WHICH IS THE BEST DEVICE FOR YOUR CHILDREN?

Buying your child a cell phone is like buying a teenager a car–there is a lot of responsibility, maintenance, and even risk involved, but overall, responsible use can enhance your child’s life. These days, it seems like almost every kid has a cell phone, but as our lives get busier, this is almost a necessity. With a cell phone, your child can always call you if he or she needs to and you can monitor your child’s whereabouts using the GPS device built into most phones. What is the best cell phone for a child or teenager? There are a lot of factors that go into answering that question, because every child is different.

Details to Consider

Before you go out and buy a cell phone for your child, there are some questions you will want to consider. How much money you want to spend and what type of phone you will buy will probably include the following factors:

Why are you getting your child a cell phone? 
Some parents need to be able to reach their children at any time. This can include busy parents with tight schedules, parents whose children spend some or all of their time living elsewhere, or parents who just want to give their child a phone.
Other parents may want to take the next step in teaching their child digital responsibility by giving them this powerful tool–whatever the reason makes sure it is clear to both you and your child what the purpose of the cell phone is.

Will it be broken or damaged often? 
Kids get into things, and so do their belongings. A cell phone owned by a child or teenager may be dropped, get wet, get lost, or not be properly maintained. It is important to consider whether the phone will need to be replaced often.

How will it be used on a daily basis?
This question involves knowing your child and what rules you will want to set about the phone. If you are okay with your child using apps, watching videos, or playing games on their phone, you have to account for the data usage and battery power all of this takes. You can implement as martphone contract to ensure expectations are clear early on.

What features do you want your child to have access to? 
Even if your child has your permission to use the phone for apps, there are apps you may not want your child to use. You may not want him or her on the Internet or posting to Tumblr from their phone, or you may want to be able to install monitoring software, like TeenSafe. Whatever rules you have set with your child about the use of the phone can be accommodated by many different brands.

iPhone 6/SE

Since the iPhone is up to version 7, it is easy to find inexpensive, secondhand iPhone 6s. The SE is an inexpensive version of iPhone 6 and shares a lot of its features. This can be a great option if you’re an iPhone user yourself, because your kids will already have seen you use it. Families can share iCloud storage and Apple has Activation Lock and Find My iPhone, which can help if the phone, or your child, gets lost.
The best part of the iPhone is the newest software release iOS11. iOS11 is faster, has better storage management, and includes a “DO NOT DISTURB” feature to turn off the phone while driving. However, not all teens will use this feature (or even be aware of it), so you can use the TeenSafe Control app to PAUSE their phone when you know they are at school, driving, or should be sound asleep.

Sony Xperia XA

The screen on this colorful phone is fairly large, so kids will love it. Plus, it comes in a few different colors, which is appealing to younger kids and teens alike. It’s a great smartphone, too, with a lot of other features that kids will like. Lots of processor speed and storage space, as well as a great camera, make this inexpensive phone a good first phone for a child or teen.

Blu Advance

For a bargain phone that can do almost everything, the Blu Advance is great as a starter phone. It’s easy to replace if it gets lost or broken and can accommodate all the apps your child might want. It’s versatile and can be used on many networks, plus you can easily install your monitoring apps on it.

Verizon LG GizmoGadget

While very young children don’t necessarily need a phone, some might need a way for parents to be able to communicate with or find them. This nifty little smartwatch is the perfect answer. A fun accessory that they’ll be excited to wear, it also allows them to call and be called by limited contacts. When your little tyke gets away from you or has a tendency to hide, this “Gadget” can save you a ton of stress!
Whatever cell phone you choose for your child, make sure it is one you know how to control. These phones are all friendly to monitoring of one form or another, which can give you peace of mind. Choosing a cell phone for your child is a big decision, but now you are armed with information that can help you make a wise one.