Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Choosing a Cell Phone Plan for Your Child
If you are the parent of a teen or a pre-teen, chances are you have been faced with this question: Should I allow my child to have a cell phone? If you've already determined that cell phone ownership would be a wise idea for your son or daughter, the next question you'll confront is: Which cell phone plan would be best for the younger member or members of the family?
As you might expect, there are a number of factors to consider when selecting cell phone service for your child:
A Lone-Ranger Plan. This stand-alone plan allows your teen to have his or her own private cell phone account. For the most part, that means keeping usage and per-minute fees under control. Your teen will talk less-and you will save more money in the long run.
The Add-On. With this type of plan, phone service for your child is added onto your own cell phone account. This means that you'll need to share minutes with your child-along with sharing the responsibility of phone ownership.
The Pre-Paid Version. With this plan, you'll pay for your child's cell phone minutes in advance. When the minutes have been used up, the service ends. While this may be the most economical option, it can also be the most frustrating-especially if your teen loses service during an emergency or another inopportune time.
A Local Unlimited Program. If your teen will be making only local calls, this plan may be your best bet, since local calling minutes are unlimited. However, your teen will have to pay costly long-distance fees with this type of plan.
Making Your Decision
Talk with your teenager about how the cell phone will be used. If you both agree that your child will primarily be calling local friends and relatives, you'll probably want to opt for a local unlimited plan. If you feel that your teen is not yet responsible enough to keep track of minutes, a prepaid program may be the most appropriate choice.
Also, be sure to do some comparison shopping before making your final choice. This means comparing policies involving anytime minutes, weekend minutes, general monthly charges, long distance fees, and peak minutes. You may also need to ask detailed questions, such as what the charges for text messages are; what the fees for Internet access might be: and whether you can alter the plan during the time when the contract is in force.
In addition, you may want to talk to other parents about their experiences with various cell phone plans. If you find a number of couples complaining about a particular provider, you may want to take your business elsewhere. After all, you don't want your teen to be stranded on the highway with a cell phone that keeps flashing a "no service" warning.
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