Everywhere I go, I see children texting. They will text in the middle of dinner or while sitting next to a friend who is also texting. My own son has a cell phone for safety reasons. In his case, it is easy to make sure he does not use it rudely, but he does not like the idea of being attached to a phone. For some, rudeness and addiction comes hand in hand with cell phone ownership.
Explain the reason for the phone. I bought my son a cell phone after I was unable to speak with him while he was at his father's house. He was eight years old. I did not want him to live on the phone, so I explained to him that it was to be used primarily when he was away from home. We have a home phone, so if he needed to call someone, he was able to without using the cell phone.
Limit texts per day. Unless you want your son or daughter to be one of those people who is constantly texting while you are trying to have a conversation with him or her, set a limit on the amount of text that can be sent a day. You can set your limit verbally, or use your phone plan. There are even cell phone plans that don't allow for texts at all. Texting is a convenient way to send a quick message, but if your on or daughter needs to carry on a conversation, they should do it face to face. We have to remember that our children are still learning about body language and inflection. These are skills that have to be practiced to be developed.
Do not make a big deal about the phone. You have probably noticed that the things you make off limits are the very things that your children are just dying to do. When you make a big deal about something, it becomes a big deal to your kids.
Model proper use of your own cell phone. Our kids learn more by watching us than by anything we might say to them. You cannot tell your child not to text all the time if they have to remind you not to text while you are talking to them. Don't forget that cell phones are meant to be used for emergencies. When you begin to rely on them, you also lose some of the social skills you have developed. Soon, you will find yourself texting while your children are trying to talk to you.
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Source: Personal Experience
