Parents should have the final word when it comes to their child's cell phone usage. I have started using the Parental Controls service offered by my wireless company and I have to say it is more than worth the $5 per month that they are charging me!
No more arguing over when to put the phone away. No more worrying about him staying up late talking to his friends (at least that's who I thought he was talking to). Non-stop texting was a daily hot topic at my house. Not anymore. It's hard enough to raise teenagers without the added aggravation of cell phone rules. What I thought was going to be an easy way for me to get in touch with him, became a way for everyone else to reach him also.
Who would have thought I could get rid of all of our phone problems with one easy solution? I signed up for the parental controls offered by my wireless carrier and now I don't have to worry. His phone is now set to block all incoming calls and messages after 10pm and it does not stop blocking calls until 7am. During the school year, it was also blocked while he was at school. In addition, I set it up so that certain numbers are never blocked (mom, dad, sister, grandma, etc.). His usage is no longer an issue much to my relief!
What he does not know is that I get a text message and a daily email report showing me which phone numbers tried to call him during the blocked period of time. I also use a service that allows me to search a cell phone number and find out who owns it. This has come in handy quite often. If it is someone that I am not comfortable with him talking to, I just add that number to the "always blocked" list. You might be surprised who your child is talking to. With all of the technology available to our children, you just never know. It only takes me a few minutes and it's definitely worth my peace of mind.
Check with your wireless carrier and find out if they offer parental controls. It is WELL worth the $5 per month that I am paying. One teenage problem down.... 99 to go!
For more information on monitoring or controlling your child's usage and cell phone number searches, feel free to visit my blog at: http://cellphonedetective.blogspot.com
You can also get a free preliminary report on any phone number when you search from my site.
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