Since I have been discussing teens and cell phones this week, I thought I should address the question of how to avoid misuse or abuse of phone privileges by our teens. To be fair though, it isn’t just teenagers who can overuse their phones. I will admit to being the chatty one in our family. 
Measuring out the minutes.
When you first purchase a phone for your teen, it is important to make sure they understand the rules about phone use. Make sure they know how many minutes they can use each month and how to check their usage. There is usually a way to check how many minutes have been used in the current billing cycle right from the phone. Check with your cell company to get instructions on how to do this. Depending on your phone plan, there may be times such as nights and weekends when minutes are “free” or do not count towards your usage.
It may be very helpful for you to find out which cell carrier(s) your teen’s friends use. Many times, calls made from one mobile customer to another within the same network will not count towards your usage. Some cell providers offer a type of friends and family calling circle. Using this feature, you can add people your teen calls regularly to his or her “circle” so that minutes to and from that person do not count towards your usage. By simply paying attention to who uses which cell company, you may be able to arrange things so that most of your teen’s calls are free.
No matter how careful your teen is with his phone, make sure you stay on top of the monthly usage. Most companies offer this information on your print bill or online. If you notice your teen’s minutes starting to creep up, you may need to have another discussion with your teen or adjust your plan accordingly. Also, you should occasionally review your cell phone carrier’s plans and prices. Things do change from time to time and a better plan for your family may become available. Some carriers offer family plans where a set number of minutes can be shared among family members.
Avoid the texting trap.
It amazes me how fast the average teenager can whip out a text message. In the span of one minute, multiple messages can be sent, read and replied to. Each one of these tiny bits of digital information costs only about 20 cents but it sure can add up quickly. Since text messaging is so popular among teens, you may find it beneficial to purchase some kind of texting plan. I discussed these in a previous post. Basically, you can often purchase a set number of text messages at a discount or pay a set monthly fee for unlimited texting.
Who gets the bill?
Without wanting to seem heartless, I personally do not feel it is wrong or cruel to ask your teenager to pitch in for part or all of his cell phone bill – especially if he is working or earns an allowance. Teens are adults in training and do need to understand that cell phone service is not free. Your teen will probably not be able to open an account on their own but you could simply pass along the bill to your teen each month or you could opt for a pre-paid service; when the minutes run out, the phone is unavailable until the teen shells out the cash for more minutes.
Learning how to use – and pay for – a cell phone is an important part of growing up today. Hopefully, you will be able to take this time and use it as an opportunity to have some wonderful discussions with your teen. It’s a great topic of conversation; just don’t wait until your teen breaks the rules or runs up a huge bill before you decide to sit down and talk. That is one conversation no one wants to participate in.
Please share your story with me. Have you had a phone talk with your teen? Have they respected the rules or abused their phone privileges? What other ways have you discovered to help save money on your cell phone plan?
photo credit: whiteafrican
Written on October 23rd, 2009 at 8:21 pm by Nikki Brown
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