You’re probably here because you’ve been nagged for some time and are finally at the point where handing over their first mobile phone is firmly on the horizon…. but where do you start?
A SIM only deal usually allows more flexibility and avoids being locked into a lengthy contract, it also allows you to provide a low cost mobile or to hand down your old contract phone for in case they lose or break it; so a SIM only deal is usually the preferred choice for parents.
There are a few things that need to be considered.
Best Phone for Kids?
When choosing which phone to give them it’s best to consider whether you want them to have access to the internet.
Many parents don’t want this for their Childs first phone and may choose to give them a basic feature phone, such as the Nokia 106, so that internet access isn’t an issue. Others choose to give them a Smartphone so they have the option to locate the phone.
It is possible to provide a Smartphone and restrict usage using phone parental controls and this, in concert with the protective features of a ParentShield SIM only deal, gives parents ultimate peace of mind.
What if my Child loses their Phone?
The first thing we advise is to register the phone on the UK National Property register as this is a free service that helps Police identify the owners of recovered property, meaning that they know you’re the owner if it’s handed in or recovered.
At ParentShield, our customer support team speak with parents every day and in the event of a lost phone we always replace SIM cards on same day dispatch and always Free of Charge. We also deactivate the old SIM immediately too, rendering it useless.
Best SIM Only Deals?
The main thing consider when choosing a SIM Only Deal, is what exposure you’re comfortable with your child having in terms of calls texts and mobile data usage, and the flexibility of changing plans at any time should their requirements change.
Unlimited, unmonitored access to calls and text may not necessarily be what you want, so you may want to consider plans with capped amounts – which is also a healthy budging exercise – and a fully monitored and recorded service, such as ParentShield.
The same can be said for mobile data allowance, as large data bundles can be seen as a safeguarding risk in itself. Also, particularly for younger children, the majority of use may be via Wifi, so mobile data usage can often be far less that anticipated.
ParentShield’s daily data budgeting facility guarantees that there will be some mobile data allowance available every day, for locating the phone for example, and when they do run out it’s only until morning. This, coupled with Wifi usage wherever possible, really does help.
