Would you hand your child $300? No? Then keep your phone to yourself
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I think about the number of times I have thoughtlessly handed over my phone to my son. Normally, I think about the amount of screen time he has had that day and his overall behavior, but I rarely think about the fact that I am handing over an expensive piece of equipment to a child.
And, I am sure that many parents don't think about it either, which is why this study on parents spending around $2.8 billion to replace broken phones and other gadgets is an eye-opener.
I have a very strong case around my phone since I am apt to occasionally hand it over to my son, but I like their additional rules:
- Never take your device to the bathroom.
- Don't use electronics while eating or drinking.
- Don't place them in bags where they can be crushed.
My phone has been damage-free so far (knock on wood). What has been the most expensive piece of equipment you've had to replace because of child's play?
I had never thought about it that way before. I'm also interested in what age moms think it's appropriate to give their children iPhones. I've seen 8-year-olds with them and I think that is far too young. But perhaps that is just the culture we live in now. Am I going to start sounding like a "back in my day" old lady? Back in my day, kids didn't get their own cell phones until they went to college. My kids are going to hate me.
ReplyDeleteCarly from Creating Mom
creating-mom.com
Carly, I also wonder what age would be the right one to give a child a phone. I am guessing that it depends on the child and how responsible they are. Maybe even start with a limited phone that only places calls for after school pickups? It will be interesting to see what is out there when my child reaches middle school and starts asking for his own.
DeleteLauren, you are absolutely right. Even I would give my phone to my child only to have her throw it. It seriously damaged my phone, thank God it wasn't an expensive one. From then on, I decided to copy my hubby who never gave his phone to my daughter, however much she cried. I guess we moms are softies. Now that Aanya has grown up, she handles phones with respect.
ReplyDeleteYikes! Lucky that was an inexpensive phone! It's good to here that your lesson of "no phone until you are responsible" works in the long run though!
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