Many children are getting phones these days. Parents find it helps them stay connected to their children, and tweens find it exciting to be able to stay in touch with their friends. The problem is that children don’t necessarily have the level of responsibility skills that most adults have, so being able to keep track of their phone is difficult.
Since many parents have faced the situation in which their child has lost his/her phone, we thought we would give you some tips on how to find it, and then what to do after it’s found.
Use the Find Phone Feature
Most phones now have a feature in which you can find out where the phone is with GPS tracking. You should do this first. It will help you know the general area of the phone. For example, it will show you if it’s in your home, at your child’s school, or at a friend’s house. Once you know the general area, you can start to search it.
When the Phone Is Dead
Sometimes, the phone will die while it is lost. This makes use the Find Phone feature impossible. The only thing you can do in this case is search your home and everywhere your child has been – school, friends’ houses, etc. This sounds obvious, and it is, but it’s really the only way to find it if you can’t use the Find Phone feature.
When It is Found
When it’s found, you have a decision to make:
- Do you give it back and give your child another chance?
- Do you wait and give it back when you child can keep better track of it?
The decision is really based on how you feel about your child and the situation. If you truly feel that he/she just made a mistake, then you probably want to try it again. If you’re so mad and this episode basically confirmed you shouldn’t have bought the phone, you should probably wait.
There is another option. You can always limit the use of the phone. You can hold the phone, and when you feel your child needs it, you can give it to him/her. You keep tabs on the phone, and as you give your child the phone, you can increase the time he/she has it in hand. Over time, it may be much easier for your child to keep track of it.
Don’t beat yourself up too much about your child losing his/her phone. If you handle this situation correctly, this could be an important life lesson for your child and teach him/her responsibility.