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What is the Best Cell Phone Plan For Your Child? An Insight Into How to Choose the Right Plan

By
Sara Nuss
February 16, 2023

Every parent wants to look out for their child and ensure that they are safe no matter where they are or who they’re with. Your child’s safety is and should always be your top priority and there are plenty of ways to look out for them, but what if they’re not around you at this very second? How can you get a hold of them to make sure that they’re safe?

One of the best ways to keep any child safe is to get them a cell phone plan. While many parents are against giving their young child a cell phone, there are many reasons why this is a safe option nowadays. Being able to keep in contact no matter if your child is at home or at school is essential, and something as simple as a cell phone plan can help to aid in this.

There are so many cell phone plans that are best fit for children that are important to discuss, so let’s go over some of the best and why your kid should have a cell phone in the first place!

If you want to switch cell phone carriers, then consider looking into Really to help you with all of your phone services needs! At Really, you can compare phone plans to get more bang for your buck, and you can see what carriers and plans are in your area, sort by price, best value and more, and even click on the plan you wish to learn more about in an instant. 

Why You Should Get Your Child a Cell Phone

There are many different opinions on this topic, but here’s why we think you need to get your little one a phone!

Parents are typically on the fence about getting a cell phone plan for their kid, but knowing the reasons why they should can be reassuring. Image courtesy of The Good Guys

Parents want to protect their children at all costs and one of the best ways to do so is by getting them a cell phone plan. Cell phones can allow children to keep in touch with their parents at all times throughout the day, it is a great learning tool, and can even  establish a child’s socialization skills.

If you are a parent on the fence about getting your kid a cell phone plan, here are some reasons why you should consider it!

First Thing’s First: At What Age Do You Get Your Child a Cell Phone?

There’s a lot of speculation about what age is the best time to get your child a cell phone. Many factors can play into this decision, but think about your own child and how responsible they are, if they are more accident prone when it comes to breaking things, or even if they’re at the age where they know how to operate a cell phone.

Many experts agree that getting a cell phone for your child is important, but the perfect age could be  when they are in 8th grade, which can be around thirteen or fourteen. This is a great age because kids at this age develop a sense of maturity, social awareness, and an understanding of technology and how it works.

Safety Precautions

The main reason why many parents consider a cell phone plan for their child is for their own safety. Parents should always do their best to keep their child protected and one of the best things that they can do is give them a cell phone for any emergency situation, and also just to stay in touch with loved ones.

Cell phones help give parents  peace of mind knowing that they have a direct line of communication to their child in case anything important arises. This can be great to stay informed if soccer practice got let out early and if your kid needs a ride home, or even as a way of telling you where they are, or that they made it to their destination safely. 

Enhances Socialization Skills

Another reason why a lot of parents get a cell phone for their child is to help them keep and maintain friendships while they’re in school. Something that children learn as soon as they’re born is how to communicate.

Cell phones allow kids to communicate in many ways, such as texting or talking on the phone with their friends in school. It can also help set up days to socially interact with their friends by hanging out, or even partaking in after school events or clubs. Also, if you are a parent that allows their child to have social media, using it can be great to make new friends within their school district and see what everyone’s posting. 

Build a Trusting Bond Between Parent and Child

One of the best reasons to let your kid get a cell phone is to build a strong and trustworthy bond between you and your child. Trust plays an important role in any relationship that you are in, but it is particularly important for the parent and child bond to be significantly strong, and a cell phone can do the trick.

While you may be wondering how a cell phone can help build the trust between you and your child, it allows them to enjoy  their phone by establishing rules. If your child were to break the rules when it comes to their cell phone, then you could provide a list of consequences. 

Can Be a Great Learning Tool

A great reason why it can be in your best interest to get your child a cell phone is it can actually be used as a great learning tool. You may be wondering how a cell phone can help your kid in their studies, but there are actually many ways, including helping them to study with their friends through video chat or  texting.

There are a ton of free apps that your child can get on their cell phone to be able to help them learn and enhance their knowledge in all of their classes. There are apps such as Quizlet, Oxford Dictionary, Duolingo, Khan Academy, PBS Kids, BrainPOP, Evernote, and much more that will help your kid learn and do well in all of their classes. 

The Best Cell Phone Plans For Your Children

Be assured that your child is safe with some of the best cell phone plans in the industry!

There are many carriers throughout the United States that provide cell phone plans for your children at an affordable price that fits your wallet. Image courtesy of Easy Wireless

It can be difficult to find the best cell phone plan for your child that fits within your budget. Whether you want to give them their own cell phone plan, want to add them to your family plan, or even if you want to switch to a new cell phone plan entirely, there are a ton of plans for potential customers.

While it’s hard to pinpoint the best cell phone plan for your child, let’s discover some of the best carriers with exceptional plans to choose today!

Ting Mobile

If you are interested in an MVNO carrier that can help you save money, while also providing you with some of the best plans that fit your child’s needs, then you should look into Ting Mobile. This carrier doesn’t offer unlimited plans, but they have a ton of set data allotment plans that can be a great way to teach your child how to conserve their data per month, and they offer some of the best prices in the game.

Ting Mobile has a bunch of features to offer all of their customers no matter if they get an individual plan or a family one. Some of the features they offer include:

  • Unlimited talk and text on all plans
  • Set data allotment plans
  • T-Mobile’s fast network service and coverage
  • All plans except the Flex plan include an allowance of 4G LTE and 5G data
  • Once data cap is reached, high-speed data will slow down to 2GB for the remainder of the billing cycle
  • No hidden or extra fees
  • Mobile hotspot on all plans
  • No data overage charges
  • 2G data speeds after exceeding data allotment

There are a few different plans that Ting Mobile offers their customers that can fit adults or children and they include:

  • Flex Plan - $10 per month plus $5 per shared GB
  • Set 5 Plan - $25 per month for 5GB of data
  • Set 12 Plan - $35 per month for 12GB of data
  • Unlimited Plan - $45 per month for 22GB of data
  • Ollo Unlimited Prob - $55 per month for 35GB of data

Cricket Wireless

If you want to invest your money into an MVNO that has been around for years and has provided exceptional customer service, prices, and plans, then Cricket Wireless may be the plan for you. Using AT&T’s nationwide 5G coverage, you can make phone calls, send texts, or use data no matter where you're in the country.

Cricket Wireless offers a ton of perks and features when signing up for one of their plans and they can range from:

  • Fast nationwide 5G coverage
  • High-speed data access
  • Unlimited talk, text, and picture messaging
  • HD voice and Wi-Fi calling
  • Cricket Call Defense to protect you from spam calls
  • Affordable Connectivity Program if you’re eligible
  • Mobile hotspot on most plans
  • HBO Max included in plan price
  • Cloud storage available
  • International calling to Canada and Mexico
  • International text to 37 countries
  • Save more money by adding more lines

There are also quite a few plans to decide on if you’re planning on making the switch and getting a cell phone for your child. Some of their plans are as follows:

  • $30 per month for one-line, unlimited talk and text, and 5GB of high-speed data
  • $40 per month for one-line, unlimited talk and text, and 10GB of high-speed data
  • $55 per month for one-line, unlimited talk, text, and data
  • $60 per month for one-line, unlimited talk, text, and data, and 15GB of a mobile hotspot

T-Mobile Magenta 

Sometimes putting your money and trust into a large cell phone carrier can be beneficial, and one of the best out there is T-Mobile. Offering some of the fastest 5G nationwide service and coverage in the country, it is reassuring knowing that your child can always keep in contact with you no matter where they’re at.  T-Mobile Magenta plans are some of the best.

T-Mobile offer some of the best features and benefits for any of their cell phone plans:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • Truly unlimited 5G data on all plans
  • International calling to Canada and Mexico
  • Up to 40GB of a mobile hotspot
  • Nationwide 4G LTE and/or 5G high-speed data
  • Taxes and fees included in monthly price
  • Exceptional customer service
  • Bring your own cell phone and number
  • Entertainment perks
  • Scam shield to protect you against scammers
  • T-Mobile Tuesdays for exclusive perks
  • Travel benefits

There are a few different plans that T-Mobile offers, and even one that is perfect for a family of four:

  • Essentials Plan - $60 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data and mobile hotspot
  • Essentials Four Line Plan - $100 per month for up to six-lines for unlimited talk, text, data and mobile hotspot
  • Magenta Plan  - $70 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot and 100GB of premium data
  • Magenta MAX Plan - $85 per month for four-lines for unlimited talk, text, data, 40GB of premium high-speed mobile hotspot, 100GB of premium data, and Netflix

Visible

Do you currently have a cell phone plan through Verizon Wireless, but want to find something more affordable that also uses their incredible network? They have their own MVNO that is called Visible that has some of the best prices, and it is also owned by Verizon, so you won’t have to suffer from major deprioritization. 

Visible by Verizon Wireless has some of the best features through Verizon Wireless that include:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 4G LTE or 5G nationwide coverage
  • Unlimited mobile hotspot
  • Spam protection
  • Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada
  • 5G ultra wideband on their most expensive plan
  • Unlimited roaming in Mexico and Canada on most expensive plan
  • International calling and texting to 30+ countries
  • International texting to 200+ countries
  • 24/7 access to customer service
  • Add a smartwatch for and extra $5 per month
  • No hidden fees 

There are two main cell phone plans that are offered through Visible, so it’s easy to choose the plan that best fits your family:

  • Visible Plan - $30 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot, and 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage
  • Visible+ Plan - $45 per month for unlimited talk, text, data, mobile hotspot, 4G LTE and 5G nationwide coverage, 5G ultra wideband, and premium network experience

Mint Mobile

At this point, everyone has seen Ryan Reynolds on their TV screen promoting his MVNO, Mint Mobile, but for good reason. As of recently, Mint Mobile is known for having some of the best service and coverage for MVNOs . It uses T-Mobile’s fast 5G service and coverage, with affordable three-month, six-month, or year-long plans.

Mint Mobile offers some incredible features to all of their potential customers no matter what plan that you choose and they are:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Set data allotment plans or unlimited plans offered
  • Three-month, six-month, or year-long plans available
  • T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G coverage
  • High-speed 5G data 
  • Free calling to Mexico and Canada
  • Free 3-in-1 SIM card included when you sign up
  • Free mobile hotspot included in all plans
  • Wi-Fi calling and texting
  • Keep your current phone or buy a new one
  • Keep your current phone number or get a new one
  • Keep your contacts, photos, and apps when you switch plans
  • Mint Mobile app available to make payments and more

There are a few different cell phone plans that you can choose from:

  • $15 per month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data
  • $20 per month for unlimited talk, text, and 10GB of data
  • $25 per month for unlimited talk, text, and 15GB of data
  • $30 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data

It can be tricky trying to find the best cell phone plan for your child. As a learning enhancement,  their socialization skills, or even keeping them safe on a day-by-day basis, a cell phone plan is essential for parents and kids. 

Consider one of these best cell phone plans for your child, as well as why they need one ASAP!

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Sara Nuss
Sara Nuss is a journalist from Pittsburgh, PA that specializes in wireless, dewi, phone plan advice & blockchain.
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