You’ve finally gone and done it.

You believed what your teenager said about being “the only kid in his school” who doesn’t have a phone.

They wore you down.

All the terrible research about kids and phones became white noise. You told yourself, “I can put parental settings in place.” You ignored Chapter Fifteen of The Mean Mom’s Guide and went all in with technology.

I get it. 

So, today was the day you marched into the AT&T store and purchased your child a smartphone.

Before you wrap up that box and stuff it under the tree you need to understand a little something…your parenting work has just begun.

You are about to hand over a laptop that fits in the palm of your child’s hand.

Remember how much you fretted over your first home computer and made sure to place it in the family room? You spent all that time making it kid-safe with the very best parental software and sat everyone down and shared the new guidelines you were all going to follow. After all, the family computer would have the ability to take your child anywhere in the world–and open up the possibility of anyone in the world reaching your child.

That home computer now moonlights as a telephone and fits easily in the back pocket of your child’s jeans. It will go go wherever he goes, except now you won’t be around.

It’s very important that you and your child have a nice chat about this phone they’re receiving. Before the send out their first text, Tweet or Snapchat, you both need to be on the same page.

That’s why I’ve created a fabulously fantastic new tool for parents. Click below to download your very own FREE Cell Phone Contract.

Cell Phone Contract {Printable}

Communication is key when it comes to parenting. This allows you the opportunity to discuss concerns together as a family. It sets the precedence for how the cell phone will be used and the responsibility it is.

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. Your teenager may not understand why you need to talk about their phone at all, and you’ll more than likely receive some push-back. This is where you must stand your ground. There will come a time when they will look back on the day they signed this “stupid contract”,  except this time they’ll have adult perspective. They’ll call to ask you where you found such a fantastic printable…

And you, my friend, will be a legend.  

Joanne Kraft is the author of The Mean Mom’s Guide to Raising Great Kids.  Her four kids don’t get smartphones until they are able to make the monthly payments on their own. So far, one child was a senior in high school, two were juniors and one was a sophomore before smartphones came on the scene in her home. We told you she was mean.