Trust, especially between parents and teens, is the singular most important element in family relations.
As a parent, you must create a balance of honoring your child’s privacy while also setting the rules and protecting them in areas where they might lack the maturity to make wise decisions.
One area that can use some thoughtful parental monitoring is in the use of cell phones.
Cell phones certainly have great advantages in family life. You can call your teen and check on them; they can call you in time of emergency. But, as with all good things, there are negative factors that can come with the free use of cell phones. Continual texting can become a problem. There are teens that have gotten themselves into some serious problems by sending, or receiving, inappropriate messages and photos.
Prepaid phones are an advantage because there is no contracts and fees for use over a certain minute level. If your teen is not using the phone within family rules, the phone is simply not renewed.
Still, even with prepaid phones, the best way to monitor phone usage is to set the rules upfront and stick to them. Make sure these rules are clear and understood by all.
- Let them know you will monitor text messages through the message outbox; anything inappropriate and they lose the phone.
- If the phone is not prepaid and they go over the limit, they pay the difference.
- They must follow cell phone rules at school.
- They must obey safety rules: no texting, calling while driving, etc.
- And last, if they break rules, they lose their phone.
Make sure you are firm when using these rules so the appropriate boundaries are set.
