Sometimes Saying No is the Best Policy
As a parent, do you really think you are ready for the expense and responsibility that goes along with a cell phone contract? I ask this because it is difficult to anticipate the cost that accompanies a teenager having a cell phone. Parents need to consider this financial responsibility prior to agreeing to the purchase of a phone contract for their teenager.
Let me be very clear here. Many phone companies will give you a phone, but it is the service contract that they want you to sign. Once you sign that contract for your teenager, you are responsible for the payments. Hidden in this phone contract are expensive options that can multiply fast. Options like text messaging, sound and picture downloads, as well as conference calls can all increase the monthly bill. We haven’t even discussed long distance charges.
When I purchased a phone contract for my son a few years ago, I thought it was the perfect vehicle for helping me stay in contact with him. The contract called for a base amount of dollars every month which I thought I could afford. I never considered the exorbitant amount of time he would spend on the phone with friends in addition to all the options mentioned above that he quickly mastered. You can be sure I was quite surprised when my monthly bill was continuously three times the amount I had anticipated.
The phone did allow me to keep tabs on my son when I wanted to talk to him or know where he was. But what the phone really did was allow him to know instantly where everything was happening in and around where we live.
My son is a pretty good kid, however like most teenagers; it is not always easy to say no to going over to a friend’s house or the local shopping mall when you know all your friends are hanging there.
Although the idea of purchasing the phone was welcome under the understanding of improved communication with my son, I had not anticipated the actual cost of the contract and the effect it would have on his social life. Teenagers live for cell phones. Besides the Internet, the cell is their primary form of communication throughout the day. Ironically, the phone put a strain on our relationship because of both the increased monthly expense and his constant need to respond to the demands of his friends.
Eventually, like most parents, I had to bite the bullet and cancel the phone contract. Of course there was a cost attached to that as well.
My son did without for a year or so and now pays for his own contract with his new phone. I will no longer sign for any cellular contracts.
It is important to remember that many generations of teenagers grew up without cell phones and did just fine. A teenager is not deprived by not owning a cell phone ... although they may try to convince us differently.
Here are some tips to consider prior to purchasing that service provider contract:
- Although your teenager will be able to remain in contact with you, everyone else can contact him/her as well.
- The concept of “monthly payments” doesn’t really mean anything to a teenager earning little income with few financial responsibilities.
- The cell phone will allow you to stay in contact with your teenager, but you still may not know where he/she actually is.
- All the “bells and whistles” available on cell phones come at a premium that is usually an addition to the monthly service cost.
- Consider a service contract that does not allow the user to exceed the allotted minutes. You would have to buy minutes each month.
- Have your teenager save at least a year’s payment of cellular fees prior to the purchase and hand this money over to you in advance.
- Remember, as the parent, you will have to sign for the service contract.
- Simply state that you can’t afford it.
- Place specific requirements needed in order for the phone contract to be bought or maintained such as; part-time job, maximum minutes used, etc.
- If you are worried about your teenager going out without any way to contact him/her, consider lending your phone if you have one.
- In the old days teenagers had to tell their parents where they were going and the phone number if appropriate. This could still work!
- Just say “No”!