5 Things To Do Before Buying Your Child A Phone

Buying your child a phone is an inherently personal decision. It means you think they’re old enough and responsible enough to actually use one. It’s not a decision you should take up lightly, but you mightn’t know how to make that decision.

At some point, however, you’ll eventually decide to do it. It’s worth knowing whether you’re making the right decision or not.

You don’t need to struggle to make that decision. By focusing on a few notable areas, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Five of them stand out, as they could make a noticeable impact on your decision.

Buying Your Child A Phone: 5 Things To Know

1. Assess Their Maturity

You’ll often think that you should get your child a phone once they reach a certain age. While there’s a lot of logic behind that, it’s often worth focusing on their maturity instead. Kids mature at different rates, and it’s worth taking that into account when you’re considering buying your child a phone.

The more mature they are, the more recommended it could be to get them a phone. If they’re not that mature, then it mightn’t be worth getting them one yet. Put some thought into this when you’re figuring it all out. You’ve no reason not to spend some time on it.

2. Know Wants Vs. Needs

Your child could be asking for a phone and saying they need one. While there might be an element of truth to that, it doesn’t exactly mean they need the newest and most expensive models. While these could be the ones they want, they aren’t the ones your child needs. Make sure you know this.

Keep this in mind when you’re getting your child’s phone. While you shouldn’t go for something cheap and barely usable, you shouldn’t have to go for the most expensive options, either. Strike a balance with this and get something they’ll actually need instead of an expensive option because it’s expensive.

3. Keep Them Safe

Safety is vital when it comes to buying your child a phone, and it’s one of the reasons you could be hesitant about it. Thankfully, getting them a phone doesn’t always have to mean they wouldn’t be safe. Instead, there are ways to make sure they’re as safe as possible.

Parental controls can be one of the more notable of these. You can also find out how to protect your phone from being hacked and doing the same for your child. You’ll have much less to worry about, and your child should be a lot safer than you could’ve thought.

4. Teach Them About Their Digital Footprint

Speaking of safety, it’s also worth teaching your children about their digital footprint. That’s especially true when you’re considering getting them a smartphone. They should know that anything they put online stays there forever. While adults know that, your children mightn’t, yet.

It’s worth making sure they’re aware of that. Once they are, they should be much more careful about what they put online. That’ll help keep them safer, so you shouldn’t have much to worry about. You’ve no reason not to have a discussion with them about this. Take the time to actually tell them about it.

5. Learn Their Why

You could be considering buying your child a phone because they’ve been asking for one for a little while. Though that’s natural, what you’ll need to wonder is why they want a phone in the first place. They could have their own reasons for it, and you shouldn’t overlook these.

Some reasons why they want one mightn’t be enough to persuade you to buy it for them. If they don’t, then it mightn’t be worth getting them the phone. Take the time to actually listen to them when they’re explaining, though. Sometimes, they could have a reason that simply can’t be ignored.

Buying Your Child A Phone: Wrapping Up

Buying your child a phone is often a tricky decision. You could want them to have a phone for emergencies, but you’ll also want to make sure they’re responsible enough to have one. It’s a decision you’ll need to think about for a while.

Thankfully, it shouldn’t be too complicated to figure out.

While it might take you a little while, it could be more straightforward than you could think. The right strategies let you come to a decision and make sure it’s the right one. You’ll make the decision much easier, so you’ve no reason not to focus on a few notable areas.