Your Kids and their Cells Phones.....

We have the Baby Boomers, the Generation X-ers, and now should it be the Cellular Generation???? I don't know if my teens can communicate with friends without one. It seems very sad.......When I was younger, we had what you might call a party line. You only had to call the last 4 digits of the person you were calling if they were in your keystone. Keystone meant the first three digits. You had to ask permission from your parents first and no phone calls after 7pm. And boyfriend calls in High School were few. And definitely no calls from the girls to the boys, that was not proper. What would the teens of today do with these rules, if they had to live life like this now.

These days, technology plays a major role in a teen's life. It's not only a means for communicating with us as parents but it's the nexus of their social life. My teens only communicate with those in their groups through their cell phone texting. My daughter the Varsity cheerleader only finds out her meeting times, dress, and game schedule through the texting. I find that so odd. What if the cell phone was misplaced?, she would be late to the game with the wrong attire on......

I do enjoy the fact that my teens have the cell phones. However, as with all milestones in their lives, there are certain responsibilities that come with having a mobile phone. Similar to getting their driver's license, they need guidance, instruction and moral guideposts. I noted previously about the contract I have them sign. For us as a family, this seems to be the right thing to have. Is this something you do?

Or how about monitoring their calls or cell phone use. Is that something you do? Studies have found that parents are monitoring cellphone use, with 64 percent saying they have looked at their child's address book, call log, text messages and pictures. How often was unclear. And about 62 percent of parents say they have taken away a cellphone as punishment. I am one of those parents checking up on my kids. Or taking away the phone for punishment. But that rarely happens, because without it would be a punishment for me.

In the beginning, I wanted to make sure that there was no funny business going on. And I also wanted to monitor the amount of text that were coming in and out. So in that instance, we have a 300 per month limit, and they know that any amount over that they pay for. We don't have too many overages each month. I think if we had unlimited, that would be their only way to communicate.

In my next post, I will be interviewing my two older teenagers, 15 and 13. And asking them how they feel about their cell phone, (Can't live without it or not?). And what would they do if someone sextexted them...or has it already happened??? I am opening up my comment section for you my readers, and any questions you may have for my teens. Or something you feel is an important cell phone usage issue for you.

Because this topic is so important for our kids and their futures, BlogHer really wants to get the conversation about texting, sexting and safety going – both with our kids and among parents. It will match LG’s donation of .50 to dosomething.org for every comment on this post, so please give me your suggestions on questions for my kids. Dosomething.org will get a $1.00 for each and every one.

Teens and Cell Phone Use

This is sponsored content fromBlogHer

and LG Text Ed

If you are the mother of a teen or pre-teen, you have certainly heard the inevitable plea, *Mom, can I get a cell phone?* Current statistics indicate that 1/3 of all teens or pre-teens in the United States carry a cell phone, and about 25% of all cell phone revenues come from this age group. It is not surprising that your child might feel left out if he or she doesn*t have one in a pocket or a backpack. But while teens love them, moms and dads can get burned by cell phones in the hands of teenagers. Charges for excess minutes, for text messages, for phone-based e-mail and other services can be burdensome. A cell phone can also tend to change relationships (positive or negative).

So, what should a Mom know about teens and cell phones? First, I believe you need to set some rules before the purchase or plan has been set up. We sat down with our daughters before we added them to our plan. I figure the teachers at school require you to sign some type of contract with them at the beginning of each school year concerning assignments, conduct, and grades.

Why not make up a contract for phone usage?Keep in mind that these cost may seem low ,it is because we have an excellent family plan. And the price to add them on is minimal Still, it doesn't take away from the fact that we want them to take responsibility.

TEEN MOBILE PHONE CONTRACT

* Cost of the cell phone: $85 (daughter's 13th-birthday gift)

* Monthly cost: $10, not including insurance (May be paid separately)

* Phone payments: Teen agrees to pay the $10 by working off inrequired household chores

* School/schoolwork: Daughter agrees to keep her cell phone off and in her backpack/locker during school hours, complete her homework after school, and keep up with assignments in school. She will also keep it charged when possible.

* Phone usage: The family has 1200 minutes per month to share betweenthe four members with phones. Teen will be allowed 300 of those minutes and will monitor their minutes. Used minutes will not apply to the My Faves recipients. Teen has 300 text messages (coming and going),and will monitor those also. Any overages will cost 20 cents each for the teen.

*Teen agrees to answer her parents calls immediately. If parents feel she is overusing her cell phone, her parents will ask her to turn it off.

NOTE: When you are of age to drive, there will be NO USING THE CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING!

* Consequences: If the teen does not follow the contract, the phone will be taken away for one week or longer, depending on the violation.And can also be used as leverage for any punishment. Cost of lost or stolen phone will be the responsibility of the user. Parents have the right to cancel usage at anytime.

Sign____________________Parent

_________________________Child _____Date

End note: I do enjoy the fact that my teens have cell phones, enabling communication between us at any time. I just wish my 15 year old wouldn't be so forgetful, and leave it at home as often. And thankfully they are very good about never going over their allotted usage. I can't say I will be as lucky when my 10 year old gets old enough to get one!

What rules have you set for your teen? Sound off in the comments below. Not only will your input continue the conversation - but DoSomething.org (an organization that uses "the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline") will receive a $0.50 donation for each comment on this post up to a total of $5,000. So, please speak up! Visit LG Text Ed for some helpful tips and guidelines on avoiding mobile behaviors and setting good examples for our children.

You can also watch Emmy award winning actress, Jane Lynch, as she points out that, "setting ground rules doesn't have to be a battle of will" as long as everyone knows the rules.DoSomething.org is one of the largest organizations in the US that helps young people rock causes they care about. $0.50 donation per comment on any "LG Text Ed - Moms Discuss Teens and Texting" post, up to $5000 total.