Phones for little digits

If your child is responsible, she might be ready for her own number

By Nariman Ahmed

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

July 16, 2007

That's the age of the youngest customer Shelby Nielsen, a district manager for T-Mobile, can remember setting up with a phone. (Of course, the girl's dad did foot the bill for the pink Motorola Razr.)

Even if that 4-year-old is a rarity, kids are yearning for cell phones at ever-younger ages. If your own children are giving you the pitch for why they "need" a cell phone, we have some tips to help you through the decision.

How can I make sure that my child is responsible enough to carry a phone?

Sarah L. Sirbasku, a local child psychologist, says to look at whether a child is responsible in other areas. Some examples:

• Does she bring home from school the books she needs to do her homework?

• Does she follow curfews? Or, for a younger child, is she home from play dates when she is supposed to be?

• Does she generally do her chores?

• If she has gone to a neighbor's house, does she leave a note telling you where she is?

Responsibility in areas such as these indicate how responsible a child will be with a cell phone.

What rules should I set for my child's cell-phone use?

Sirbasku suggests addressing the following issues:

• What can the child use the phone for? Is it just for calling Mom and Dad, or can he use it to talk to friends?

• What are the rules on text-messaging? (See below for more on the financial considerations of texting.)

• Is the child allowed to talk on the phone after he has gone to bed?

• Will parents monitor the child's call and text-message logs?

• If the phone gets lost or damaged, who pays to replace it?

• What are the consequences when the child doesn't answer a parent's call?

Michelle Keller of Pflugerville, who works in indirect sales at Regional Acceptance Corp., bought cell phones for her daughters, Haley and Payton, when they were 11 and 8, respectively. Haley and Payton know that if they don't call back when their folks call, their parents will hunt them down.

Can I buy a phone without all the bells and whistles? My child doesn't need all those features, and I don't want to pay for them.

For younger children, look for phones such as Migo from Verizon Wireless, which has four speed-dial keys. Pantech C3 from AT&T also has speed-dial features for emergency numbers. Jitterbug phones (www.jitterbug.com) are marketed toward seniors but can also be kid-friendly. The phones have large number pads and simple "yes" and "no" buttons to accept or decline calls.

For kids who are a little older, Sammy Sanders, retail sales manager at AT&T, says there are phones that have more features (such as text-messaging), but are still easy to use and less expensive than deluxe models. They include the Nokia 6030, Sony Ericsson Z300A and Motorola C139.

I don't want to spend a fortune if my child sends a lot of text messages. How can I control those costs?

Check whether your carrier has text-messaging packages. For example, with AT&T you can get 200 text-messages per month for $4.99 or the unlimited text-messages package for $19.99 per month. Without a package, each text message a child sends or receives costs 15 cents.

The Kellers are on a family plan by T-Mobile that allows them to talk and text-message fellow T-Mobile customers for free. Their monthly bill comes to $130 for four phones.

I'm worried that my child will lose or damage the cell phone. What precautions can I take?

Sanders of AT&T suggests phones by Nokia, which he says are generally sturdy. He adds that bar-style phones hold up better than flip phones.

Sonia Lopez, a sales representative for the Cricket phone service, said the Kyocera K132 is durable because it is made of hard plastic.

However, Sprint store manager Gary Bassett says the bottom line is that most phones are delicate. The most durable phones sold at his store are geared toward those who work outside and aren't practical for children.

You can also buy insurance for the phone through your carrier.

In the Keller family, Haley lost her first cell phone when she took it to school.

The phone was recovered, but Haley still stayed disconnected for a long time.

"She had to show some responsibility for a year," Keller said.

After that, the Kellers allowed Haley to use her birthday money to buy a Motorola pink Razr when she turned 13.

"Children lose everything at this age, and I wasn't paying $100 for a phone for her to lose it one week later," Keller said. "If she loses it, we don't lose any money."

Can I keep my child from downloading ringtones and other content for which I'd have to pay?

Yes. Look for services such as AT&T's "purse blocker." Chris Penrose, vice president and general manager for AT&T Mobility South Texas, said parents can turn the blocker on or off to control when a child can download ringloads or other content.

What about school policies on cell phones?

Mel Waxler, general counsel for the Austin Independent School District, said cell phones are allowed in high schools but not on elementary and middle school campuses. However, even at high schools, cell phones should not be seen or heard by faculty. If they are, the phones are confiscated and parents can pick them up later.

Your child doesn't have to have a cell phone for you to be able to contact her during the school day. Telephones are available in Austin school district classrooms, but the district prefers that parents call the school office to get a message to their child.

I remember reading that radiation from cell phones might pose a health hazard. What's the latest research on that?

According to the World Health Organization, available evidence doesn't show any link between cell phones and cancer. The Food and Drug Administration also reports that there's no evidence that cell phones pose a health risk.

If you're concerned, though, FDA spokeswoman Kris Mejia says that you can reduce a child's exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phones by limiting the child's time on the phone and using a headset to keep the phone farther away from the child's body.

Ari Brown, a local pediatrician and co-author of "Baby 411" and "Toddler 411," agrees that it doesn't hurt to limit your kids' cell-phone talk time.

"If there is an easy and inexpensive way to limit certain environmental exposures, particularly in children, it makes sense to do it," Brown said. "There is no downside to anyone of any age limiting their conversations on cell phones to a few minutes, if possible, except for inconvenience."

Source : http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/other/07/16/0716cell.html