It doesn’t matter whether you have young kids or teenagers, you should watch this video to remind yourself how important it is to teach your children to NEVER text while driving! Not only are the lives of kids at risk but anyone can get hit, injured, and/or killed by a driver who is texting. Texting has become a real hazard on the streets right up there with drunk driving.

The thing about kids of any age (and some adults too) is that they think they are indestructible. You probably know its true because chances are that you thought the same way when you were young. I know I did. Kids, teenagers, and young adults under 25 or 30 just don’t think anything will ever go wrong and that is when accidents can happen very quickly.

If you are looking for your first kids cell phone this warning video might not apply to you right now. However, you should always keep this in the back of your head because it won’t be long before they will want a phone that lets them text and not long after that they will be driving. Kids grow up so fast that you have to teach them the right and wrong ways of doing things very early on.

Ok, no more lecturing from me! I just saw this video and thought that it applies to all of us and especially to those of us with kids asking for cell phones.

(warning: a four letter word is repeated a couple of times in this video mainly out of astonishment)

Safety is the biggest pro. In the event of an emergency your child can easily reach you. You will also know where they are 24/7. Many phones are now equipped with tracking devices. Having a cell phone can teach a child responsibility. As a parent, set usage limits. This will teach the child the how to budget their phone conversations. If they have a job, ask them to pay some of the bill. Cell phones offer a convenience. Your child will not need to carry around quarters for a pay phone.

As with anything, there are cons to a kids having cell phones. Cell phones may cause a disruption at school. Kids will text their friends or play games. Cell phones equipped with internet can also lead to cheating on tests. Cell phones that have cameras may lead kids to take inappropriate pictures. Cost is another big con. If your child goes over the allotted minutes or texts the charges can be high. This is why it is important to set boundaries. Today, most cell phones are internet capable. This can lead to hidden dangers. The child may visit websites that are unsafe. Also bullies are using text messages to harass and spread gossip.

So, it’s up to you as a parent to decide if it’s a good choice to provide cell phones for your kids.

The real reason parents get their young children cell phones is for their safety and for the parent’s peace of mind. In order for that all to happen, your children must be taught the importance of never leaving the house without a fully charged phone. While that sounds obvious and simple to adults, it might not be for a young child.

Kids that are that young aren’t necessarily thrilled to get a cell phone and they might not even know what it is. They will think it is a toy and must be shown how to use it, when to use it, and how to maintain it. They must also be instructed how to keep it charged and made to understand that it is useless without power. Getting them into a routine every night like charging their phone before they go to bed is a good way to do it.

Cell phones for kids can be a great safety device if they are used properly. However, for younger children, there will be a learning curve and a lot of things need to be carefully explained to them. Parents must take the time to make sure their young children learn what their cell phones should be used for and that they are NOT toys.

It is now common for cell phones to allow access to the Internet and more and more kids are getting this kind of phone. Additionally, kids and teenagers are the ones that are driving the “texting” revolution and bad things can come of that too. Things have come a long way since the days when I was in school and hid a small transistor radio in my pocket so I could listen to the ball game!

Much has been in the news lately about kids bullying each other and that includes girls as well as boys. Facebook, MySpace, and other social sites are where something new called cyber-bullying has been taking place and cell phones with cameras and Internet access only make things worse. These kids can take embarrassing pictures of others and have them posted on the Internet in minutes. It is truly a confusing time for any parent who wants to keep their child safe and innocent.

At the same time, it seems an increasing number of parents are giving up control and just adding their children to their family phone plan. The national carriers have made this economical and easy to do. Rather than buy a phone meant just for kids (see our “Best Cell Phones for Kids“) that comes with extensive parental controls, or even a prepaid cell phone for their kids, parents are opting to give their kids their old unused phones whenever they upgrade. For teenagers this might be a good option but for kids under 9 or 10 it seems more suspect.

As parents become used to using new technologies they become less scared of it. Cell phones have gone from something few people had in the beginning to something almost everyone has today. But the question should always be asked: just because cell phones are right for adults does it mean they are right for your young child?