How to Know When Your Child is Ready for a Smartphone?

Life of Alley has partnered with Verizon to participate in a 4-week long journey on what age a child should get a smartphone.

Many parents struggle with knowing when it’s the right time to give a child a smartphone. As a mom of 3, this topic is incredibly important to me. Which is why I feel its important to create dialogue and thought around this topic.

We waited to give our older two smartphones until they entered middle school. I would have held out longer if I could have but for my family, the decision came down to security (easily communicate via text or call) and educational support (they use their phones in some of their classes).

I know many parents are grappling with the decision to give their child a smartphone so I wanted to share some helpful tips and resources to help any parent make an informative decision.

Watch the Facebook live, below, on deciding if its the right time for your family.

What is the right age for a child to get a smartphone?

Let me start by saying, there are no two kids that are the same. Sorry parents, I wish there was a magic number(age) but there isn’t. Even though there are studies that share findings on the best possible age, it really comes down to the child’s level of responsibility or maturity.

Should children use mobile phones?

Every family has their own unique set of reasons for giving a child a smartphone. Since there are many things to factor in, it’s hard to say what exact age is right. There are a few questions a parent can ask themselves to help them make that decision.

• Does your child “need” to be in touch for safety reasons?
• Are they able to understand their limits for minutes talked and apps downloaded?
• Are they able to use the phone responsibly? Can he/she be trusted not to text during class? To use the text, photo, and video functions responsibly and not to embarrass or harass others?

What are the benefits of kids having phones?

We all know the internet is a gateway to a lot of different types of information but there are benefits for a child to have a smartphone.

• Safety and Security- Being able to call/text parent any time
• Educational Support- Using phone as instructed by teacher
• Learning Responsibility-Helping kids learn boundaries and rules
• Technological Savvy-Proficient in the use of technology we use
• Increased Social Interaction-for a shy or timid child that has difficulty making friends, this could be a way to stay connected with classmates etc.

What is the Verizon Just Kids Plan?

I took my older two children into a Verizon store to learn more about our family options and what devices are best for our kids.

Verizon is giving parents peace of mind with their Just Kids Plan. The plan is great for parents that want rules and restrictions on their child’s phone. Helping parents to better monitor what their child is doing on their phone.

The plan provides:

• Unlimited talk and text to 20 contacts
• Parental controls to manage screen time
• Parental controls to filter content
• Track Location
• Safety mode to avoid data overage
• 5 GB of 4G LTE Data

Helpful questions to ask your child…

• Why do you want a cell phone?
• Do you understand the rules your family and school have for phone use?
• What are some concerns you think your family and teachers have about phones?
• What are five places it’s not OK to use your phone?
• What will you do if you lose or break your phone?

What are your thoughts on kids and smartphones?

Would love for you to share in comments!