So you’re thinking about giving your kid their first cell phone and anxiety is rising. We understand that – putting a powerful little technological device into young hands is a big deal.
Don’t worry though, we’ve got some great advice and resources to make it a breeze for your family!
How Young is Too Young for a Cell Phone?
This sure isn’t a question that our parents had to deal with. Our kids are growing up in a world we couldn’t imagine at their age so we’re on our own to make these judgment calls.
I asked some moms on Facebook about this and here’s what I learned:

Imagine getting a cell phone bill in the mail that is over hundreds of dollars and how you would feel. Now imagine you didn’t do your research and you gave your teen a phone and you received a bill for over $20,000. Yes, you read that correctly, over $20,000 for one months worth of cell phone usage. Fortunately, the cell phone company credited their bill for almost all of it, but you want to make sure you don’t end up in this situation with your tween.
I know my parents gave me their cell phone that was practically bigger than our house phone at the time and even without text messaging back in those days, I ran up the bill to well over $100.
Ways Kids Get In Trouble With Cell Phones
Here are just a few ways kids can run into mischief with a cell phone.
- Texting or using Facebook in class.
- Texting while driving.
- Texting while walking. (Even walking can be dangerous when you’re not looking where you’re going!)
- Taking & sharing photos they shouldn’t.
- Cyber bullying.
Ok, with all that – you have to ask:
Does My Kid Really NEED A Phone Right Now?
Sometimes a child doesn’t need their own phone yet but you’d like them to have one for sleepovers or when they are on trips when they really need to be able to contact you. You could think about getting an extra ‘family phone’ for those situations.
Selecting Your Kid’s First Cell Phone
Every child wants to have the cool phone, but sometimes cool won’t help. Most cool phones are smart phones. Smart phones require you to have a data plan, which means you need a plan that goes online and that is where your money adds up. When looking at phones, think about what you are getting the phone for. Is it for them to talk and text with friends or is it for emergencies only?
If the phones is strictly for emergency use, do not get a phone that would lure them in to downloading applications or music, stick to the basics. If they are an older teen, a touchscreen or a slide-out keyboard would be great phone for them to start with, but make sure you are on the same page when it comes to the phone, what it can access and what you are willing to pay for.
Kid Friendly Phones
- flyPhone – A great starter phone for your kid especially if it will only be for emergencies.
- A88 – This phone can be used on any network for your kids and it is very user friendly.
- Sanyo 2700- A PrePaid phone from Kajeet that would work great for your child if is it a strictly emergency only phone.
- LG VX 1000 -A great phone, if you are a Verizon customer.
Another great option is called Kajeet. This is a cell phone company built specifically for kids. They have inexpensive plans starting at $4.99/month and they have some great features such as:
- Feature Manager – This manages whether your child can send picture messages or what they can access online

- Time Manager – This can black what times they talk, text or use their phone so they are not up all night chatting or texting away
- Contact Manager – This controls the people that your child can contact. You can block people who you do not want them to contact as well.
- GPS Locator – This can show you where your child is which is phenomenal in emergency situations.
Setting Up Emergency Contact Info
This is probably one of the most important things you should do when you get the new phone – set up a complete ‘who to call’ resource and go over it with your child.
Add yourself as a contact, but don’t just put your name as “Mom and Dad,” add your full name. (ie: Mom: Amy Anderson). This is for others, like the police, to know your name if they have to call you.
Also add family members, friends and neighbors you trust and talk about this with your kids so they know who to call when they can’t reach you.
If your child is on a field trip and if they are traveling without you, make sure they have emergency contact info for the adults they are traveling with. (School teachers, room parents, hotel name and details if applicable.)
A couple of great Apps to help with this:
- NearParent – This application helps you put in the names of the people who are safe to pick up your kids when there are emergencies. It allows you to add the people you give permission to pick up your kids(neighbors, aunts, uncles, etc) and their location on the GPS.
- ICE – “Also known as In Case of Emergency.” You would put the letters ICE in the phone, so the police will know who to contact. There is a sticker you can get from the ICE website to put on the back of your cell phone and your teen’s cell phone so if something happens the police know to look for the letters ICE in the phone.
Calling Plans Offer Parental Controls – Thankfully!
I remember my parents got their first bill when I had my cell phone and it was over $300. Apparently playing games on my phone wasn’t free like I thought and we (and by we, I mean my parents) found out the hard way.
Make sure you know the controls and overage costs associated with your calling plan. Most big companies offer parental controls for a low monthly rate which would help with keeping costs reasonable.
With Verizon and AT&T, for $4.99/month you can put certain blocks on their phone so they don’t go to inappropriate sites and when they reach their usage maximum, it will automatically stop them from going online. That could save you quite a bit of money or better yet the “I’m sorry I didn’t know” excuse. With Sprint, these controls are free. Check with your provider to see what their costs are and what features they offer or visit these links to learn more about these major provider’s plans:
- Verizon has a video for you that explains your options.
- AT&T has Smart Limits
- Read about Sprint’s options.
Check the GPS Settings on Your Child’s Phone
Important Phone Accessories
Want to make sure phones are fully charged every morning and know that your kids aren’t using their phones at night? Have a family charging station and a firm rule about placing their phones on the charger before bedtime.
I don’t know about your kids but most that I know haven’t developed their ‘thinking ahead’ skills as much as their parents would like. You don’t want them out there in the big world with a dead cell phone so make sure kids have an extra charging device in their backpack and know how to use it.
And don’t forget the Bling – here are some fun accessory gift ideas:
- Cell Phone Decorations – Bedazzle her phone and let it shine.
- T-Shirt Case – What a pretty funky case!
- Phone Charms – You can get the initials of your child.
Learning Apps for Kids
Applications are a great way to keep your kids entertained when you need a few minutes of quiet time. They also make some really great apps for learning and development of your little ones and they even have some great homework apps to help your tweens.
- Clamp Monkey – Help for younger kids to help them build letters and words.
- Long Division – The name does speak for itself, it is a great application to help kids with their long division.
- Baby Sign Language – If you have little ones, this will give you a moment to catch your breath. It has over 200 words that it teaches children 1 and up.
- Puzzingo – Can’t be without at least one game on your phone. Puzzingo is equivalent to the old-school wooden puzzle games. It is a drag and drop game to help toddlers learn about different items.
- myHomework – How many times have you heard your kids saying “I forgot to my homework?” I remember saying that all the time. Finally, an app that is in tween language and helps to keep homework due dates organized.
Useful Apps for Parents
Parenting has gone high tech, here are some great apps to check out:
- My Mobile Watchdog – A great program that will help you monitor you child and their location.
- Be Smart Wireless – A useful tool for you to get educated before getting a phone for your child.
- Mom Maps – When you are on the go and you want to find kid-friendly locations while you are out and about or traveling.
- KidStatz LITE – This houses all of your kids information about their height, weight, if they have any birthmarks, tattoos or piercings, etc. It also emails important details to friends, neighbors and police about what they were wearing, where they were last and any other information that could help if something were to happen.
Printable Family Cell Phone Contract
Kids are kids. It’s probably not a matter of ‘if’ they’ll break a rule with their phone – but ‘when’ they’ll do it.
Knowing this in advance gives us a great idea for dealing with those cell phone infractions in a fair manner. We came up with a Family Cell Phone Contract. It lays out the rules for cell phone use and outlines the consequences for breaking any of these rules.
My Phone & Equipment:
_ I will know where my cell phone is at all time.
_ I will tell my parents immediately if I lose my phone.
_ I will keep my extra charger with me at all times.
_ I will keep charge my cell phone every night & be responsible to recharge it during the day.
Using My Phone:
_ I will always answer calls from my parents. If I miss a call, I’ll call back immediately.
_ I know the rules about cell phone use at school and will follow these rules.
_ I will not text and drive.
_ I will not text and walk.
_ I will not download Apps/Music/Videos without my parents approval.
_ I will not take or share/forward inappropriate pictures.
_ I will not text or share/forward inappropriate language.
_ I will not take calls or text while having a conversation with my parents.
_ I will not bring my phone to the dinner table.
_ I will not use my phone before ____ am or after ____ pm daily.
_ I will not send/receive more than ____ texts per month.
_ I will not use more than ____ minutes of call time per month.
_ I will not use more than ____ of data per month.
My Phone and Other People:
_ I will not share my cell phone with others unless there is emergency.
_ I agree to not give my cell phone number to others without my parents permission.
_ I will not take or share pictures or videos of others without their permission.
_ I will not bully or harass others with my phone in any way.
_ I will tell my parents immediately if someone else bullies me over the phone.
The Cell Phone Bill:
_ I agree to pay ____ per month.
_ I agree to be responsible for all extra costs caused by my activities.
Signed: _______________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Signed: _______________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Signed: _______________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Download a printable copy here.
Have them sign their agreement to live by the rules and post a copy on the family bulletin board. This way they’ll have to room to say ‘I didn’t know! or ‘I forgot!” later.


This is a guest post from Jane Atkins. Thanks for contributing Jane!
Once again, we’re calling on one of our Mom’s Talk Network Expert Moms to help us out with some advice.
Lesa Dale,
Carrie Lauth, 