The age at which a child has their first mobile is one parent decision. As well as the time that you are allowed to use it or the function that it must fulfill. The reality is that experts and parents do not agree, neither among themselves nor with the others. This situation is aggravated when it comes to separated parents who want their children to have their own mobile, skipping the call through the mother or the parent.
Although the appropriate age for a first mobile, according to experts is 16 years, few adolescents keep it. The statistic says that half of 11-year-olds already have their own phone, which increases to 75% for those of twelve, and with 14 years it is already 90 percent.
How do I know if my son is ready for his first mobile?
It is clear that each child is different, both in their development and in their circumstances. It also depends on the reason For which the child asks for the mobile, it will be more logical or not to give it to him. It is important to ask the child what he needs the mobile for. It should be the child who answers what is the need that he or she will satisfy, which may be different from that of the parents. A child may want the mobile just to play, while his parents wait for him to pick up the phone.
What experts and parents do seem to agree on is that they should be the ones who give the child their first mobile, and not family members or friends. Parents should talk to their sons and daughters and explain that having a mobile implies responsibilities.
One of the things that parents should value is the level of autonomy of the child when it comes to studying, taking care of your things, hygiene and food, if ordered. Children with this profile will find it more difficult to succumb to hitch of the mobile. Which is the great concern of parents.
Am I ready for my son to have his first mobile?
Parents, and especially mothers, must make self-criticism and know if we are ready for our children to have their first mobile. We can not demand that they not use it at the table, or that they are not hooked with their friends, if we ourselves do not give example.
It should be clear from the outset that the fact that the If a child has a mobile, it also means respecting their privacy. So that fears do not assail you, you will have to deal with issues such as intimacy or respect with the child. It is important that you configure the device with them, the accesses that are restricted, the parental control filters that you include and the non-negotiation of them. At the same time, these controls will allow you to control the applications that are downloaded and the social network profiles they have. On the other hand, it assumes that children know more and learn faster to use technology, so it is better to have them as allies. Control without pressure.
We have touched on the subject above separated parents, that he or she gives a mobile phone to the child "to be connected and to be able to call you whenever they want." In some cases, this measure is not even agreed with the other parent. Respect your child's time with his father or mother, do not call him continuously during the weekend to ask how he is, and above all (in normal cases) do not panic if he does not respond immediately.
What mobile phone do I buy for my son?
One of the errors that we mothers usually fall is to give the child the mobile that we no longer use. Be careful, you may have photos, telephones or conversations that we do not know how to reappear. If you are going to do this make sure to erase all the data well and reset the mobile.
Another tip is that do not succumb to the model that the child asks of you, which is almost certainly going to be the latest model. A child does not need a mobile of 800 euros, having it will only cause conflicts. In second-hand stores, or others, there are special mobiles for children, due to their size, with a screen of less than 5 inches, and resistance. You will have to take more blows than an adult.
Generally children make passive use of mobiles, this is what they use to consume content, watch YouTube videos or play games. Then they become active subjects and create their content and videos. They hardly ever think about the value of talking on the phone. And if not try giving your child a phone that only receives and sends calls.