Tips on Text Messaging

Dear Mr. Pinick,

I have a quick question that seems to be coming up with quite a few of us Moms! How much do you feel, is too much text messaging? I understand that it is one of the primary social networks of teens etc… but it seems like it goes on constantly (except in class of course). So far, I’m not seeing my student’s grades suffer or a lack of face to face social skills but it still seems like a kind of obsession with the kids. Any guidance would be appreciated.

A concerned Mom

Dear Mom,

Several things can be checked on and you mentioned a couple to see if your child is texting too much. Are their grades suffering? Do you notice their one-to-one skills diminishing? How late in the evening is the texting occurring? These are areas to monitor. Texting is the way so many of our kids converse, my own included. I think you should set boundaries, such as no texting (sending or receiving) after a certain time in the evening, or during dinner, or at inappropriate times. You can monitor all of this by looking at the bill each month. The time messages are sent and received are listed. Remind your kids that cell phones are a privilege, not a right. :-)

You might also want to purchase only a certain number of messages a month and then have the kids be responsible for any overages. At ten cents for each extra message, this could encourage more responsible use as well. Here is an article I found from the Seattle Times on this topic. I hope it helps.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003644903_textsleep31.html

be God’s,

Gregg Pinick