The decision to give your child a cell phone is not an easy one to make. Personal cell phones for children are an important responsibility for both parents and children – one that needs to be taken with utmost care.
In our society today, we have heard too many instances of children misusing their cell phones, many times without realizing the devastating consequences their “cyber behavior” has to other children and their families. As parents, we need to “step up our game” to help guide and support our kids on proper cell phone use.
How do we do this? Thanks to our friends at familiesmanagingmedia.com, we can have some insight as to when our children are ready for their own phone and devices, and how we can help them to be responsible for safely using their technology.
Mary Beth Forte, a supporter of Wear The Cape, recently reached out to us to share a letter that she and her husband wrote to their daughter, which she adapted from a template found on familiesmanagingmedia.com. The letter provides boundaries for cell phone use, including texting, taking and posting of photos, and the use of social media.
The reason for this letter is summed up at the end of the Forte’s first paragraph, “…we love you more than we can say and want to keep you safe!” We urge all parents to create a cell phone and device policy with their children. Please, talk with your child about what he/she is experiencing via text messages and calls. Make sure your child is appropriately using his/her device. . . and ultimately, let them know how much you love them and want to keep them safe.
To see a sample of the Forte’s adaptation of the cell phone rules letter click here.
In Kindness,
The Wear The Cape Team
