Seems like cellphone users are getting younger every day. Tyler has been bugging me for the past six months to get him one. I remind him that at 6-years-old he does not need a phone because anyone he needs to call he can call on my cellphone or the house phone.
I know many parents are purchasing cellphones as a way to keep track of their kids and with plans dropping in price not to mention pay-as-you-go phones, pretty soon everyone’s going to have a phone. You’ll probably see toddlers on the playground, cellphone in hand, as they cascade down the slides!
If you’re thinking of getting your child a cellphone, you might want to start with a Kajeet. It’s a new kind of phone I was reading about that offers parents more control over incoming and outgoing calls. Kids will also have to learn to budget their minutes until it’s time to fill up again. So it can be a learning tool.
The phones are pay-as-you-go and there’s no activation cost, early termination fee or long-term contract. I believe the appeal to parents will be the fact that you can schedule when the phone can and can’t be used. This way kids can’t use them in class to text message or late at night when they’re supposed to be asleep. However, parents can set the phone up where, in an emergency, the child or parent can call each other anytime.
Parents also decide who can call or text message their child. Using the contact manager, you decide who your kids can talk to. If they want to add more people to their buddy list, you can always add them later. So if you’re considering getting your child a phone you might want to check Kajeet out first. If nothing more, it could be a way to see how your child will handle having a cellphone before you add them to your plan.
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