WHEN ARE KIDS READY FOR CELL PHONES?
The ability to stay in touch with your children as they become more independent gives you peace of mind, but it does pose a question: When is your kid ready for a cell phone? And what kind should you get? Here are some tips to help you decide

NEEDS vs WANTS.
If your child sees a cell phone mostly as a toy or status symbol, consider waiting. But if your kid spends lots of unsupervised time with friends, attends after-school activities alone or has an after-school job, you’ll probably want a way to keep in contact—especially in an emergency.

FEATURES.
Decide what features you want your kid’s phone to have. If you don’t want your child to use the phone for texting or for surfing the Internet, keep that in mind when deciding which phone model to buy.

LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY.
Consider your child’s level of responsibility. Cell phones are small and expensive to replace, and even adults misplace them all the time. Is your kid mature enough to keep track of a cell phone?

BOUNDARIES AND PLANS.
If you do decide to buy a phone with features such as texting or Internet access, look for a plan that keeps you in the driver’s seat.