Parent -Child Phone Contract
Imagine if parents put in place strict guidelines guarding the use of any smart device or hand held given to their child. The child by signing it understands that there are rules that come with using the device and the parent reserves the right to monitor, restrict and retrieve the device in the case of default or disobedience. See this parent-child contract culled from Start2finish
*This is a contract. Any broken rule will mean a breach of said contract and the taking away of your phone privileges.*
- It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Isn’t that cool of me to do?
- I will always know the password. To any account. Period.
- You are limited to 5 (five) social media accounts. I will know the password to all of these accounts and will check up on these accounts at random, regular intervals. You will not create any accounts without my permission. You will not change the password without me knowing it.
- If it rings, answer it. It is a phone, after all. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever. Never ever.
- Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30 PM every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30 AM. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.
- It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. (Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.)
- If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.
- Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay out of the crossfire.
- Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.
- Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.
- No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person. Preferably one of us.
- Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the this phone to change that.
- Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. It is next to impossible to erase a mistake made on the internet. Don’t take a bucket of feathers out on a windy day, cause you will never get them back.
- Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory – not in your phone, but in your mind.
- Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.
- Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.
- Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.
- Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without Googling.
- You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.
It is my hope that you can agree to these terms. Most of the lessons listed here do not just apply to the iPhone, but to life. You are growing up in a fast and ever changing world. It is exciting and enticing. Keep it simple every chance you get. Trust your powerful mind and giant heart above any machine. I love you!
Parents should adopt this!
culled from start2finish
