to come through, or just simply keeping it nearby in case something happens. we really are connected the majority of our days. so, it only makes sense that eventually our
child
ren will want to be connected, too. however, deciding on whether or not they truly are ready to be connected? or even need to be?is an entirely different story, and reaching that decision is difficult. it takes a lot of thought about how your
child
will handle the responsibility. so, how do you know that your
child
is ready? and, do they really need a
cell
phone
to begin with? ready to connect? unfortunately, there isn?t a one-size-fits- all method for knowing when a
child
is ready for a
cell
phone
. ?ere isn?t a magic number for a
child
to reach that will let the parent know, ?it?s time,? such as the driving age or the age to vote. knowing the right time to take that step depends on the
child
in question. kelli l. ewing, lpc, explains, ??ere really isn?t a right or wrong answer that fits the population as a whole, but the general consensus for a lot of parents is to give their
child
ren
cell
phone
s between the ages of 14-17. once
child
ren start going places with others or alone is usually another time parents consider
cell
phone
s for their
child
ren.? to help make things a little easier, there are certain characteristics to look for and habits parents can think about before making the purchase for their
child
. ??e most important thing to consider is the maturity level of the
child
as well as if the
child
has shown a pattern of responsibility when taking care of other important items in their possession,? says ewing. for instance, is he consistently losing his things? if so, it?s possible he will lose the
cell
phone
, too. if the
child
is leaving the house, does he let you know? and, does he follow the rules in the house? ?ese are all things that should be weighed when making the decision to buy. is the
phone
necessary? after tackling the decision on whether or not a
child
is ready for a
cell
phone
, the question of whether or not the
child
even needs one comes into play. ?ere are plenty of reasons as to why a
child
may need one, but there are just as many reasons to hold off on getting one. for instance, some parents opt to get a
child
a
cell
phone
to keep in touch with the
child
while he or she is being transported back and forth to school. ewing shares, ?if your
child
has a
cell
phone
, it?s usually the fastest way that you can get in touch with them and vice versa. if there is an emergency,
cell
phone
s can be crucial in communicating with your
child
ren to ensure his or her safety.? for the new drivers in the family, the
cell
phone
is a great tool to have for maps, helping the driver to avoid getting lost. and, another helpful tool? ?e immediate access to the internet for help with homework.
child
ren are now even bringing their devices to school to help with assignments while in the classroom. while many schools previously had strict rules against electronic devices on campus, some schools have become more lenient with these rules in order to allow students to use their
phone
s as a resource. however, the immediate access to everything on the internet is also a mom, can i have a
cell
phone
? by amanda miller navigating ?rough the big decision 48 brparents.com | january 2017
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