Do Kids Need Cell Phones?: Cost and Responsibility

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband and I had once talked about our daughter owning a cell phone. At her age now, she can only have the toy cell phone and not the real one. She will only turn 2 in a month. What we were talking about was the future. What is the right age for our children to own a cell phone? 10? 12? 16? As we all know, cell phone at present time is already considered a need. This is specially true to parents and kids. If our kids have their own cell phones, we can get in touch with them 24/7. Knowing where they are and what they are doing give us the assurance and peace of mind (well, except if something not good happens).

My daughter's father said that our daughter can have her own cell phone when she can already afford to buy one. I assumed, that would be after she gets a job. Really? Can we really wait that long? I do not think so. I am no expert to know when is the right time to give her a cell phone. However, if and when we give her one, it is our obligation as parents to teach her how to be responsible in using such a powerful gadget. I think what my husband meant with his idea is to teach her the value of money and how to use it responsibly. Let's face the fact that owning a cell phone is very expensive. We pay monthly bills and various fees. And if our daughter will not use her phone sensibly, it's us parents who will suffer the consequences.

On the other hand, I just found out a cell phone provider that I think parents like me will like. The company is called TracFone. Browsing and reading the information about this company on their website gave me a relief about cell phone service charges. Moreover, watching and listening to these real TracFone customers was uplifting knowing that there's a cell phone provider which offers cheap rates and reliable coverage in the country. If you're a parent who worries about the cost of airtime your child uses every month, TracFone has a pay as you go plan. What you do is buy a card with specific amount of airtime that your kid can use. You can do this online or in retail stores. For under $10, your daughter/son can already call or text you. They also have a 1 year service plan which gives you the special privilege of doubling your minutes. Another one big plus is that, real TracFone customers attested that this cell phone provider does not collect unwanted or hidden fees. This is great for parents who have concerns about this issue.

  The question still remains—at what age shall we give our child a cell phone? Well for us, we wouldn't know until we are already in the real situation. One thing I am happy about is that, there are companies like TracFone that gives us the best deals and will surely benefit us when the right time comes. Who knows? Maybe one day, the three of us will become real TracFone customers.